22 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHEEIES 



MORZHOVOI BAY 



Red salmon ascending the stream that empties into Middle Lagoon, 

 Morzliovoi Bay, were counted through a weir from June 24 to Septem- 

 ber 8, inclusive, during which time a total escapement of 81,748 was 

 recorded. This is more than twice as many as the largest count pre- 

 viously made at this place in the years 1926 to 1932, inclusive. At the 

 beginning of the season counting operations were carried on by David 

 E. Hughes, and later by Mike Clipper, under the supervision of 

 Warden Fred R. Lucas. 



ORZENOI RIVER 



The weir in Orzenoi River was ready for operation on June 23 and 

 the first salmon passed upstream to the spawning grounds on July 4. 

 Counting was continued through July 22, on which date the structure 

 was washed out by a freshet, with the loss of so much material that it 

 could not be replaced for the remainder of the season. The total count 

 numbered 6,634 red salmon and 172 pinks. Thomas B. West was the 

 weir operator, under the direction of Warden Fred R. Lucas. 



RED RIVER 



From May 23 to iVugust 15, inclusive, 1,159,466 red salmon, 

 1,369,392 pinks, and 1,994 kings were counted tlii'ough the weir in 

 Red River, and many fish were still ascending the stream at the time 

 the rack was removed. More than 100,000 predatory trout were 

 exterminated during the season. Henry B, Looff dii^ected operations 

 at this weir, under the supervision of Warden Charles P. Tm'ner. 



SALMON LIFE-HISTORY STUDIES 



Studies of the biology of the Alaska salmon were continued in 1934 

 by the staff of investigators of the Fisheries Biological Station, at 

 Seattle, Wash. Although these studies are carried on each year in 

 more or less definite localities in Alaska, they have as their common 

 goal the determination of the natural and artificial factors responsible 

 for the fluctuations in the abundance of the salmon tlu'oughout the 

 entire Territory. Two major investigations dealing with the red 

 salmon, at Karluk and Chignik, and one pertaining to the pink salmon, 

 at Little Port Walter, were in progress during the year. Data pertain- 

 ing to the runs in all sections of the Territory were likewise collected 

 for the purpose of keeping account of the general biological trend in 

 the salmon fisheries as a whole. 



The results from these investigations and the data collected at 

 various points throughout the Territory indicate that the mortality 

 of the young during their life in fresh water and their rate of growth 

 in the ocean are factors which greatly influence the abundance of the 

 salmon that return to spawn each season. Efforts are being made to 

 evaluate these natural factors in order to provide information relative 

 to the probable abundance of each year's salmon runs. 



Studies dealing with the seasonal change in the quality of the salmon 

 that enter the commercial fisheries of Alaska were also continued dur- 



