Morton, A.B., and Routledge, R. 2005. Mortality rates for juvenile pink Oncorhynchus gorbuscha and chum O. keta salmon infested with sea lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis in the Broughton Archipelago. Alaska Fishery Research Bulletin 11(2):146-152.

Wild juvenile pink Oncorhynchus gorbuscha and chum salmon O. keta were captured and sorted by the number of sea lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis infecting each fish. These fish were placed in groups of 60 in flowthrough containers immersed in seawater near the site of capture. There were 3-4 replicates for each infection category and 3 consecutive trials or Series run to assess the impact of sea lice on short-term fish mortality. Control groups of lice-free fish were included to measure handling and containment effects. In each trial or Series, significantly more fish died in the categories with sea lice than in the lice-free category. The majority of fish infected with motile-stage sea lice died. These observations indicate that short-term mortality of wild juvenile pink and chum salmon is increased by infestations of 1-3 sea lice.