C. shasta is a lethal parasite that can infect 60-90% of out-migrating juvenile salmon in the Klamath River. This documentary profiles the scientific effort to discover how to decrease parasite numbers so they do not overwhelm the fish.

“Saving Salmon” presents science in action, taking on a difficult ecological problem set in the California/Oregon Klamath River Basin. How science works is often misunderstood. We enjoy the results but are too often impatient with the process.

Oregon State University Associate Professor Jerri Bartholomew is a national leader in salmon disease research. From her discovery of the C. shasta life cycle to her current work with graduate students and associated scientists, this documentary tells the story of

physically challenging, patient observation in the field, wrong turns, and stunning discoveries based on advanced genetic and ecological science, all on the road to solving the problem of C. shasta.

http://microbiology.science.oregonstate.edu/fac_bartholomew (Bartholomew Lab Reference)