Atlantic salmon face the abrupt changing climate

Atlantic salmon are among the most imperiled species in the Northeast Region. While at one time hundreds of thousands of salmon made their epic migration from the oceans of Greenland to their natal rivers in Maine, now only remnant populations remain. Recovering this iconic species is a priority for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The odds have been against the salmon. The construction of dams, overfishing, habitat loss, and water pollution have collectively caused their decline.

Biologists at the Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery, part of the Atlantic salmon recovery operation that Santavy oversees, are experimenting with ways to delay the spawning cycle that they’re seeing in the Penobscot River salmon. By artificially manipulating water temperatures and length of daylight they are attempting to bring the captive fish more in sync with seasonal river conditions. Hatchery-raised fish comprise 95-percent of the salmon population in the Penobscot.
Adult Atlantic salmon. Credit: Bob Michelson Adult Atlantic salmon. Credit: Bob Michelson

An additional concern in recovering the Atlantic salmon is that the rivers in the Downeast region of Maine are experiencing extreme fluctuations in water flows – heavier rainfalls happening less frequently, combined with earlier snow and melting river ice – that have been predicted in certain climate change models. During these weather events, the high-flowing water doesn’t have a chance to absorb into the river beds, which contain minerals that serve as a buffer to changing water chemistry. This lack of buffering can increase the acidity of the water. After the rainwater flushes out the system, river flows now tend to decrease rapidly unlike the gradual decline seen in the past.

According to Santavy, these shifting river conditions occur at a time in the spring when the juvenile salmon are very vulnerable. In the wild, the fish have just a one-month window of time to transform from parr into smolt before migrating to the sea.

Biological studies conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.) show that it can take weeks for a salmon in this life stage to recover after being exposed to acidic conditions. Acidic pH levels in the water lower than 6 (7 is neutral) can cause naturally occurring aluminum levels in the water to become reactive to the fish. This can prevent calcium from binding to the fishes’ gills – a necessary process for their transition to the marine environment. If this is the case, Santavy says it could help explain the reason smolt are being lost in the estuaries, and would be devastating to recovery efforts.

The Right dieting plans

Dieting do’s

Eat breakfast every day! Skipping it won't help you lose weight. It'll just have you reaching for snacks later.

Drink water, juice, milk or smoothies instead of fizzy drinks. The normal kind are packed with sugar, and the diet kind have no nutritional benefits.

Drink 8 glasses of water a day - it's calorie free! The symptoms of dehydration can also be mistaken for hunger pangs.

Eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Even a glass of fruit juice counts!

The odd treat's fine, just don't base your diet solely around chips!

Dieting don'ts

Don't diet! Instead, aim to get active and eat sensibly. This means eating enough starchy foods (bread, pasta), lots of fruit and veg and moderate amounts of meat, fish and dairy.

Avoid any eating plan that restricts your intake of dairy products. Growing bones need calcium!

Your body needs certain types of fats to look and feel healthy. But limit the saturated kind (found in foods like butter, hard cheese, fatty cuts of meat, pastry, biscuits and cakes) to an occasional treat.

Crash diets don't work in the long term and the weight will pile back on. The best way to achieve lasting results is to adapt your lifestyle gradually.

What is healthy eating all about?

Healthy eating is all about eating a range of foods which gives us a healthy and wholesome balance. It's really important to eat different food types so we get all the nutrients such as vitamins and minerals that we need. Fibre and whole grain foods are excellent too as they help us to digest food really well.

Healthy eating is about enjoying all the wonderful foods out there as well as understanding what we are eating and why? Healthy eating is not designed to be restrictive or un-exciting – there is tremendous variety in what we can prepare and cook.

Removing salt from our cooking and replacing with herbs and spices is a great way of adding extra flavour. Use small amounts of unsaturated fats (liquid at room temperature) in cooking or maybe a spray dispenser or just water for cooking if you want to keep it mega-healthy. We need a good balance of protein and carbohydrate but the least amount of sugar and fats.

Keeping hydrated as well is really key, sensible water intake keeps our bodies working just as they should be helping for example our joints, digestion, brains and skin.

If you would like to find out even more about healthy eating please have a look at the websites featured below, there is lots of information to guide you in eating healthily. And for the children there are some fun sites too!

Motivating kids to enjoy physical activity

Being a role model
Kids will usually follow what you do more than what you say. If they see you enjoying physical activity and having fun, it will motivate them to be more active. It also means they can’t use the classic excuse (either stated or just in their thoughts) of ‘Well, you don’t do anything yourself’.
Playing together is important too. Help your child practise basic sporting and movement skills such as throwing and catching or kicking a ball.

Providing the right conditions
With a bit of planning you can set up the conditions for getting active:
• Have a range of active ideas for when your child says ‘I’m bored’ – hide and seek, skipping, throwing and catching, etc. See activity ideas for more suggestions.
• Buy gifts that encourage physical activity, such as balls, bats or skipping ropes.
• Encourage active play with your child’s friends – bike-riding, kicking a ball.
• Provide some soft balls and equipment for active indoor games.
• Create fun and exciting opportunities for activity, e.g. after school or on weekends. It’s easy to think that your child is sufficiently active at school, but they need to be encouraged to be active at home as well.
• Encourage your child to be more active outside during daylight hours, to balance being less active when it’s not possible for them to be outside.
• Try and plan activities during school holidays, such as trying a new sport or going to a holiday camp.

If your child is inactive, gradually build up the amount of activity they do. Start with a moderate amount and set goals so you can chart progress over time.
Keeping it going

Long-term motivation is not so easy to achieve. Once your child is up and active, take some sensible steps to keep it going:
• Build up the amount of activity over time and chart their progress.
• Let your child try a variety of activities so they find ones they enjoy and want to continue with.
• Keep it interesting. Encourage them to try something different if they lose interest in one activity. Variety also ensures they develop a range of skills.
• Be flexible with the weather and different seasons. Have a list of activities for rainy days.
• Support your child’s choice of activity, whether it’s active play or organised sport.
• Recognise their achievements.
• Offer active rewards if your child attends an activity regularly and achieves their goals, e.g. take them to the pool or the beach.
• Attend practice sessions or matches whenever possible.

Go with Healthy Snacks

If you are trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, snacking can be part of your diet. Use moderation and balance when selecting foods to snack on. Select foods that satisfy your hunger, supply your body with energy and provide important nutrients. Try to keep your snack at 100 calories or less. Choose your snacks from the following food groups:

• Fruits and vegetables give you a feeling of fullness with no fat and small amount of calories. These are low energy density foods so you can eat more for your 100 calories. They give you vitamins, minerals, fiber and water.
• Whole grains are rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates to give you energy that will last. Look for low-fat whole-grain crackers, whole grain pretzels and crisp breads.
• Nuts and seeds give you protein and make you feel fuller longer. They are high in healthy fats so be careful how much you eat.
• Low-fat dairy products like cheese, yogurt are good sources of calcium and protein and other vitamins and minerals. Look for the low calorie or “Light” varieties of yogurt.

Food safety guidelines in the kitchen

Clean. Wash hands and surfaces often

Wash your hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds (count to 30) before you handle food or food utensils. Wash your hands after handling or preparing food, especially after handling raw meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, or eggs. Right after you prepare these raw foods, clean the utensils and surfaces you used with hot soapy water. Replace cutting boards once they have become worn or develop hard-to-clean grooves. Wash raw fruit and vegetables under running water before eating. Use a vegetable brush to remove surface dirt if necessary. Always wash your hands after using the bathroom, changing diapers, or playing with pets. When eating out, if the tables, dinnerware, and restrooms look dirty, the kitchen may be, too—so you may want to eat somewhere else.

Separate. Separate raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat foods while shopping, preparing, or storing
Keep raw meat, poultry, eggs, fish, and shellfish away from other foods, surfaces, utensils, or serving plates. This prevents cross-contamination from one food to another. Store raw meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish in containers in the refrigerator so that the juices don't drip onto other foods.

Cook. Cook foods to a safe temperature
Uncooked and undercooked animal foods are potentially unsafe. Proper cooking makes most uncooked foods safe. The best way to tell if meat, poultry, or egg dishes are cooked to a safe temperature is to use a food thermometer. Several kinds of inexpensive food thermometers are available in many stores.

Reheat sauces, soups, marinades, and gravies to a boil. Reheat leftovers thoroughly to at least 165° F. If using a microwave oven, cover the container and turn or stir the food to make sure it is heated evenly throughout. Cook eggs until whites and yolks are firm. Don't eat raw or partially cooked eggs, or foods containing raw eggs, raw (unpasteurized) milk, or cheeses made with raw milk. Choose pasteurized juices. The risk of contamination is high from undercooked hamburger, and from raw fish (including sushi), clams, and oysters. Cook fish and shellfish until it is opaque; fish should flake easily with a fork. When eating out, order foods thoroughly cooked and make sure they are served piping hot.

Chill. Refrigerate perishable foods promptly
When shopping, buy perishable foods last, and take them straight home. At home, refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, fish, shellfish, ready-to-eat foods, and leftovers promptly. Refrigerate within 2 hours of purchasing or preparation—and within 1 hour if the air temperature is above 90º F. Refrigerate at or below 40º F, or freeze at or below 0º F. Use refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days. Freeze fresh meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish that cannot be used in a few days. Thaw frozen meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish in the refrigerator, microwave, or cold water changed every 30 minutes. (This keeps the surface chilled.) Cook foods immediately after thawing. Never thaw meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish at room temperature. When eating out, make sure that any foods you order that should be refrigerated are served chilled.

Follow the label
Read the label and follow safety instructions on the package such as "KEEP REFRIGERATED" and the "SAFE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS."

Serve safely
Keep hot foods hot (140º F or above) and cold foods cold (40º F or below). Harmful bacteria can grow rapidly in the "danger zone" between these temperatures. Whether raw or cooked, never leave meat, poultry, eggs, fish, or shellfish out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour in hot weather 90º F or above). Be sure to chill leftovers as soon as you are finished eating. These guidelines also apply to carry-out meals, restaurant leftovers, and home-packed meals-to-go.

When in doubt, throw it out
If you aren't sure that food has been prepared, served, or stored safely, throw it out. You may not be able to make food safe if it has been handled in an unsafe manner. For example, a food that has been left at room temperature too long may contain a toxin produced by bacteria—one that can't be destroyed by cooking. So if meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, or eggs have been left out for more than 2 hours, or if the food has been kept in the refrigerator too long, don't taste it. Just throw it out. Even if it looks and smells fine, it may not be safe to eat. If you have doubt when you're shopping or eating out, choose something else.

Food Safety Preparation Tips

Begin with clean hands. Wash your hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap before and after preparing fresh produce.

Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables. Produce that looks rotten should be discarded.

All produce should be thoroughly washed before eating. Wash fruits and vegetables under running water just before eating, cutting or cooking.

Many precut, bagged produce items like lettuce are pre-washed. If the package indicates that the contents have been pre-washed, you can use the produce without further washing.

Even if you plan to peel the produce before eating, it is still important to wash it first.

Washing fruits and vegetables with soap or detergent or using commercial produce washes is not recommended.

Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.

Drying produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel may further reduce bacteria that may be present.