A study by the University of British Columbia, tracking coho salmon smolts from Mossom Creek Hatchery in Port Moody, B.C., revealed a significant drop in survival rates shortly after ocean release. Utilizing acoustic telemetry, researchers found that only 60% of the smolts survived the first three kilometers, and less than a quarter reached the Lions Gate Bridge, 20 kilometers away. Published in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management, the study attributes the high mortality primarily to predators near the release point. These findings suggest that modifying release strategies could notably enhance the smolts' early ocean survival rates, prompting the hatchery to explore alternative release methods.