Life Cycle of a Coho Salmon
Location: The plaque below can be found on the Rain Forest Trail - Route A
The stream is where the salmon's epic journey from egg to adult interlocks with the forest's own cycle of growth and decay. When snags topple into streams, the water slows down, reducing bank erosion and creating pools suitable for rearing young salmon. Rotting wood and leaves trapped by natural log dams are eaten by insects that, in turn, feed salmon. Even the living forest plays a role, as the massive trees and tangled bush shade the stream, and shield the developing salmon eggs from lethal light rays.

The apparent chaos of the rainforest creates a variety of living space for plants and animals. Each inhabitant interacts in a web of life that, left undisturbed, will continue to sustain the forest.