OCEANSCAPE NETWORK
  • Home
  • Virtual Explorations
    • The Stream
  • Explore
  • Experience
  • Educate
Chinook salmon
Bird of Prey
Picture
EXPLORE > ANIMALS > FISH
​
​Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Chinook salmon is the official fish of Oregon and is well-known due to the important role they play in the state’s economy and history. Even Meriwether Lewis and William Clark recognized the importance of these fish to the local Native Americans during their famous cross-country expedition. Fort Clatsop, which the explorers established south of Astoria, was named after a local tribe and means “dried salmon people.”

The Chinook salmon still use Oregon streams and rivers for their annual spawning migration. Interestingly, these fish are repelled by the smell of mammals, which is probably a defensive adaptation to help them avoid being eaten by the hungry bears who line the edges of the waterways looking for a quick meal.

​Range and Habitat

Throughout the open ocean near the surface and at mid-depths. These fish return to fresh water rivers to spawn.
​

Conservation Status

A number of Chinook salmon populations are considered endangered, but overall the species is making a healthy recovery in Oregon. The spring 2010 salmon run was considered the most abundant in recorded history, with an estimated 500,000 fish making the journey to spawn through various rivers and streams. It is estimated that 80% of these fish are actually born in hatcheries.
Picture
Picture
About Oceanscape
The Oregon Coast Aquarium's Oceanscape Network is an educational program for youth designed to inspire curiosity in science, nature, conservation and outdoor exploration while providing valuable classroom resources for educators. MORE.
Quick Links
​Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads
Site Updates | For Educators | For Youth | Translate This Website | Contact Form | Privacy Policy | Conditions of Use | Website Accessibility
Finding the Aquarium
2820 SE Ferry Slip Road, Newport, Oregon 97365
(541) 867-3474 | oceanscape@aquarium.org
Oceanscape Network copyright © 2019-2020 by the Oregon Coast Aquarium. All rights reserved. 
  • Home
  • Virtual Explorations
    • The Stream
  • Explore
  • Experience
  • Educate