Video: The sockeye salmon’s truly ‘life-and-death’ journey
The sockeye salmon run is something to behold, but it’s also instrically and incredibly linked to the B.C. ecoystem
Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) migrate to their natal river or stream in the Fraser River watershed, which has one of the largest sockeye runs in the world. As they approach their spawning grounds, the bodies of the once silver fish turn bright red and their heads become green. Males develop a hump and hooked jaws, which play a role in competition and establishing hierarchies. Shortly after laying and fertilizing eggs, the salmon die, contributing to the ecosystem. Adams River, British Columbia.
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On its own, the salmon run is stunning—thrumming floods of fish pushing against forces of nature and through a gauntlet of challenges in an incredible effort to keep their species going. But those sockeye salmon also represent the engine that fuels British Columbia’s stunning, verdant environment. “It’s a tremendous boost for these ecosystems, for the bears, for the eagles, for all the carnivores and for all the insects,” says Aaron Hill, an ecologist with the Watershed Watch Salmon Society—meaning the salmon’s life-or-death struggle up the Fraser River brings life to others, too. This video explains how: