Research findings on inland fish and impacts from climate change are now available in an updatable, searchable database, thanks to a team effort by the National CASC, USGS, and University partners. FiCli (the Fish and Climate Change Database) contains a breadth of peer-reviewed literature spanning geographic regions on a global scale. The data, which will continue to grow as more data are added, will help inform resource managers and spur future studies on fish health and climate.
Tag: salmon streams
Southwestern Alaska’s Salmon Face a Grim Climate Future
Using past weather data and future weather pattern predictions in Southwestern Alaska, the National Park Service foresees both a significant decrease in precipitation in the form of snow and a shorter snow season. Over the next fifty years, according to the study, low-lying regions in the Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, and in the Lake Clark, Katmai, and Kenai Fjords National Parks are likely to transition from snow-dominant to rain-dominant. This shift will reduce overall snowpack and decrease instream flow during summer months unless glacial melt or rain boost runoff. The timing of runoff may negatively impact salmon runs in the summer months, while an increase in streamflow in the winter months, as snow transitions to rain, will threaten salmon eggs with scouring. Warmer air temperatures in the summer months are expected to raise temperatures in non-glacial streams, impeding salmon survival throughout all life stages. It is unlikely that salmon will adjust quickly enough to accommodate to these changes.
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