Juvenile salmon experienced a mix of favorable and challenging ocean conditions off the West Coast in 2025, according to an annual analysis by NOAA Fisheries and Oregon State University researchers.
The analysis evaluates 16 ocean indicators that describe conditions juvenile salmon encounter during their first months at sea, a critical period for growth and survival. The indicators include measures of temperature, salinity, and the quantity and quality of prey available to young fish as they attempt to grow quickly enough to avoid predators.
Researchers have refined the indicators through decades of monitoring to help fishery managers anticipate how many juvenile salmon are likely to survive and return as adults in future years. Those projections inform management decisions affecting recreational, commercial, and tribal fisheries that contribute millions of dollars to coastal economies…