Salmon spawning in Alaska Sockeye salmon swimming upstream during the annual spawning run in the Russian River in the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. (more) Why Do Salmon Die After Spawning? Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/science/Why-Do-Salmon-Die-After-Spawning Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Mar 4, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot Salmon are biologically programmed to die after spawning, a phenomenon known as semelparity. This is a reproductive strategy where an organism expends all its energy in a single, massive effort to reproduce. For Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus), this means they invest everything into their journey upstream, battling rapids and leaping waterfalls, to ensure their genes are passed on. Pacific salmon live most of their lives in the ocean, but they return to the freshwater streams where they were hatched to spawn. The journey to the spawning grounds is incredibly taxing. Some species swim more than 2,000 miles (3,200 km) to reach ...(100 of 240 words)

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