Spawning Sockeye HD 1080p
Each summer (depending on the latitude) Sockeye salmon return to the rivers where they first hatched. This little stream is located just outside Juneau, Alaska, by the Mendenhall Glacier.
It is my hope that the videos I produce will be of help for educators. To that end I thought it would be interesting to suggest some questions that mught come out of viewing this video.
Habitat
The opening shots of this video establish the habitat these salmon like. What are its key attributes that make this a good river for spawning?
The Fish
Among the salmon species the Sockeye is the only one that turns a bright red and green. It does this only when it enters fresh water. Why does it change?
What other changes occur during spawning?
By observing the fish you will note that they pair up. Which of the pair is the male? The female? How can the sexes be identified?
Spawning is the last act of their lives. How do their bodies change as they near the end of their lives?
Ecology
What animals might come to feed on the salmon?
Do the salmon benefit the forest their spawning rivers flow through?
What do their dead bodies contribute to their offspring?