Since salmon are considered a keystone species, it is very important to make sure that they are being protected in the environment. Habitat degradation has been a recent threat to salmon around the world, but a more intense threat is climate change. Climate change, specifically higher temperatures and changes in hydrology of streams, is causing detrimental changes to the ecosystems that salmon need in order to survive. Higher temperatures can e very harmful to salmon as they change the flow pattern of streams. If these flow patterns are changed, it makes it much more difficult for salmon to travel and for them to get back to certain streams in order to spawn. If these flow patterns continue changing, it could become impossible for salmon to find their way back to the streams they need to get to, which could keep the salmon from breeding. This means the number of salmon would decrease dramatically, until the point where there were hardly any left. Not only can higher temperatures cause changes in stream flow, but it can also cause a larger susceptibility to predators, parasites, disease, and loss of shelter for the salmon. Salmon have specific characteristics needed by the environment around them in order for them to survive. If these characteristics are changed even slightly, salmon can quickly begin to die. Climate change can cause large variations in every part of the salmon’s life, which makes it increasingly difficult for the salmon to survive.
Julie's Science Blog 