Context: During a fishy conversation I was asked a question, “Are you aware of Thiamine Deficiency in the salmon population and how the food diet has changed over time in the ocean.” I replied that I was not and so the research began. Here is a write up on what is truly shocking and not widely known nor talked about.
In the Klamath Basin and across the West Coast, a hidden threat has been quietly decimating salmon populations. But now, a groundbreaking solution is offering hope for these iconic fish. This is the story of Thiamine Deficiency Complex (TDC) and how a simple vitamin injection is changing the game for salmon conservation.
For years, scientists and conservationists have grappled with declining salmon populations, often pointing to factors like habitat loss, dams, and climate change. While these remain significant concerns, a new culprit has emerged from the depths: Thiamine Deficiency Complex.
First documented in California’s salmon populations in 2020, TDC has since been observed in various Chinook salmon runs and even in hatchery-origin coho salmon in the Klamath River Basin[1]. The symptoms are alarming: lethargy, abnormal swimming patterns, and increased mortality rates, particularly in young fry between hatching and first feeding[2].
The Anchovy Connection
Scientists hypothesize that female Chinook salmon preying on anchovy in the ocean returned to rivers and streams with depressed thiamine concentrations in their eggs. The concentrations were so low it caused Thiamine Deficiency Complex, or TDC, in their offspring.
Fisheries.noaa.gov
Contrary to popular belief, the source of this salmon plight isn’t solely related to river conditions or the need for rewilding. Instead, the root cause lies in the ocean, specifically in the salmon’s diet.
Dr. Rachel Johnson, a research fisheries biologist with NOAA Fisheries, explains: “We’ve discovered that a narrow diet consisting heavily of northern anchovy is likely the primary cause of TDC in salmon. Anchovies produce an enzyme called thiaminase that breaks down thiamine in salmon, leading to a deficiency in this crucial vitamin.”[3]
This dietary shift is believed to be linked to changing ocean conditions, which have favored large anchovy populations in recent years. While anchovies provide a rich food source for salmon, their abundance has created an unexpected nutritional crisis.
A Simple Solution with Profound Impact
Enter the game-changer: thiamine injections. This straightforward intervention is proving to be remarkably effective in combating TDC and improving the survival odds of salmon fry.
“By injecting adult female salmon with thiamine before spawning, we’re seeing significant improvements in the survival rates of their offspring,” says Dr. Sarah Thompson, a fisheries biologist working on TDC in the Klamath Basin. “It’s a simple procedure with profound implications for salmon conservation.”[4]
The results have been nothing short of remarkable. In hatcheries where thiamine treatments have been implemented, either through injections for adults or thiamine baths for fry, survival rates have improved dramatically[5].
While the success in hatcheries is encouraging, researchers are now turning their attention to wild salmon populations. “We’re investigating thiamine availability in freshwater spawning habitats,” explains Dr. Thompson. “Understanding how TDC affects wild salmon is crucial for developing comprehensive conservation strategies.”[6]
The implications of this research extend far beyond the immediate survival of salmon fry. TDC could be an unrecognized factor in the long-term decline of salmon productivity, affecting not only ecological balance but also harvest opportunities and the cultural significance of salmon to many indigenous communities[7].
A New Chapter in Salmon Conservation
As we unravel the complexities of TDC and its impact on salmon populations, it’s clear that our approach to conservation must evolve. The simple act of providing thiamine through injections or baths represents a new chapter in our efforts to protect these iconic fish.
Dr. Johnson concludes, “While we continue to address other critical factors like habitat restoration and dam removal, tackling TDC gives us a powerful new tool in the fight for salmon survival. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the most effective solutions can come from unexpected places.”[8]
As research continues and treatments are refined, there’s renewed hope for the future of salmon in the Klamath Basin and beyond. This story of thiamine deficiency and its simple yet effective treatment serves as a powerful reminder of the complexity of ecosystem health and the innovative solutions that can arise when science delves deep into the mysteries of nature.
Sources and References
- Pacific Fishery Management Council: Thiamine Deficiency in West Coast Salmon
- FISHBIO: Recent Symposium Tackles the Mysteries Behind Thiamine Deficiency
- NOAA Fisheries: Monitoring Thiamine Deficiency in California Salmon
- OPB: New vitamin discovery in rivers could help salmon with thiamine deficiency
- California Department of Water Resources: Thiamine Deficiency & Salmon
- Oregon State University: Vitamin discovered in rivers may offer hope for salmon suffering from thiamine deficiency disease
- Hakai Magazine: The Ocean’s Mysterious Vitamin Deficiency
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game: Thiamine Deficiency Complex in Alaskan Chinook Salmon
- Governor Newsom’s Legislative Push: Reshaping California’s Policy Landscape
- Documentary Film HORSE of NATURE ‘Officially Selected’ by prestigious EQUUS Film & Arts Festival
- California Insider: Siskiyou Sheriff Explains How Toxic Pesticides in California’s Legal Weed
- McCloud Market: Where Community and Commerce Thrive
- WHY Doesn’t Our County and State District Have an Advocate Like THIS WOMAN?
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Thank you Jay Martin for sharing this information.
So although being discovered in California less then four years ago this is now the number one killer of salmon? Salmon who run a three/four year life cycle.? So hatchery managers have used injections on female chinook that would have spawned in 2021, who would have migrated to the Pacific Ocean late that same year, only to return this year (2024), or next (2025) as as three and four year old adults? So how could we have any reliable data considering the fact there actually hasn’t been enough time to get any real science back from the first treated adult chinook? As the author I appreciate your sense of awareness on the chinook salmon crisis taking place here in California. Any and all awareness is need to battle this crisis. As a life long salmon angler, professional salmon fishing guide, and advocate for the existence of chinook salmon in future generation, I urge you to consider the source of this science. Remembering chinook salmon have survived for thousands of years here in California. Enduring worse droughts and climate changes then we have known to exist in our short time here as Californias. This simple fact helps me sort through the mess that has been made of Californias salmon runs. …If we as migrant humans to this state had never have stepped foot here. There would still be millions of salmon returning to this states water ways every year. This crisis is not about vitamin deficiencies, it’s about our impact and imprint we have left for the chinook salmon to overcome.
thanks you for response: many have been looking for the ocean connection.A this point in time no one banded is going to cover the wounds that we have left on the land. The earth goes through many cycles, river rocks on mountain tops, rivers that ran east to west, then north to south. With one’s eyes open, and ears able to hear we can learn and see a great many things. This is a real find, a truly interesting discovery that a food diet has changed the way a reproductive system works. I think of it like this. It was once acceptable for a pregnant mother to smoke cigarettes. The thought of this in our current society would be appalled and mortified. probably take the kid away and have the state raise the kid in extreme cases. My point is as we learn, we adapt, when we are given new information. It a duty to maybe dig into it subjects little bit our selves if it is something you are passionate about. I to love salmon fishing, I was the one that headed out in small craft advisories because I enjoyed the thrill and had confidence in my abilities.Sadly today I have to go to Alaska and load up on my salmon. We have never eaten the salmon out of the Klamath, the spawners that are given out are also not eaten, rather food for our garden soil because the salmon out of the Klamath in our area have always tasted like mud, no amount of salt and pepper or smoke removed the earthy taste. Sad but truth. Thanks again, tight lines in the future.
Excellent work.
Look at the effects of radiation on thaimine levels in plants. it can drop by a factor of 10 what has fucashima been doing for years cooling the failed reactor with millions of gallons of sea water which becomes irradeated and dumped back into the ocean thus poisioning the ocean from the bottom of the food chain up? Just a thorey and something to look into and think about.