That one could “walk drishod on the backs” of schools of salmon, shad, and other fishes moving up Atlantic coast rivers was a not uncommon kind of description of their migratory runs during early Colonial times. Accounts tell of awe-inspiring numbers of spawners pushing their way upriver, the waters “running silver,” to complete life cycles that once replenished marine fisheries along the Eastern Seaboard. Over the centuries these stocks were so stressed that virtually all are now severely depressed, with many extinct and some simply forgotten. Running Silver is an important and fascinating look at the fish whose history, life-cycles and conservation challenges are so poorly understood.
Drawing on the author's thirty-year career as scientist and educator, the book tells the story of the past, present and future of these sea-river fish through research, historical accounts, personal anecdotes, interviews, and images. Running Silver will detail the enormous legacy that has already been lost and try to inspire efforts to save what remains.