Episode 14: The Science of Whitefish Ecology and Glowing Fish

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Overview

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Randy Brown (see episode 10) and do a slight diversion from hunting to talk about fish ecology.   Specifically, Randy describes his fascinating story of Whitefish, which includes Sheefish, ecology and migration on the Yukon River, Alaska.   We also talk about the science behind glowing salmon.

Show Notes

0:30- Introductions (listen to episode 10 for more details about Randy’s resume).
1:50 – Randy gives some background about his fish research on the Yukon River.
6:00 – He provides details about how they conducted studies of Whitefish demography and migration.
8:15 – Do you know how to age a fish?
10:30 – How far do Yukon River Whitefish migrate and how often do they do this migration?
17:45 – We discuss the life-history of Yukon Sheefish and other critters with amazing migration behavior.
25:40 – Why do some salmon glow in the dark?
34:30 – Concluding remarks.

Additional Resources

• Glowing Salmon Worry Residents
• Alaska’s Randy Brown Receives Rachel Carson Award for Exemplary Scientific Accomplishment

Photo:   Randy Brown holding a Sheefish caught in the Yukon River in 1997.