Is Climate Change Impacting Salmon Populations? Students will utilize Pacific Decadal Oscillation data, and Coho and Chinook Salmon data to explore the connection between salmon returns and water temperature.Climate change is a topic we hear about every day, from increasing sea levels, warming oceans, and melting polar ice caps. But is climate change impacting our salmon populations? Students will utilize Pacific Decadal Oscillation data, and Coho and Chinook Salmon data to explore the connection between salmon returns and water temperature. Topics Climate Change AuthorsDina DiSantis Teacher ResourcesLesson PlanVideo QuestionsTable 1: Pacific Decadal OscillationGraphed Data for Yearly Average PDO DataTable 2: Graphed Data – Chinook Salmon ReturnsComparison of Yearly Average PDO Data and Chinook Salmon ReturnsTeacher Answer Sheet to Support PDO Data and Chinook Anomaly of Numbers of Adults Returning to SpawnInterpretation of Data Student ResourcesVideo QuestionsTable 1: Pacific Decadal OscillationTable 2: Data of Chinook Salmon ReturnsInterpretation of Data Additional Resources Climate Change and Northern Fish Populations: Canadian Special Publication of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 121 Effects of global climate change on marine and estuarine fishes and fisheries Next Generation Science StandardsCrosscutting ConceptsCause and effectCore IdeasESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth SystemsLS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and ResiliencePracticesPlanning and carrying out investigationsAnalyzing and interpreting data Ocean Literacy Fundamental Concepts6.E: Humans affect the ocean in a variety of ways. Laws, regulations and resource management affect what is taken out and put into the ocean. Human development and activity leads to pollution (point source, non-point source, and noise pollution) and physical modifications (changes to beaches, shores and rivers). In addition, humans have removed most of the large vertebrates from the ocean.