On Friday, May 10, Grade 3 released 293 live salmon fry into West Brook, a tributary of the Saco River, in Biddeford. After the release, we toured the Saco River Salmon Club. Now in its 30th year, the SRSC continues its commitment to restore the population of native wild Atlantic Salmon to the Saco River.
In addition to raising several hundred thousand fry, they also maintain about 12,000 parr, the next stage in the salmon life cycle. Our students had the opportunity to feed the parr. Later, they were delighted to find out that they would be able to release four buckets of parr into the river right outside the club!
The salmon population had been all but extinguished from the Saco River as a result of dams and pollution. Now that the Saco is again clean, and thanks to the fish ladder and elevator system at the hydroelectric power plant, salmon can return.
Mrs. White has been participating in the Atlantic Salmon Federations's "Fish Friends" program, raising Atlantic Salmon fry in her classroom for twelve years. She receives "eyed eggs" in February. These are eggs in which the black eye spots of the baby fish inside are clearly visible. After several weeks, the eggs hatch. The tiny, finless fish are colorless, except for the large, orange yolk sac on their bellies.
The students watch with excitement as the fish develop their fins and coloration, and the yolk sacs are absorbed. This year, we were pleased to host a two-headed fish in our tank! By participating in this program, the students meet science learning goals in a way they will long remember.
- Mary Ellen White, 3rd grade teacher
