A Review of the Limnology and Sockeye Salmon Ecology of Babine Lake

Joseph M. Culp was Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Calgary.

This book draws together diverse studies on the ecology of the sockeye salmon populations and limnology of Babine Lake, providing a useful information base for scientists and managers. It is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 details the lake morphology, climate, and vegetation of the watershed, and the watershed’s history of logging and mining activities. Chapter 2 covers the physical and chemical limnology of Babine Lake and the current knowledge on phytoplankton and zoo-plankton communities of the lake. The ecology of juvenile sockeye salmon is examined in Chapter 3, including discussions of age-specific mortality, feeding ecology, production, and fry distribution. Adult sockeye runs provide the focus of Chapter 4, this discussion being divided among fry escapement, adult returns, and spawning channel facilities. Chapter 5 forwards conclusions on the potential impacts of industrial activities, like logging, on the lake environment and salmon populations.

The major deficiencies of the book are that the authors are often insufficiently critical of the works cited and that important topics, such as zoo-plankton production, are covered too briefly. Additionally, the legends and titles of several figures in Chapter 5 are confusing. However, these problems do not seriously decrease the publication’s overall quality. This would be a valuable reference for fisheries scientists and a good introduction to sockeye salmon ecology for students because it clearly indicates how the coupling of limnological and fisheries studies at a long-term study site leads to a better understanding of fisheries production.