Warm Waters in Pacific Spell Hard Times for Salmon

A mass of warm water—known as "the blob"—has had lingering effects on numbers of juvenile salmon.

Photo: Tony Grover

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Poor ocean conditions are affecting salmon in the Pacific Northwest—so much so that returns of adult steelhead that went to sea as juveniles are among the lowest in 50 years. Creatures that usually live farther south have shown up along the Washington and Oregon coasts, including jack mackerel, a potential salmon predator.