Ocean data in 2025 points to roughly average conditions.
Juvenile salmon encountered a mixed bag of ocean conditions off the West Coast in 2025, based on an annual analysis by NOAA Fisheries and Oregon State University researchers.
The researchers examine 16 ocean indicators, from temperature and salinity to the quantity and quality of food available to juvenile salmon during their first months in the ocean. That is a crucial period for young fish as they search for prey to grow big and fast enough to stay ahead of predators…