Methodology of the Pacific Marine Ecological Classification System and Its Application to the Northern and Southern Shelf Bioregions
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) Research Document 2016/035 Pacific Region Methodology of the Pacific Marine Ecological Classification System and its Application to the Northern and Southern Shelf Bioregions Emily Rubidge1, Katie S. P. Gale1, Janelle M. R. Curtis2, Erin McClelland3, Laura Feyrer4, Karin Bodtker5, Carrie Robb5 1Institute of Ocean Sciences Fisheries & Oceans Canada P.O. Box 6000 Sidney, BC V8L 4B2 2Pacific Biological Station Fisheries & Oceans Canada 3190 Hammond Bay Rd Nanaimo, BC V9T 1K6 3EKM Scientific Consulting 4BC Ministry of Environment P.O. Box 9335 STN PROV GOVT Victoria, BC V8W 9M1 5Living Oceans Society 204-343 Railway St. Vancouver, BC V6A 1A4 May 2016 Foreword This series documents the scientific basis for the evaluation of aquatic resources and ecosystems in Canada. As such, it addresses the issues of the day in the time frames required and the documents it contains are not intended as definitive statements on the subjects addressed but rather as progress reports on ongoing investigations. Research documents are produced in the official language in which they are provided to the Secretariat. Published by: Fisheries and Oceans Canada Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat 200 Kent Street Ottawa ON K1A 0E6 http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas-sccs/ [email protected] © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2016 ISSN 1919-5044 Correct citation for this publication: Rubidge, E., Gale, K.S.P., Curtis, J.M.R., McClelland, E., Feyrer, L., Bodtker, K., and Robb, C. 2016. Methodology of the Pacific Marine Ecological Classification System and its Application to the Northern and Southern Shelf Bioregions. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2016/035. xi + 124 p. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................. x RÉSUMÉ ................................................................................................................................... xi 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................1 1.1 HIERARCHICAL MARINE ECOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION IN THE PACIFIC REGION ................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 MANAGEMENT NEEDS FOR A PACIFIC MARINE ECOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (PMECS) ................................................................................................................ 1 1.2.1 Marine Protected Area planning and ecological representativity ............................ 1 1.3 EXISTING MARINE CLASSIFICATIONS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA .............................. 2 1.3.1 The British Columbia Marine Ecological Classification System (BCMEC) .............. 2 1.3.2 ShoreZone database .............................................................................................4 1.4 PMECS DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................ 4 1.5 CONTEXT AND PROJECT OBJECTIVES ................................................................... 8 1.6 APPROACH................................................................................................................10 1.6.1 Modifications to conceptual framework to move towards PMECS implementation ..................................................................................................................10 2 DATA SOURCES ..............................................................................................................13 2.1 DEVELOPMENT OF THE PMECS GEOSPATIAL DATABASE ..................................13 2.2 BIOTIC DATA .............................................................................................................13 2.2.1 OBIS ....................................................................................................................14 2.2.2 Royal BC Museum (RBCM) .................................................................................14 2.2.3 Shellfish Data Holdings: SF Log and SF Bio ........................................................ 14 2.2.4 Groundfish Biological Survey Database (GF Bio) ................................................. 14 2.2.5 Biotic data preparation .........................................................................................15 2.3 ABIOTIC DATA ...........................................................................................................15 2.3.1 Depth and derivatives .......................................................................................... 16 2.3.2 Chlorophyll A .......................................................................................................16 2.3.3 Sea surface temperature .....................................................................................16 2.3.4 Bottom Salinity, temperature, currents ................................................................. 16 2.3.5 Habitat-Template model .......................................................................................17 2.3.6 Grain size model ..................................................................................................17 2.3.7 Nutrients ..............................................................................................................17 3 LEVEL 4A AND B: BIOPHYSICAL UNITS .........................................................................19 3.1 APPROACH................................................................................................................19 3.2 METHODOLOGY AND APPLICATION .......................................................................20 3.2.1 Selection of data ..................................................................................................20 3.2.2 Cluster Analysis Methodology ..............................................................................21 3.2.3 Indicator species analysis ....................................................................................25 3.2.4 Environmental correlates of biological clusters ..................................................... 25 iii 3.3 CLUSTER ANALYSIS RESULTS ...............................................................................30 3.3.1 Description of clusters ..........................................................................................30 3.3.2 Environmental differences among biophysical units ............................................. 38 3.4 LEVEL 4A AND B: BIOPHYSICAL UNITS DISCUSSION ...........................................44 3.4.1 Model performance, uncertainty and field validation ............................................ 45 3.4.2 Limitations of the approach ..................................................................................46 3.4.3 Conclusions .........................................................................................................48 4 LEVEL 5: GEOMORPHIC UNITS ......................................................................................48 4.1 GEOMORPHIC UNIT APPROACH .............................................................................48 4.2 METHODOLOGY AND APPLICATION .......................................................................49 4.2.1 Data .....................................................................................................................49 4.2.2 Summary of methods ...........................................................................................49 4.2.3 Bathymetry correction .......................................................................................... 50 4.2.4 Analysis area delineation .....................................................................................50 4.2.5 Bathymetric Position Index parameters ................................................................52 4.2.6 Classification rules ...............................................................................................53 4.3 GEOMORPHIC UNITS RESULTS ..............................................................................54 4.3.1 Bathymetric Position Index parameters ................................................................54 4.3.2 Classification rules ...............................................................................................55 4.3.3 Post-processing of classified Geomorphic units ................................................... 57 4.4 LEVEL 5: GEOMORPHIC UNITS: LESSONS, LIMITATIONS, AND FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS DISCUSSION .......................................................................................61 5 LEVEL 6: BIOTOPES ........................................................................................................62 6 LEVEL 7: BIOLOGICAL FACIES .......................................................................................64 7 GENERAL DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................65 7.1 CLIMATE CHANGE AND ECOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION ......................................66 7.2 HIERARCHICAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS AND ISSUES OF SCALE.................66 7.3 USE OF SPATIAL AUTOCORRELATION PATTERNS ...............................................67 7.4 INFORMATION GAPS ................................................................................................68 7.5 SUMMARY AND FURTHER WORK ...........................................................................68 8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................................71