New study reveals the various migratory routes traveled by Atlantic salmon and explains the causes of the decline of this species of fish
A new study reveals the various migratory routes traveled by Atlantic salmon in the north of the ocean and tries to explain the causes of the decline of this species of fish.
A recent study, conducted by the Artic University in Norway, has brought to light interesting details on the migratory route taken by the Atlantic salmon in the ocean. The researchers intercepted 204 salmon that had just spawned and traced their migratory path with GPS markers. It emerged that salmon travel with very specific routes depending on the point from which they depart: salmon from Norway and Denmark migrate to the North Atlantic, between Iceland and the Svalbard Islands; on the other hand, Irish salmon are heading south towards Greenland.
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Additionally, salmon living further south appear to be able to cover greater distances, up to 2.400km. The salmon observed by the researchers spent an average of 80% of their time looking for food at the surface of the water and only occasionally dipped up to a maximum of 870 meters.
In general, the geographically closest salmon populations tend to use the same ocean area for hunting and food supply. The more distant populations, on the other hand, tend to feed in different regions of the ocean, experimenting with different diets due to the different temperatures of the sea.
For example, Irish salmon live in warmer temperatures (5-16 ° C), while Norwegian salmon adapt to colder temperatures (0-10 ° C). These temperature differences not only contribute to variations in the survival and growth of animals, but are also greatly affected by the ongoing climate changes and populations in the south, like those in Ireland, seem to be more at risk than those in the north. distances to cover to get to food are getting longer, and the time to devote to hunting and sustenance decreases, with very serious consequences for their survival.
This new research suggests that climate change may have a greater impact on salmon populations from warmer and more southerly areas - explains Professor Paddy Gargan. - This is because the distance and time required to travel to the areas where these animals feed will increase more and more, if the ocean waters continue to warm up as they are doing.
@ Scientific Reports
Fonte: Scientific Reports
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