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Far northern rivers hold a remarkable mix of fish. Sockeye salmon are anadromous, born in freshwater and migrating to the sea before returning home to spawn. Most die after spawning. Their bodies decompose in the gravel beds where they were born, releasing nutrients from the ocean into rivers that have very little of their own. Bears, eagles, and the next generation of fish all live on what the salmon bring back. The redds visible in the painting are the gravel nests where the females have laid their eggs. Arctic grayling do not migrate, they stay in these rivers year-round.
