(Soldotna) - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is collaborating with the University of Alaska Fairbanks on a multi-year tracking and survival study of Kenai River king salmon smolt using juvenile salmon acoustic telemetry system (JSATS) technology. This JSATS study on Kenai River king salmon juveniles will investigate inriver and early marine movement, behavior, and mortality. Funding for this project is from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant to conduct juvenile king salmon research in Cook Inlet.

King salmon smolt will be implanted with acoustic transmitters and released to continue their downstream migration. A variety of gear will be deployed and marked with surface buoys to track tagged fish. Hydrophone data receivers will be deployed underwater to form listening line arrays. There will be approximately 14 arrays, and each array will span migration points in the Kenai River drainage and into the nearshore waters of Cook Inlet near the Kenai River mouth. All receivers will be attached to anchors and will be fully submersed near the riverbed or bottom of Cook Inlet. Some receivers will be attached to lines with well-marked surface buoys and other receivers may be only attached to groundlines.

Please be aware of these buoys and do not move or alter buoys, lines, or anchors as this equipment is collecting valuable data on Kenai River king salmon.

For more information, contact ADF&G Research Biologists Tony Eskelin or Dan Donnelly at (907) 262-9368.

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