Sunny Day on the Sea Cage

A sea cage can often be exposed to rough unpredictable weather, so having a day of sunlight was a pleasant surprise. This image was taken during a July sampling day and shows an adult Atlantic salmon being handled on one of the sea cages located at the marine conservation farm in Dark Harbour, Grand Manan, NB. The inner Bay of Fundy population of Atlantic salmon have experienced some of the greatest declines, becoming critically endangered under the Species at Risk Act. There have been efforts to restore populations, including the Fundy Salmon Recovery program which uses modified aquaculture techniques for wild caught juvenile salmon to grow to maturity with limited risk of marine mortality. The objective of my project is to optimize salmon growth and fitness for increased survival and spawning of mature adults following their release into their natal rivers through alterations in feeding regime. Growth metrics of length, mass, fat content and morphometric analyses (i.e., comparisons of body shape) will help to determine the optimal feeding regime for improving fitness. The most optimal feeding regime will be implemented in following years on the conservation site and can provide a guideline for other conservation farms.