Researchers have found three new-to-science viruses in chinook and sockeye salmon in British Columbia. The discovery, led by Gideon Mordecai, a University of British Columbia molecular biologist who studies the ecology of viruses, is part of a larger investigation into whether viruses are contributing to the steep declines in wild British Columbia salmon populations over the past 30 years. The researchers now aim to find out if these infectious agents are being transmitted from farmed to wild fish.
The discoveries contribute to a growing understanding of the threats facing British Columbia’s wild salmon.
LINK (via: Hakai Magazine)
