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This photograph shows three wild coho salmon spawning in the North Fork Elk River in the fall of 1997. Coho males often turn red when they spawn. The white on the fish is a fungus which develops as the salmons energy resources dwindle. The fish die shortly after spawning and provide nutrients to the stream that will harbor their young. The lack of clarity of the water is a result of fine sediment which can be harmful to salmon egg survival.
