Ducks Unlimited and Cargill Host Middle School Students to Release Salmon Fry into the Sacramento River
Students contribute to vital salmon research by releasing fry into the Sacramento River as part of a local conservation effort
March 06, 2025 •
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Mare Island Technology Academy students release Salmon Fry into the Sacramento River as part of a field trip hosted by Ducks Unlimited and Cargill.
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. – March 6, 2025 – Ducks Unlimited (DU), in partnership with Cargill, hosted middle school students from the Mare Island Technology Academy to release salmon fry, or adolescent salmon, into the Sacramento River earlier this week.
Since Dec. 19, the students have been raising and observing these fry in their classroom as part of Solano County’s Spinning Salmon Monitoring Project. This initiative aims to uncover the mystery behind a troubling phenomenon affecting California's salmon populations: thiamine deficiency, which causes fry to swim in circles and die at higher rates. The project seeks to understand how this deficiency impacts salmon during critical stages of their life cycle.
The Solano County Office of Education received a Bay Watershed Education and Training grant to support teachers and students in exploring this issue. Additionally, a grant from Cargill will provide the necessary funding to transport the students to Sacramento for the release.
On March 4, the students released 35 salmon fry into the Sacramento River, where they will eventually make their way through the Sacramento Delta and San Pablo Bay en route to the Pacific Ocean. Once they mature, these salmon are expected to return to Discovery Park to spawn.
“This is an incredible hands-on learning experience that addresses important community issues, especially for the MIT students,” said Laurie Guest, an MIT teacher.
Cargill’s partnership has been critical in providing opportunities for students to connect with the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge, where they might encounter adult salmon, and now with habitats further upstream where salmon spawn and rear.
“This is an exciting opportunity, and we are grateful to our partners for their commitment to protecting wildlife and empowering students,” said DU Regional Biologist Renee Spenst.
