Differences in Thermal Tolerance Among Sockeye Salmon Populations

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 332; no. 6025; pp. 109 - 112
• Main Authors: Eliason, Erika J., Clark, Timothy D., Hague, Merran J., Hanson, Linda M., Gallagher, Zoë S., Jeffries, Ken M., Gale, Marika K., Patterson, David A., Hinch, Scott G., Farrell, Anthony P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 01.04.2011; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological; adults; Animal Migration; Animal migration behavior; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular system; climate; Climate Change; Climatology. Bioclimatology. Climate change; Collapse; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Earth, ocean, space; Environmental conditions; Environmental conservation; Environmental degradation: ecosystems survey and restoration; environmental factors; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; fish; Fish migration; Fish populations; Freshwater fishes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; heart; Heart - physiology; Heart rate; Heat tolerance; High temperature; Historic; Meteorology; Migration; migratory behavior; mortality; Oceans; Oncorhynchus nerka; Physiology; Population Dynamics; Population migration; Populations; Rivers; Salmon; Salmon - physiology; Spawning; Spawning grounds; Species Specificity; summer; Temperature; Temperature effects; Thermal stress; Thermoregulation. Hibernation. Estivation. Ecophysiology and environmental effects; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Water temperature; Canada; British Columbia; North America; America; Canada, British Columbia, Fraser R; Warming; Oncorhynchus nerka; Temperature; Tolerance; Environmental factor; Dynamical climatology; Freshwater environment; Climate change; Vertebrata; Migratory; Pisces; Stream; Animal population; Geographical variation
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1199158

Climate change—induced increases in summer water temperature have been associated with elevated mortality of adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) during river migration. We show that cardiorespiratory physiology varies at the population level among Fraser River sockeye salmon and relates to historical environmental conditions encountered while migrating. Fish from populations with more challenging migratory environments have greater aerobic scope, larger hearts, and better coronary supply. Furthermore, thermal optima for aerobic, cardiac, and heart rate scopes are consistent with the historic river temperature ranges for each population. This study suggests that physiological adaptation occurs at a very local scale, with population-specific thermal limits being set by physiological limitations in aerobic performance, possibly due to cardiac collapse at high temperatures.