December 01, 2006

Columbia Basin Bulletin

"Evolutionary Changes and Salmon: Consequences of anthropogenic changes for the long-term viability of Pacific salmon and steelhead," will be the topic of a symposium sponsored by NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center on Dec. 7 in Seattle . 

In announcing the symposium, the science center said, "A great deal of effort (and money) has been expended in evaluating the anthropogenic factors that have contributed to the widespread declines of anadromous Pacific salmonids. With few exceptions, however, these efforts have focused on ecological/demographic effects, and relatively little attention has been paid to the evolutionary response of salmon to anthropogenic change. This is unfortunate, because any changes to the ecosystems that salmon inhabit will alter the selective regimes they experience and can be expected to elicit an evolutionary response. What is not clear is the nature and magnitude of these evolutionary changes and the consequences they have for long-term viability of natural populations of these species, which play such an important role in marine and terrestrial ecosystems as well as in human societies." 

The symposium is expected to bring together top salmon biologists and top evolutionary biologists to explore the topic. The meeting will end with a hosted reception and poster session.  

Please contact Robin Waples (robin.waples@noaa.gov) for any questions about the program. More information about the meeting and how to register can be found at the following website: http://www.regonline.com/108983. For questions about registration or logistics, contact Tara Torres (tara@ucar.edu; 303-497-8694).