This type of salmon could be a clear sign of global warming and the resulting threat to ecosystems.
Salmon are one of the most private species of fish when it comes to reproduction. They wander the ocean before returning to the rivers where they reproduced, then rush upriver to reproduce, then die. But it is not a static life cycle. In fact, it is a system that has allowed some species to find new habitats.
According to experts, the fact that this particular species of salmon is breeding like wildfire in the Arctic is alarming. A clear sign of inevitable climate change Which threatens entire ecosystems. All the details.
These salmon are a clear sign of climate change
With the Arctic warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, species are likely to migrate to higher latitudes. This is because the Arctic is becoming more suitable for them, and because their natural habitat is slowly disappearing.
there The Arctic region is recovering its population Thanks to the types of shrubs and trees that take root in the new climate. Local fishing communities confirmed that they caught the fish Chum salmon Here and there over the past few decades, but now their presence has almost doubled. Last month, scientists confirmed that they had found about 100 salmon in the Anaktuvuk and Itkilik rivers.
Many local scientists and biologists have also found traces of this species, in its reproductive stage or even in the form of a corpse. They concluded that this poleward shift is a clear sign of climate change. However, scientists do not yet know whether spawning actually led to the evolution of young fish, only that it did.
Instead of returning to breed in their native rivers, according to the University of Alaska team, at some point Individual chum salmon have moved north. In fact, higher removal rates are recorded in warmer years. It appears that these Arctic rivers have begun to become ideal natural habitats only in the past few decades. Salmon, at this stage, are a type of silent colonizers who, because of their extremely rapid reproduction, are invading the Arctic.
Scientists have only begun to study the environmental consequences of their arrival, however Friendly salmon may interact with native fish species Which northern societies have long relied on. Although these new populations are currently small, if they continue to grow, they could compete with native fish for space and resources.
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