New Horizons for the Future of Salmon

Explore the complete findings of the Marine Survival Project at www.marinesurvivalproject.com. Read on to see how LLTK is working across the ecosystem to put this research into action.

Go behind the scenes with our partners:

PREDATORS
Human development has created bottlenecks where seals have easy pickings on migrating salmon. In 2021, LLTK secured $3.62 million in legislative funding for immediate solutions at the Hood Canal Bridge, a key predator hot spot. We’re also helping partners test technologies to deter seals at other known hot spots.

FOOD SUPPLY
Forage fish provide both food for salmon and an alternative prey source for their predators. We’re working with the Nisqually Indian Tribe and Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe to study and restore herring populations through traditional Indigenous methods. The entire marine food web is affected by wind, sunlight, water temperature, and other climate conditions that are rapidly changing as our region warms. At our Glenwood Springs and Lilliwaup facilities, we’re testing hatchery techniques that may offer models for greater salmon diversity and resilience to climate change and other threats.

HABITAT
Loss of estuary and nearshore habitat and contaminated river and marine waters harm salmon, their food sources, and species like orcas that rely on them. We’re working with private, public, and Tribal partners to find and test ways to find and test ways to clean stormwater and restore our urban waterfronts, estuaries, and shorelines.

BUILDING AN ENDURING MOVEMENT FOR SALMON
The Marine Survival Project proved that ecosystem science and solutions are a long-term team effort. LLTK is building connections between salmon and people across the region, with 20,800 Survive the Sound participants in the race’s fifth year, and more than 20 online webinars and lectures during the pandemic. And because a sustainable future depends on a just and equitable society, we’ve committed to learning and making diversity, equity, and inclusion an ongoing part of our work.