At the time of publication of this October Newsletter, approximately 80% of year 2005 has gone by since our January issue with several significant events having taken place in the interim period.
In the mid Spring of 2005, I was advised by the CDFG in Sacramento of their approval of our Grant Request for some operating funds that I had requested in May of 2004! This grant approval will provide to us some funds from National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), through CDFG, for a significant portion of our operating budget from June 2005 through June of 2007. With these funds and your continued excellent contributions support we should be able to continue our operations well into 2007. That was a close encounter with the "edge of the funding precipice!"
This spawning year we had very good returns of coho salmon and steelhead adults for our spawning and rearing programs. We have over 24,000 coho that we spawned from adult wild fish at our rearing facility. We also have an excellent quantity of juvenile coho, approximately 4,000, from our Coho Captive Broodstock Rearing Program. This combination results in a present total of approximately 28,000 juvelile coho potentially available for planting in the spring of 2006.
At the time of this writing, approximately 15,600 steelhead fry are being reared at our facility for planting in the spring of 2006. Although this quantity of steelhead fry is substantially less than our average yearly steelhead inventory, it is the result of the commission of a very serious criminal act performed by an unknown person or persons at our Kingfisher Flat fish rearing facility. In mid March of this year, this serious criminal act of poisoning our adult steelhead broodstock was committed by using a significant dosage of chlorine which in turn killed all of the steelhead broodstock in our possession at that time. The perpetrators are possibly unaware that this incredibly irrational act of killing our 12 steelhead adults resulted in the loss of perhaps 35,000 to 40,000 juvenile steelhead from our program. Mr Joe Giordano of NOAA said "This falls under the endangered-species act. This is a multiple violation case, and they could face 6 months in jail and a fine of $50,000." NOAA Fisheries is continuing the investigation of this crime, and they are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of anyone responsible for committing this senseless criminal act. Anyone with information regarding this fish killing act is asked to contact Mr. Giordano at 707-575-6073.
Over our 29 years of operation since 1976, MBSTP has released over 2,001,000 coho salmon and steelhead into area streams from whence they out-migrate to the ocean and grow naturally to maturity.
Earlier this year we were able to complete the process of expanding our coho salmon fry rearing capability by about 60% with the inclusion of 6 new deep-rearing troughs. This planned expansion came about just in time to accommodate the significant coho fry population for the 2004/2005 fry rearing season. The new high-efficiency, automatic filtration, system that we installed last fall has performed extremely well in providing high quality water for our hatchery building activities' needs. Next year we will install a duplicate filtration unit for our Coho Captive Broodstock Rearing Facility to improve rearing efficiency and effectiveness.
Recently I submitted the coho, steelhead, and chinook Permit Applications and Planting Plan for the forthcoming 2005/2006 season to the CDFG for approval. The allocation requests for spawning program broodstock and chinook juvenile fish for acclimation are the same quantities requested and approved for last season.
MBSTP's Chinook Salmon Enhancement Program continued this year to yield very positive and efficient results. This year the chinook smolt survival rate through the acclimation and release phases was as successful as that of the last two years, an outstanding 99.9% +. As was the case in 2003 and 2004, the juvenile chinook fish delivered to, and released from, our sea pens this year were in excellent physical condition. A significant contributing factor was no doubt the fact that these chinook smolts again came from the Mokelumne River Hatchery. This year approximately 244,000 chinook smolts were released, and the overall total of chinook salmon smolts released into the Monterey Bay during the fifteen years of the Chinook Enhancement Program is now well over 1,905,000 fish.
Some down-side aspects of the program have occurred as might be expected for most human endeavors. Some of our equipment, such as sea pen liners and small-mesh fish netting are no longer repairable or usable due to age and the marine environment in which they must perform, including ocean surge effects. We encountered these occurrences 10 or 11 years ago as well. In addition, some of our chinook equipment storage locations and some key operations volunteers are no longer available to us for this program. These events will require us to replace two sea pen liners and fish nets. It will also be necessary to procure mobile equipment for moving chinook rearing and acclimation equipment to and from sites remote from the MBSTP hatchery and to procure equipment for the storage of chinook equipment at our hatchery when this equipment is not in use. These expenditures will be paramount to our ability to continue the operation of our Chinook Program. I have submitted a grant request to an area private foundation to help us to fund some of these Chinook Program expenditures.
We will continue in the future to pursue sources for grant funding for our various Project needs. History shows us, however, that we cannot rely heavily on grant funding repeatedly, and consequently we will not be able to continue our steelhead and salmon restoration mission without your continued support.
All of us in the MBSTP want to thank all of you for your exceptional help and support to-date this year. Our continued thanks to The David & Lucile Packard Foundation; Fish & Game Advisory Commissions of Monterey, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties; commercial Salmon Stamp Committee; Scotts Creek Watershed Council; Santa Cruz Port District; & Moss Landing Harbor District. You all are the Best!

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Mary Hermansky, our Fish Care Volunteers' Coordinator, and I want to again thank every one of our terrific volunteers for the wonderful job that you are doing in performing our fish care activities at the Kingfisher Facility. At this time I want to give special thanks to the following people for their outstanding efforts in behalf of MBSTP:
1. Special thanks for the outstanding efforts over the years from Bob Eustice who is off pursuing other things in life. Bob was with us for about nine years, and we are truly grateful for all of his labors, time, expertise, support, and comradeship that he provided to us.
2. Special thanks for the outstanding Chinook Program jobs done by Steve Stanton and his Moss Landing Harbor Crew and for my Santa Cruz Harbor Crew of Corky Fugitt, Mike Hoffman, Dean, Phil Duke, Larry Duke, Morley Johnson, Matt McCaslin, Bruce Newhall, and Josh Workman in performing the activities of sea pen erection, operation, disassembly, and storage of our Chinook Salmon Enhancement Program components. Many hundreds of people-hours are required annually to conduct these efforts.
3. Special thanks for the outstanding scheduling coordination work that Mary Hermansky performs each and every month, for lining up people in emergencies, and for the excellent support she provides to the Board of Directors.
As always, we continue to need new volunteers to supplement our group of fish care volunteers. If you are interested in helping us occasionally with this urgent fish care work, please contact Mary Hermansky at 831-458-3095 or you can call me at 831-722-4753.
We hope to see and talk to you at our forthcoming 2005 fall events:
• 28th Annual Albacore Feed & Fund Raiser for MBSTP, November 19, 2005 at the Recreation Center, 11261 Crane Street, Castroville. Dinner is at 7:00 pm.
• Annual fin clip, Saturday, December 3, 2005 at MBSTP's Kingfisher Flat Hatchery.

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A couple of years ago, I had the privilege to take a class taught by Dr. Stebbins. In the class, we raised a few dozen Steelhead Trout.  The Steelhead went through a lot of growth in a very short period of time.
Before the Steelhead even arrived, we had to prepare their home.  Dr. Stebbins created a welcoming environment, with an aquarium full of rocks, pebbles and water that was always at just the right temperature.  My task was to build a protective box to help keep the environment safe and quiet. In much the same way, Rogers had created a welcoming, safe environment for our class when we arrived as sixth graders.  Our new campus had just been renovated, and it was beautiful. 
A few weeks after the fish eggs were placed into their new home, they hatched.  Gradually, they were exposed to a little more light, until finally the box was lifted and they moved into their next stage of growth.  As students, our growth during the first few weeks at Rogers was just as dramatic.  In elementary school, we had one teacher year-round.  In middle school, we now had different teachers for different subjects!  Also, in elementary school, PE class came once a week.  Now we had PE once a day, and had locker rooms where we had to change into a uniform.  Our transition into middle school also provided new opportunities such as sports, band, theater, and student government.
OK, back to the fish….  As the weeks went by, the young fish grew in size and took on beautiful colors.  In our three years at Rogers, we have grown too; both physically and socially.  Along our journey we have made many new friends, both with our classmates and with our teachers and administrators.
As the end of our sixth grade year approached, the time came to complete our project.  One morning, we carefully took the Steelhead into the Santa Cruz Mountains.  We arrived at the San Lorenzo River, where we waded across, and found the perfect spot to release them.  You might say it was their “Promotion day.” For me, it was a sad day because I had to let go of the fish that I had helped to raise.  I was fearful of what might happen to them.  At the same time, I was happy to know that I had played a small role in their growth; that they would continue to grow, and I was hopeful that they would successfully reach their final destination.
Thank you parents. Thank you teachers.  You have helped us to grow and prepare us for our next transition…high school.  We are well prepared for the challenge ahead and look forward to our next destination.
Today is “Release Day” for the Rogers Middle School class of 2005. 
 
The Rimbach Family

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The NOAA Fisheries Santa Cruz laboratory has an extensive ongoing research project in Scott Creek, with chief researchers Sean Hayes, Chad Hanson, and Morgan Bond, who are examining a multitude of ecological factors affecting wild Coho salmon and steelhead and their interactions with hatchery fish.  In addition to this field-based study, NOAA Fisheries is also conducting laboratory work, headed by Sue Sogard, at their facility on Terrace Point (adjacent to Long Marine Lab, UCSC).  This study is an effort to determine what factors lead juvenile steelhead to adopt different life history pathways.  Steelhead are amazingly complex in their life histories.  Some of the earliest studies of the species were conducted on Waddell Creek, where researchers first documented this remarkable diversity.  Some fish go to sea after only 1 year in freshwater, whereas others wait an additional year or even 3 or 4 years before migrating.  Some fish never leave at all and mature in fresh water, thus becoming a rainbow trout, the nonanadromous form of this species.  Some fish (usually males) mature as parr after only a year in freshwater, and attempt to spawn with returning adult females.  These fish may still later undergo smoltification and go out to sea and come back again as anadromous males.  The time spent in the ocean is also very variable among individuals.
How does a young fish make the initial decision to stay in the creek or head to sea?  We think it must happen well before the actual time of downstream migration because of all the physiological changes that accompany the transition from a freshwater to saltwater environment.  Studies with Atlantic salmon, which also has a great diversity of life history options, have found that growth rates in their first summer set fish on a particular pathway, with fast growers likely to leave the system in the following spring while slow growers stay behind.  Males that grow particularly quickly may mature early - these fish will not start the smoltification process.  The pathway selected also influences the fish’s behavior during the winter, with fish destined to stay another summer in freshwater adopting a low risk lifestyle.  This group will give up on attempting to grow during the winter and will hide in any available shelter rather than risk being caught by a predator.  Our lab studies have two primary goals: 1) Determine the influence of growth rates on life history pathways and behavior of steelhead during their first year of life, and 2) Determine the role of genetics in life history decisions.  
Our methods for the first goal involve raising fish through the egg and early juvenile stages at the Kingfisher Flat Hatchery, then transporting the young fish to our lab aquarium in Santa Cruz.  They are then assigned to different food levels to manipulate growth rates.  We monitor growth from fall through spring and videotape their behavior during the winter.  In the spring we use a combination of gill enzyme assays and seawater tests to determine which fish have made the decision to go to sea.  The results so far have shown that fast growth does indeed make it more likely that a fish will leave freshwater after only a year.  However, our behavior experiments have not shown any evidence of a ‘lay low and avoid all risks’ strategy for fish that have decided to stay in freshwater for another summer.  Instead, these fish are highly active and attempting to grow despite the low food levels we are providing.  We think the explanation for the difference between Atlantic salmon and California steelhead lies in the very different winter environment.  Here on the central coast, winters are relatively benign and the opportunities for growth are actually better in the winter than in the summer, a very different seasonal pattern than what Atlantic salmon face. 
For the second goal of our study we are artificially crossing steelhead with rainbow trout to determine the role of genetics in life histories selected by young fish.  In March and April of 2004, we mated two anadromous females with a mix of different males, including some that had spent two years at sea, one year at sea (jacks) or rainbow from above the falls that had never been to sea.  Fertilization of the eggs was very high except for two of the rainbow males, perhaps suggesting some incompatibility of steelhead eggs with rainbow sperm.  But once the eggs had been fertilized, the life history of the male had little effect on survival of the eggs or hatched fry. The young fish were moved to our lab tanks, then fed either an unlimited amount of food or a restricted diet to slow down their growth rates.  In the spring we took samples of their gill membranes to test for the levels of enzymes indicating seawater readiness and gave the fish a ‘seawater challenge’ to directly test their tolerance of oceanic salinities.  These data are now being analyzed to determine the role of the fathers in determining the life history pathway of their progeny.
We are deeply indebted to Dave Streig and all of the MBSTP volunteers for raising the fish through their early stages at the Kingfisher Flat Hatchery.  Our research would not be possible without their invaluable dedication and long hours spent tending to the needs of thousands of baby fish.   We are extremely fortunate to have this amazing resource here in Santa Cruz county and are grateful for the continued benefits of our collaborations.

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Our next Salmon & Trout Education Program (STEP) Workshop will be held at the National Marine Fisheries Lab in Santa Cruz in early February. As yet, the exact date in February has not been established. As always, the STEP Workshop will be a two-day Weekend workshop and will include a half-day on-stream class. If you know a teacher and/or educator who is interested in becoming a new STEP teacher and you wish further details, please let us know .Contact our Coordinators Becky Fitch 408-379-4679 or Hugh Miller 408-268-3945.

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One ringy-dingy, two ringy dingy...Who could that be at this time of night?!  It's almost 9 PM!  Truth is, the fish don't know anything about Labor Day or Sabato or Domenica, or the reason why the Italians gave the names to those days anyway; but Dave, our biologist, knows that Saturday and Sunday (and legal holidays), he does not have to rise at the crack of dawn to feed the fish, YOU DO!  So, whoever picks up the receiver on the other end, is one of the most important people in the world.  They keep the fish alive, the streams and creeks alive, they keep our Bay alive.  The meaning of our designated weekdays, weekends and holidays disappears when we realize that nature knows only one simple fact:  "I'M HUNGRY!"  When is the last time you inhaled the nuances of gourmet fish food?  Certainly more character and blend than the oldest chili recipe!
One ringy-dingy, two ringy dingy..."HELLO!"  The message machine rattles on.  Who wants to work Thanksgiving?  Christmas? New Year's Eve?  A Saturday or a Domingo?  Similar nuances between fishing and farming creep in, with nature responding only to the seasons as the globe tilts, the days getting shorter and a breeze from somewhere up north finding its way around your neck.  It's an enduring cycle without recognition of particulars and needs that are perpetual.
I used to sit back watching TV, listening to the speeches generously intoned by a bright smiling host/hostess, exhorting the fact that "none of this would be possible without the volunteers" (glowing smile, twinkling eyes, sparking teeth) "without you, one of the most important causes, you, your welfare, your family, your family's welfare, your community..."  WHERE IS THAT CHANNEL CHANGER?!  THIS BABE'S DRIVING ME NUTS!  WHERE'S MY JAMES BOND?!  "Thank you, volunteers!  Without you this would not be possible."  (mega-wattage smile - no teeth necessary - and eyes may not close for a week).
A few years back I never knew or appreciated the sentiments of these words.  Then, responding to one of Board Chariman Al Smith's pleas for urgently needed help, I VOLUNTEERED as the "VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR"  and began this odd habit of calling people late at night.  The impact of those oft-used words hit home as month after month, special meeting days, weekends, and legal holidays fill in with names who make sure our purpose stays alive as an ongoing and viable venture.  The CA State Department of Fish and Game and the National Marine Fisheries Service has credited The Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout Project as a major factor in the prevention of the extinction of native salmon and steelhead trout.  That statement alone carries the result of the organization's collective efforts and is a very powerful reality.  But it all would not be possible without - you guessed it - THE VOLUNTEERS!
After 30 years, the volunteer roster and the Board of Directors has evolved.  It is a blend of seasoned knowledge (and lore), those who cannot get enough of THAT SMELL, individuals who want to tune in more to nature and learn of its cycles, and the families who want their children to begin their stewardship while their eyes are wide with the joys of discovery.  And then, there are people like myself, who lost their channel changer and are whitening their teeth.
One ringy dingy, two ringy dingy, which day is right for you??

VOLUNTEERS URGENTLY NEEDED,
ALL SKILLS WELCOME
Please contact Al Smith @ 831-722-4753 or
Mary Hermansky @ 831-331-5586

Director's Note: In addition to short term volunteer commitments for the fin clip, feeding, and other Hatchery activities, we are also looking for volunteers interested in an ongoing, long term commitment to the Hatchery.  These projects include, but are not limited to, working on the Big Fish Derby, Albacore Dinner, Fund Raising, Newsletters, Construction Projects and the STEP Education Program.  These are some of the many jobs our Directors perform.   There are many more projects we could be pursuing with additional Directors and volunteers.  I know all of our current Directors are doing all we can to make this project work.  Please call the Hatchery at 831-458-3095 or contact Larry Wolf @ 831-688-4257, for more details.  Thank you!

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Don't miss this wonderful dinner, sponsored and cooked by THE CASTROVILLE ROTARY CLUB.  The Albacore Feed has been put on by The Castroville Rotary Club for the past 26 years and gets better every year.  We can't thank them enough for their outstanding efforts and continuing support.  We also have a raffle and super silent auction.
Tom McCray and THE MOSS LANDING COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN'S ASSOCIATION has also been very faithful supporters of The Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout Project.  For many years, the have provided the fish for this event.  Without the help of all our supporters, our project would not be in existence today.
We are very grateful to all who donate the raffle prizes.  If you have not done so in the past, would you consider doing so this year?  Please call Mary Jane Rogers at 831-763-0926 if you can help.  We appreciate the past support of our generous donors and hope they will continue to support us now and in the future. 

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We are currently looking for additional prizes for this year’s Annual Albacore Dinner Silent Auction and General Raffle, to be held Saturday, November 19th.  If you would like to make a donation to this very important fundraiser for the Hatchery please contact Larry Wolf at 831/688-4257, Al Smith at 831-722-7453, or the Hatchery at 831-458-3095.  Donations will also be accepted on the evening of the dinner.  We are looking for donations such as gift certificates for merchandise, a weekend getaway, prizes with a fishing motif, such as artwork or cookware or other items that you think may be appropriate.  If you have something that you would like to donate but are not sure if we will want it, please contact Larry Wolf.   All donations are tax deductible.  Thank you for all your support with this event.

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You couldn't have asked for better conditions for the 11th Annual Big Fish Derby.  The turnout was excellent and the fishing red hot.  More than 500 people participated in this year’s event.  This may be a record, since the last time we got close to that number of people fishing was in 1998.  More than 400 entries were weighed in during the 3 days of the Derby.  This year the weather was foggy in the morning, with sunshine all afternoon.  The bite for salmon was early and fast, some fish being weighed in as early as 8:00am in Santa Cruz. 
Ken Caporale caught the biggest fish this year, a 31lb.1oz. salmon, which netted him the top prize of $1000.00.  He weighed his fish in at the Upper Santa Cruz Harbor on Saturday.  Norm Reynolds caught the second place fish, which was also the largest halibut caught during the Derby.  His fish weighed in at 28lbs. 15oz., taking the second place prize of $150.00.  The third place winner was Mike Lucas.  Mike was also the 3-Day Total Weight Winner with 70lbs. 6oz.  He won the trip to beautiful Hotel Buena Vista Beach & Spa Resort in East Cape, Baja Mexico.  The largest Ling Cod, weighing in at 15lbs. 4oz. was turned in by Bill Nielsen, who also won $150.00.  Over 70 prizes were awarded during this year’s Derby.
This year we also saw more kids fishing with their parents.  The smile on these children's faces when they came in with their fish was priceless. You could see in their eyes that this adventure would never be forgotten.   To encourage and promote more family fishing, next year we are going to add a children's division with special prizes just for them.  This is bound to bring out some very excited children with dreams of catching the BIG FISH, and spending a great time with their mom and dad. Please direct any ideas or suggestions you may have for this new category in our Derby to Larry Wolf.  He may be reached by phone at 831/688-4257, or fax  831/688-4252.  To write, please address all correspondence to the Hatchery at MBSTP, PO Box 417, Davenport, CA 95017.
The Grand Prize Raffle, with the trip to Breezes Runaway Bay, Jamaica, was won by Dana Von Dieving.  In total, there were 21 prizes given away in the Grand Prize Raffle. 
All of us from the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project want to thank those of you who participated in the Derby this year, as well as all the vendors who donated prizes and to all the volunteers who helped work the Derby.  The crew this year was outstanding and made the Derby a fun family event.  The Hatchery collected almost $14,000.00 this year.  While our budget is fairly constant, our donations and grants tend to vary.  The money raised during this fund raising event helps us to meet our budget. Your continued support of our project helps us to restore of local Salmon populations and promote our education program in over 125 local schools. 
Once again, thanks for your support at this year’s Big Fish Derby.  We look forward to seeing you next year.