Meeting Abstract
In recent years, many species have experienced environmental stressors that fall outside of the range they have historically experienced. In addition to direct effects on individuals, these stressors have the potential to influence the next generation via hormonally-mediated parental effects. In this study we examine how exposure to the stress hormone cortisol at fertilization influences the development rate and survival of Sockeye salmon embryos when incubated at a range of temperatures. To do this we collected eggs from female Sockeye salmon at the end of migration and exposed a subset of eggs from each female to cortisol baths to simulate high levels of maternal stress. We then incubated the eggs at two temperature treatments, one of which represents the upper bound of what the population has historically experienced. We discuss the effects of cortisol, temperature, and the interaction between the two on development rate and survival to hatch.
