Wild Salmon Migration Monitoring
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Video Selection
Choose a video file containing salmons from the examples provided below, or upload your own video.
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Run the ML model
Click the 'Submit' button to initiate the machine learning model.
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Visualize the results
The system will generate an annotated video with bounding boxes around salmons and will count the number of individuals.
Overview
Wild Salmon Migration Monitoring counts and classifies salmon straight from underwater camera streams as they return upriver to spawn. It’s the model behind SalmonVision, built with the Pacific Salmon Foundation, the Wild Salmon Center, Lumax AI, and Simon Fraser University to monitor a wide range of salmon species across British Columbia.
Knowing how many salmon make it back is essential for management — escapement targets exist to ensure enough fish pass through, and populations face mounting pressure from fisheries, dams, and a changing climate. Automating the count turns continuous underwater video into reliable numbers without hours of manual review.
How It Works
From an underwater clip to a counted run:
Video input
Works on underwater camera footage of the river — choose an example clip or upload your own video.
Detection
Locates each salmon in the stream and marks it with a bounding box, even in busy, low-visibility water.
Tracking & counting
Follows fish across frames and tallies individuals, producing an annotated video and a count you can trust.
Built for many species
Designed to monitor a range of salmon species returning to their natal streams, not just one.
Why It Matters
Meeting escapement targets
Accurate counts confirm whether enough salmon are passing through to satisfy conservation regulations.
Pressure on populations
Fisheries, dams, and habitat change all threaten salmon runs — monitoring is the first step to managing them.
Ecosystem & culture
Wild salmon are woven into BC's ecology, economy, and culture, carrying nutrients from ocean to stream as they return.
Learn more about the project
See the full wild salmon migration monitoring project and the SalmonVision partnership behind this tool.
View the project