Estuaries are important areas for both humans and salmon but are often heavily impacted by human development. Juvenile salmon depend on estuaries for food and protection.

How do human activities in estuaries impact juvenile salmon survival and growth? We reviewed over 13,000 scientific papers, identified 167 relevant studies, in a comprehensive evidence synthesis. 

We found that pollutants and connectivity loss caused by human development have clear negative effects on salmon.

We also identified multiple knowledge gaps where we don't know the impact of human activities on salmon. These scientific unknowns highlight potential risk for salmon as estuary development continues.