New study finds cause of rising salmon egg mortality

A University of Maine study found two hormones may play a significant role in increasing the survival rate of farmed salmon eggs, reports WABI.

The decline in salmon egg survival has been a puzzling mystery to New England salmon farmers for more than 15 years.

“They used to be able to rely on at least 80 percent embryo survival, 80 even up to 95, maybe even higher survival," said Heather Hamlin, assistant professor of aquaculture and marine biology at University of Maine, "but over these past 15 years survival has dropped to about an average of 50 percent.