Metadatabase of Salmon Survey Data and Sample Collections of Relevance to Mortality of Salmon at Sea

The Metadatabase is a list of datasets related to the marine phase of Atlantic salmon; these data are maintained and available from NASCO’s Contracting Parties. The Metadatabase does not contain raw data, rather it contains information on where databases and sample collections are held, together with details of the type of data or samples, and conditions governing their accessibility. The list is not comprehensive.

The Metadatabase is currently under review and was last updated in January 2021. Information regarding the outcome of the review will be available in due course.

The Metadatabase was established in 2011 when the Board recognised that recent international initiatives under the SALSEA Programme had generated some valuable datasets, including biological and genetic databases generated under the SALSEA-Merge project. At that time, the Board also noted the existence of historical tagging data compiled by ICES workshops supported by the Board as well as historical marine survey samples, such as those generated by the international sampling programme at West Greenland, going back more than fifty years. The Metadatabase was developed to increase awareness of the existence of these datasets among researchers and other interested parties.

The data and sample collections contained in the metadatabase can also be viewed, as PDFs, following the links below:

Download a copy of the Metadatabase Data Entry Form (Excel) to submit additional information.

Name of Data Sample Collection (Select to view)	Info Type	Description
North American Run Reconstruction Data	Data	Seven base files in Excel format that contain catch data, returns data, and spawners data by jurisdiction
North-East Atlantic run reconstruction data	Data	National catches. non-reporting rates, exploitation rates, return times, sex ratios, fecundities, smolt age composition
Scales from smolts and adults from the River Dee (Wales)	Biological Samples	Smolt trapping: subset of catch sampled for scales and lengths; Adult trapping: catch sampled for scales, length and weight
Scales from smolts and adults from the River Frome (England)	Biological Samples	Smolt trapping: subset of catch sampled for scales and lengths; Adult returns registered automatically by PIT readers
Scale sampling for smolts and adults from River Tamar (England)	Biological Samples	Smolt trapping: subset of catch sampled for scales and lengths; Adult trapping: catch sampled for scales, length and weight
Estimated survival of wild smolts (%) to return to homewaters (prior to coastal fisheries) for River Dee (Wales)	Data	Estimates based on tag recovery rates
Estimated survival of wild smolts (%) to return to homewaters (prior to coastal fisheries) for River Frome (England)	Data	Estimates based on smolt output from trapping & adult detections at resistivity counter to 2012, on PIT tag detections (2012 onwards)
Estimated survival of wild smolts (%) to return to homewaters (prior to coastal fisheries) for River Tamar (England)	Data	Estimates based on tag recovery rates
Greenland catch data	Data	Logbook data and catch data
SALSEA Greenland	Biological Samples	Samples came from a land-based marine survey of Atlantic salmon harvested in the mixed-stock fishery off the west coast of Greenland. Biological characteristics data, tissue for DNA sampling, preserved sea lice, various tissue samples for a variety of disease and parasite sampling (heart, kidney, spleen, pyloric caeca, gill arch, liver, gill filaments, brain, heart, muscle, intestines) , stomach samples, variety of tissue samples for stable isotope sampling (scales, liver, muscle, caudal fin, adipose), tissue for lipid sampling, otoliths, and scales were collected and are in various states of processing and availability.
Greenland tag recaptures	Data	All known recaptures of CWTs and external tags in the West Greenland fishery
External tag recoveries from tagging programmes in Canada, USA, EU, Norway and Russia and International adult salmon tagging at Faroes and Greenland.	Data	Information on 2,696 external tag recoveries at Faroes and 5,080 tag recoveries from Greenland from smolt releases in homewater countries of EU, N. America, Norway and Russia
Faroes CWT recoveries	Data	Information on 348 tag recoveries of coded wire tags at Faroes from mid 1980’s to mid 1990’s
SALSEA – Merge biological samples	Biological Samples	Held in various locations and includes samples analysed and those yet to be analysed. Some samples are committed to existing studies.
SALSEA – Merge Marine Feeding	Data	Information on stomach contents of adult salmon and post-smolts taken in SALSEA Merge research surveys
Kolarctic Coastal samples	Biological Samples	Scale samples collected from coastal fisheries for Atlantic salmon in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark counties, Norway. In total over 26,000 samples were collected, anaysed for orgin (wild/farmed), smolt and sea age. Scales were also used for genetic analyis, and individual fish were assigned to region and river origin by comparison to a comprehensive genetic baseline of 185 rivers
Northern Irish CL monitoring	Data	Assessment of compliance against CL and MT of NI salmon rivers
Northern Ireland CWT programme	Data	Data on CWT recovery in the Northern Irish commercial salmon fisheries
Fry indexes primary salmon rivers	Data	Annual assessment of juvenile production of primary salmon rivers in NI
Marine Survival Timeseries Bush wild/hatchery	Data	Marine Survival Timeseries Bush wild/hatchery
Northern Ireland SALSEA baseline	Data	Genetic baseline of NI salmon populations using the SALSEA panel of microsatellites
Bush Smolt scale archive	Biological Samples	Scales of descending smolts from River Bush smolt trap
Bush Adult scale archive	Biological Samples	Scales of returning adults from River Bush adult trap
PINRO Atlantic salmon scales collection	Biological Samples	Atlantic salmon scales collected in rivers within the Kola Peninsula, Russia during annual surveys. Over 160,000 samples were collected and read for smolt and sea age
SALSEA – Merge Genetics Database: Genetically-based Regional Assignment of Atlantic Salmon Protocol (GRAASP)	Data	Genetic profiles are now available in for some 26, 813 individuals from 467 locations, in 284 rivers across Europe as well as genetic assignments of samples taken in the SALSEA Merge surveys
Long-term variation in population dynamics, life history and exploitation of salmon stock in the index river Ätran, Sweden	Data	The objective is to estimate long-term variation of survival in different life stages, life history characteristics, stock/recruitment and growth of wild salmon in the Index River Ätran with its major tributary Högvadsån. Estimates of sea survival and exploitation are provided from pit tags as of 2018 (previously Carlin tags).
USA origin juvenile and adult scale samples	Biological Samples	Scale samples collected from juvenile (parr and smolt) and adult USA origin Atlantic salmon from multiple rivers throughout the USA range of the species and across varying numbers of years
SALSEA North America biological samples	Biological Samples	Samples came from a marine pelagic survey targeting Atlantic salmon in the Labrador Sea. Biological characteristics data, tissue for DNA sampling, preserved sea lice, various tissue samples for a variety of disease and parasite sampling (heart, kidney, spleen, pyloric caeca, gill arch, liver, gill filaments, brain, heart, muscle, intestines) , stomach samples, variety of tissue samples for stable isotope sampling (scales, liver, muscle, caudal fin, adipose), tissue for lipid sampling, otoliths, scales and plankton samples at select locations were collected and are in various states of processing and availability
West Greenland Sampling Database	Data	Annual sampling of the West Greenland Atlantic salmon fishery has occurred since 1968 with the exception of 1993 and 1994. As of 2017, there are ~60,000 individual records that provide information on the biological characteristics of the sampled fish
Salmon Genetic Samples	Biological Samples	Samples of hatchery and wild caught Salmon in the Rhine System
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon Salmon Fishery Sampling Program	Biological Samples	Sampling program of salmons harvested at sea around St Pierre et Miquelon by recreational fishery. The project was developed through co-operation with NASCO and was designed so as to include three components: A biometric study A genetic study A disease and parasite study. In 2020, the sampling program of salmon harvested at sea around St Pierre et Miquelon was continued by Ifremer between 28 May and 10 July. 116 salmons, harvested around both islands of Miquelon and St Pierre, were measured and weighted (+ 12% compared to 2019, 21% of total catches). The collaboration between Ifremer-St Pierre and Miquelon and DFO-Newfoundland and Labrador set up in 2013 and continued in 2019. Scales and tissue samples taken from the 116 salmons were transmitted by Ifremer to the DFO laboratory in St John’s, Newfoundland for age determination and genetic analyses.
Scales from adults from the River Tyne (England)	Biological Samples	Rod caught logbook scheme and broodstock collection adult scales, length and/or weight.