LI FISHERIES RESEARCH BOARD OF 1CAL STATION FISHERIES RESEARCH BOARD OF CANADAST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND

Pacific Oceanographic Group Nanaimo„ B. C.

Circular 1959 -18

Coastal-Seaways Cruise in CNAV"Oshawa' ) 1959 CS-59-2, June 8-July 1,

The third in a series of coastal-seaways cruises has been completed. The purpose of these cruises is to monitor oceanographic conditions along the ocean coast and the inland seaways of .

During the period of the survey 202 oceanographic stations were occupied ] at which observations were made of salinity, temperature, oxygen, plankton, and tidal current, at predetermined depths. Turbidity measurements were made with secchi disc and turbidity meter (1 metre beam). Nitrates were observed in the region. Observations of the water properties and the currents were made every two hours through more than 24 hours, three positions. Figure 1 shows the positions of all observations.

Salinity at 10 metres depth The observed salinity distribution at 10 metres depth is shown in Figure 2. The continuity of low salinity water along the Washington- coast, through the Queen Charlotte Sound and Hecate Strait, then out through and up the Alaska coast has been a persistent feature since last autumn. This water has become more saline . since_April 1959. This suggests that the amount of fresh water in the surface layers reached a maximum in the winter months. It is anticipated that the water along the coast will become slightly less saline during July-August because of snow stored run-off. This will be most noticeable through Queen Charlotte Sound, Hecate Strait, and Dixon Entrance.

Temperature at 10 metres depth

In Figure 3 it is shown that the intrusion of warm surface water extended northward into Queen Charlotte Sound, and along the West Coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands. Two stations were repeated eight days apart in order that some idea of how fast the temperature was increasing at 10 metres depth. The results show about 0.12 C° increase per day. These waters have warmed by 4.0 ° 5.5° C since mid-April. to

Oxygen at 10 metres depth

Figure 4 shows the dissolved oxygen concentration at 10 metres depth. The concentrations have decreased between 0.5 - 1.0 m1/1 in all areas since April 1959. The higher concentrations occur in Queen Charlotte Sound, Hecate Strait, -2-

and along the West Coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands. There is also a narrow strip of higher oxygen concentration along the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

Conditions in the were about average for late June.

The anchor station time-series observations (see Figure 1) in the vicinity of McInnes Island, Milbank Sound (Pos. 74), Amphitrite Point, Barkely Sound (Pos. 34) and Saanich Inlet (Pos. 1-7) were occupied for periods of over 24 hours.

The range of variation of the properties of the water are:

Milbank Sound June 22 - 23, 1959 S T°C 02 m1/1

Surface 29.4 - 29.8 14.6 - 12.2 7.70 - 6.45

Bottom (240 m) 33.67 - 33.71 6.58— 6.38 2.45 - 2.15

Off Amphitrite Point June 14-15, 1959

Surface 29.4 - 30.4 14.2 -12.2 8.87-7.60 Bottom (90 m) 32.45-32.98 8.27- 7.96 3.28-2.28

Saanich Inlet June 9 - 10, 1959

Surface 28.69 - 28.88 13.1 - 12.5 9.80 - 8.50 Bottom (201 m) 31.23-31.25 9.10- 9.08 high in H2S

R.H. Herlinveaux July 22, 1959

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Salinity (V«) at 10 Meters

June 8 —July1 1959

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