Have you ever wondered how animals get to be where they are? For instance, how did Sitka blacktail deer get to remote islands in southeast AK or how do feral cattle find themselves on distant Aleutian Islands? In the case of the former, they swam there and in the case of the latter, they were brought as a source of food by the military and settlers. In each case, the species has managed to establish itself and you would hardly know there was a time when they weren't part of the natural landscape.
The story about Stonefly Creek and its salmon populations is just as interesting. Stonefly Creek in Glacier National Park is a geological newborn, having first appeared in the late 1970s as Plateau Glacier retreated. Scientists have been studying the creek's development nearly its entire life and have made fascinating observations that include the natural establishment of pink, red and silver salmon runs within just 10 years of its formation. In addition, numerous other fish and crustacean species have moved in to fill niches in this brand new aquatic ecosystem.
