Juvenile Salmon Ocean Survey: CTD, Chlorophyll, and Nutrient Data

FY20 marks the 23rd year of sampling, making this the longest-running salmon survey on the U.S. west coast. The data, collected by NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center, demonstrates correlations between ocean conditions and the distribution, abundance, and survival of juvenile Columbia River salmon. It includes Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) casts and measurements for Chlorophyll and Nutrients.

Use Cases

• Forecast adult salmon returns one to two years in advance based on ocean indicator data.
• Model trophic dynamics and ocean conditions affecting juvenile salmonid survival.
• Decouple the effects of freshwater mitigation efforts from changing ocean environments for management strategies.
• Support an ecosystem approach to management using data from river, plume, and ocean environments.

Strengths

• Long-term time series spanning 23 years of sampling as of FY20.
• Data supports demonstrated correlations between ocean conditions and salmon survival metrics.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is provided in PDF format, which may require extraction for analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Conductivity, temperature, depth (CTD) casts and Chlorophyll and Nutrients sampling from the Juvenile Salmon and Ocean Ecosystem Survey (JSOES).

Time Range

At least 23 years as of FY20.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-14 22:52:28.682672; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northern California Current (NCC) nearshore ecosystem and Columbia River plume.