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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Vignette 02: Lower Trophic Levels In The Salish Sea, Ian Perry May 2021

Vignette 02: Lower Trophic Levels In The Salish Sea, Ian Perry

Institute Publications

Plankton form the base of the pelagic marine food web in the Salish Sea, and are eaten by fishes, marine mammals, and seabirds. Plankton include microscopic plants (phytoplankton) and very small animals (zooplankton). This vignette presents an overview of monitoring observations of phytoplankton and zooplankton distribution and biomass in the Strait of Georgia. Climate change may lead to unusual and unexpected patterns of phytoplankton and zooplankton in the future.


State Of The Salish Sea: Executive Summary, Kathryn L. Sobocinski May 2021

State Of The Salish Sea: Executive Summary, Kathryn L. Sobocinski

Institute Publications

This report synthesizes information on past, current, and emerging stressors within the Salish Sea estuarine ecosystem. The Salish Sea is a complex waterbody shared by Coast Salish Tribes and First Nations, Canada, and the United States. It is defined by multiple freshwater inputs and marine water from the Pacific Ocean that mix in two primary basins, Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia. Human impacts are multifaceted and extensive within the Salish Sea, with a regional population of almost 9 million people. Population growth has driven urbanization and development, which in turn has triggered structural changes to the landscape and …


Section 1: Introduction, Kathryn L. Sobocinski May 2021

Section 1: Introduction, Kathryn L. Sobocinski

Institute Publications

Section 1 is an introduction to the report and the Salish Sea as a whole. The introduction provides an overview of the Salish Sea, the concept of "ecosystem health," and a roadmap to the rest of the report.


Section 7: The Future Of The Salish Sea? A Call To Action, Ginny Broadhurst, Natalie Baloy, Kathryn L. Sobocinski May 2021

Section 7: The Future Of The Salish Sea? A Call To Action, Ginny Broadhurst, Natalie Baloy, Kathryn L. Sobocinski

Institute Publications

Section 7 provides perspective from the Salish Sea Institute, acknowledging that science alone will not resolve continuing problems or emerging issues. Stronger policies along with education, leadership, and collaboration are needed.


Section 3: Urbanization And Human Impacts To The Seascape, Kathryn L. Sobocinski May 2021

Section 3: Urbanization And Human Impacts To The Seascape, Kathryn L. Sobocinski

Institute Publications

Section 3 turns to an in-depth discussion of stressors and impacts to the ecosystem from population growth and urbanization, such as increases in impervious surfaces, hardening of shorelines, and the problems caused by a myriad of marine contaminants.


Section 2: Context, Kathryn L. Sobocinski May 2021

Section 2: Context, Kathryn L. Sobocinski

Institute Publications

Section 2 sets a foundation for understanding the Salish Sea ecosystem by describing its fundamental biophysical processes and structure, including estuarine circulation, ecological productivity, and an overview of several important biogenic habitats.


Section 5: Cumulative Ecosystem Effects, Kathryn L. Sobocinski, Jennifer Boldt, Todd Sandell, Jaclyn Cleary, Michael Schmidt, Isobel Pearsall, Iris Kemp, Brian Riddell, Lynda V. Mapes May 2021

Section 5: Cumulative Ecosystem Effects, Kathryn L. Sobocinski, Jennifer Boldt, Todd Sandell, Jaclyn Cleary, Michael Schmidt, Isobel Pearsall, Iris Kemp, Brian Riddell, Lynda V. Mapes

Institute Publications

Section 5 introduces cumulative effects and brings in brief case discussions focused on herring, salmon, and orcas. Understanding the layers of stressors the ecosystem faces is integral to gaining a full picture of declines in ecosystem function.


Section 6: Opportunities For Improving Assessment And Understanding Of The Salish Sea, Kathryn L. Sobocinski May 2021

Section 6: Opportunities For Improving Assessment And Understanding Of The Salish Sea, Kathryn L. Sobocinski

Institute Publications

Section 6 offers a list of science-based needs and opportunities brought to light by the report and various existing efforts within the Salish Sea science community, representing opportunities for greater collaboration across geographic and jurisdictional boundaries.


Section 4: Climate Change: A Global Problem With Local Impacts, Kathryn L. Sobocinski May 2021

Section 4: Climate Change: A Global Problem With Local Impacts, Kathryn L. Sobocinski

Institute Publications

Section 4 shifts from the local impacts of urbanization to the locally realized impacts of global climate change, including ocean acidification and sea level rise, followed by evidence of climate change in the ecosystem, ranging from phytoplankton and kelp, to wetlands, salmon, and marine birds.


The State Of The Salish Sea, Kathryn L. Sobocinski May 2021

The State Of The Salish Sea, Kathryn L. Sobocinski

Institute Publications

This report synthesizes information on past, current, and emerging stressors within the Salish Sea estuarine ecosystem. The Salish Sea is a complex waterbody shared by Coast Salish Tribes and First Nations, Canada, and the United States. It is defined by multiple freshwater inputs and marine water from the Pacific Ocean that mix in two primary basins, Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia. Human impacts are multifaceted and extensive within the Salish Sea, with a regional population of almost 9 million people. Population growth has driven urbanization and development, which in turn has triggered structural changes to the landscape and …


Oil Spill Preparedness Planning: Filling Critical Species Data Gaps Using Habitat Suitability Modelling, Candice St. Germain, Jessica Finney, Cole Fields, Edward Gregr, Lucie Hannah, Sharon Jeffery Apr 2018

Oil Spill Preparedness Planning: Filling Critical Species Data Gaps Using Habitat Suitability Modelling, Candice St. Germain, Jessica Finney, Cole Fields, Edward Gregr, Lucie Hannah, Sharon Jeffery

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Under the World Class Tanker Safety System Initiative (WCTSS) a national framework was developed to identify marine biological organisms most vulnerable to ship-source oil spills. The Pacific regional application of this framework identified 27 highly vulnerable biological groups, with sea grasses, salt marsh grasses/succulents, sea otters, and baleen whales at the top of the list. A gap analysis during the Pacific regional application identified critical species data gaps that must now be filled to ensure effective response in marine oil spill emergencies. In the absence of robust species distribution and abundance data, habitat suitability models can be used to predict …


Biogeochemical Cycling Of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (Pbdes) In The Strait Of Georgia, Yuanji Sun, Maria T. Maldonado, Roger Francois Apr 2018

Biogeochemical Cycling Of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (Pbdes) In The Strait Of Georgia, Yuanji Sun, Maria T. Maldonado, Roger Francois

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The temporal and spatial distribution of dissolved and particulate PBDEs seawater concentration has been monitored in the Strait of Georgia (SoG) since 2013. We aim to determine the sources, sinks and biogeochemical cycling of PBDE congeners in the water column in SoG. Particulate PBDEs concentrations show high temporal and spatial variability, indicating that the outfalls from the waste water treatment plants are major point sources. Changes in congener distributions in relation to total particulate PBDE concentrations suggest that the less brominated congeners desorb from sewage particles and add to the dissolved PBDEs pool more rapidly than the more brominated congeners. …


Seasonal Dynamics Of Oceanographic Conditions, Phytoplankton, And Zooplankton In The Malaspina Strait, Strait Of Georgia, Svetlana Esenkulova, Karyn Suchy, Richard Ian Perry, Kelly Young, Maycira Costa, Ryan Flagg, Moira Galbraith, Isobel Pearsall Apr 2018

Seasonal Dynamics Of Oceanographic Conditions, Phytoplankton, And Zooplankton In The Malaspina Strait, Strait Of Georgia, Svetlana Esenkulova, Karyn Suchy, Richard Ian Perry, Kelly Young, Maycira Costa, Ryan Flagg, Moira Galbraith, Isobel Pearsall

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Plankton dynamics in the Salish Sea may directly impact resident and migratory fish populations that are of major economic importance in the region. The Malaspina Strait in the northern Salish Sea is of particular interest as it is an important migration route for juvenile salmon. Here, we present data collected at three stations in the Malaspina Strait as part of the Citizen Science initiative of the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project. Sampling was conducted at bi-monthly (or higher) frequency from February to October, 2015 to 2017. Relationships between the regional hydrography, environmental parameters (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, etc.), nutrient concentrations, …


Dissolved Cu Concentrations In The Strait Of Georgia: Trends, Speciation, And Accumulation By Local Calanoid Copepods, Bertha Iselle Flores Ruiz, Jack Anthony, Lori-Jon C. Waugh, Cheng Kuang, Roger Francois, Maria T. Maldonado Apr 2018

Dissolved Cu Concentrations In The Strait Of Georgia: Trends, Speciation, And Accumulation By Local Calanoid Copepods, Bertha Iselle Flores Ruiz, Jack Anthony, Lori-Jon C. Waugh, Cheng Kuang, Roger Francois, Maria T. Maldonado

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Most research on the effects of copper (Cu) on marine ecosystems has focused on benthic organisms and Cu concentrations in the sediments. In contrast, little is known about the effects of dissolved copper (dCu) in pelagic food webs. In most marine waters, more than 99.9% of dCu is bound to organic ligands. These ligands diminish dCu toxicity to aquatic organisms by lowering the concentrations of inorganic dCu, the most bioavailable species of Cu. For the past year, we have studied seasonal trends of dCu concentrations in the Strait of Georgia and have measured and characterized its speciation in seawater. Measurements …


Dispersion And Removal Of Two Toxic Trace Metals (Ag And Cd) In The Strait Of Georgia, Cheng Kuang, Bertha Iselle Flores Ruiz, Samuel Stevens, Maria Maldonado, Roger Francois Apr 2018

Dispersion And Removal Of Two Toxic Trace Metals (Ag And Cd) In The Strait Of Georgia, Cheng Kuang, Bertha Iselle Flores Ruiz, Samuel Stevens, Maria Maldonado, Roger Francois

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Two highly toxic trace metals, silver (Ag) and cadmium (Cd) have been monitored in the sediments and water column of the Strait of Georgia since 2014. With the advent of nanotechnology, silver nanoparticles are widely used in medical applications and consumer products, and inevitably being discharged into the environment. Cd is of particular concern in the coastal waters of B.C. due to its naturally high concentration in the incoming Pacific water and possible anthropogenic sources. The sediment profile of a core taken near the Iona Island wastewater treatment plant outfall showed rising levels of both Ag and Cd in the …


Harmful Algae In The Strait Of Georgia, Citizen Science Data, Svetlana Esenkulova, Isobel Pearsall Apr 2018

Harmful Algae In The Strait Of Georgia, Citizen Science Data, Svetlana Esenkulova, Isobel Pearsall

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Citizen Science Program was initiated by the Pacific Salmon Foundation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Ocean Networks Canada in 2015. This Program was designed to achieve oceanographic monitoring of the Strait of Georgia on temporal and spatial scale that had never been done before. Samples and measurements were taken at approximately 80 sites on a bi-monthly (or higher) frequency from February to October, 2015 to 2017. This presentation will be focused on the spatial and temporal distribution of harmful algae based on the analysis of about 5000 phytoplankton samples. Preliminary results indicate that during the sampling period in the …