Students in Solano County are working with researchers from UC Davis and NOAA to investigate the mysterious behavior of 'spinning salmon'. A number of years ago, fisheries researchers observed juvenile salmon twisting around in a spiral corkscrew pattern. They believe that the unusual behavior is linked to thiamine — an important vitamin needed for cell function — deficiency in fish returning to inland waterways from the ocean.

For the past five months, ten different high school classrooms have been observing salmon eggs in tanks with varying levels of thiamine. Students connect twice each week with their research partner from UC Davis to share observations and ask questions. This project provides valuable data for scientific research while students get the unique experience of being part of a collaborative research team. The scientists and students hope the data gathered from this project will help identify the source of the problem and help a crucial California species survive environmental challenges.

Read more about this project at https://www.kcra.com/amp/article/solano-county-spinning-salmon-high-schoolers-help/42760396.