Salmon are anadromous fish that hatch in clean, cool freshwater streams with stable gravel beds, where they spawn and rear as juveniles. Their habitat requires adequate water flow and quality, complex stream features such as pools, riffles, woody debris, and a healthy riparian zone that provides shade, nutrients, and shelter. Estuaries and nearshore areas serve as critical transition zones where juvenile salmon adapt from freshwater to saltwater and find food and refuge before migrating to the ocean. Maintaining free-flowing, cool, and clean water with intact stream-side vegetation is essential for salmon survival and successful reproduction. The survival of wild salmon relies heavily on them having suitable habitat for spawning and rearing of their young. This habitat is the main concern for conservationists. Salmon habitat can be degraded by many different factors, including land development, timber harvest, or resource extraction. These threats bring about the traditional methods of protecting the salmon, but a new movement aims to protect the habitats before they require intervention. Source: Wikipedia (en)