Estimating the spawning escapement of pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha using the area-under-the-curve method in the Rusha River of the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido Island

Researchers estimated the spawning escapement of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) in the Rusha River, Shiretoko Peninsula, using the area-under-the-curve (AUC) method combined with visual counts. The study found that while the estimated escapement was reasonable, the actual number of spawning grounds was significantly lower than expected based on escapement numbers and available spawning areas. This highlights a potential mismatch between salmon population dynamics and habitat utilization in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The AUC method proved effective for assessing spawning escapement, providing valuable insights into the ecological role of pink salmon in transporting marine-derived nutrients to terrestrial ecosystems.

YOKOYAMA, Y., KOSHINO, Y., MIYAMOTO, K., KUDO, H., KITADA, S., & KAERIYAMA, M. (2010). Estimating the spawning escapement of pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha using the area-under-the-curve method in the Rusha River of the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido Island. Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi, 76(3), 383–391. https://doi.org/10.2331/suisan.76.383