Endangered salmon may soon swim freely up a downeast river. But as the climate changes, a comeback isn’t guaranteed

MAINE MONITOR • September 15, 2026

On a recent trip to the upper reaches of the Narraguagus River, Ellie Mason saw prime Atlantic salmon habitat everywhere. Mason, a 29-year-old habitat restoration project manager at the Downeast Salmon Federation, is running the show day to day. Although she grew up nearby on Mount Desert Island, she had never seen an adult salmon until last year. Mason and other young conservationists are the latest of multiple generations of people in Maine and Canada who have pitched in to help these fish. The rest of the river is ready and waiting. But there’s no guarantee Atlantic salmon will come back. Other challenges remain. These endangered fish have been dying in large numbers at sea. Researchers have different theories, but many of them fall “under the broad brush of climate change,” said Rory Saunders, a fisheries biologist with NOAA.