From genetics to migration: emerging insights into salmonid responses to environmental change from NoWPaS 2026.

Abstract

The International Workshop of PhDs and Post-doctoral Fellows on Anadromous Salmonids (NoWPaS) provides a platform for early-career researchers to present and discuss emerging research on salmonid biology. The 2026 meeting, held in Iceland, brought together contributions spanning salmonid ecology, physiology, evolutionary genetics, conservation, and movement ecology. Here, we summarise the main themes of the meeting, highlighting how salmonids continue to serve as powerful model systems. Across sessions, studies emphasised the importance of intraspecific diversity, phenotypic plasticity, and local adaptation in shaping population dynamics, alongside advances in telemetry, genomics, and analytical approaches. Contributions also addressed key conservation challenges, including climate change, habitat fragmentation, and shifting trophic dynamics, while presenting novel tools and strategies to support management. Together, these findings reinforce the need for integrative, interdisciplinary approaches to understand and conserve salmonid populations in a rapidly changing world. The conference also facilitated holistic and collaborative research, continuing the long-held aim of NoWPaS of developing a network of early-career researchers from diverse backgrounds.