Salmon Carcass Tossing! Ew, right?! Why on Earth would we do that?! Three words: marine derived nutrients. Let’s break down what that is. First, marine means “from the sea.” Second, derived means “comes from.” Lastly, nutrients means “the compounds used by life to live and grow!”

Our salmon carcass tossing trip plays an important role in moving those marine derived nutrients to the forest. When hatchery salmon return from the ocean they are harvested for eggs and milt to start a new generation of salmon. It’s our task to take the carcass of the harvested salmon and return it to historic nesting grounds! This transports all those essential nutrients that the salmon absorb while out at sea to the rivers where the next generation grows!

Get Involved

Each winter our team takes classes in the Nisqually Watershed on Salmon Carcass Tossing field trips! Want to arrange a field trip for your class? Contact davy@nisquallyriver.org 

Pre-Trip Presentation

 Here’s our Salmon Tossing pre-field trip Salmon Nutrient Enhancement Presentation and the accompanying worksheet.

More Resources

For more classroom resources related to Salmon Tossing and the salmon lifecycle, click here!