C S A S S C C S Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Secrétariat canadien de consultation scientifique Research Document 2010/045 Document de recherche 2010/045 Ecosystem Status and Trends Report Rapport de l’état des écosystèmes et for North Coast and Hecate Strait des tendances pour l'écozone de la côte ecozone nord et du détroit de Hécate Patrick Cummins1 and Rowan Haigh2 1 Fisheries and Oceans Canada / Pêches et Océans Canada Institute of Ocean Sciences / Institut des sciences de la mer P.O. Box 6000 / C. P. 6000 Sidney, C.-B. V8L 4B2 2 Fisheries and Oceans Canada / Pêches et Océans Canada Pacific Biological Station/Station biologique du Pacifique 3190 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo, C.-B. V9T 6N7 This series documents the scientific basis for the La présente série documente les fondements evaluation of aquatic resources and ecosystems scientifiques des évaluations des ressources et in Canada. As such, it addresses the issues of des écosystèmes aquatiques du Canada. Elle the day in the time frames required and the traite des problèmes courants selon les documents it contains are not intended as échéanciers dictés. Les documents qu’elle definitive statements on the subjects addressed contient ne doivent pas être considérés comme but rather as progress reports on ongoing des énoncés définitifs sur les sujets traités, mais investigations. plutôt comme des rapports d’étape sur les études en cours. Research documents are produced in the official Les documents de recherche sont publiés dans language in which they are provided to the la langue officielle utilisée dans le manuscrit Secretariat. envoyé au Secrétariat. This document is available on the Internet at: Ce document est disponible sur l’Internet à: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas/ ISSN 1499-3848 (Printed / Imprimé) ISSN 1919-5044 (Online / En ligne) © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2010 © Sa Majesté la Reine du Chef du Canada, 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. BACKGROUND ...........................................................................................................................1 2. STATUS AND TRENDS OF POTENTIAL KEY INDICATORS....................................................2 2.1 PHYSICAL VARIABLES.....................................................................................................................2 2.1.1 Surface air temperature...............................................................................................................2 2.1.2 Sea surface temperature.............................................................................................................2 2.1.3 Sea surface salinity .....................................................................................................................3 2.1.4 Sea Level....................................................................................................................................3 2.1.5 Coastal Upwelling........................................................................................................................3 2.2 CHEMICAL PROPERTIES.................................................................................................................4 2.2.1 Dissolved Oxygen .......................................................................................................................4 2.2.2 Nutrients ......................................................................................................................................4 2.2.3 Carbon.........................................................................................................................................4 2.3 PLANKTON ........................................................................................................................................5 2.3.1 Phytoplankton..............................................................................................................................5 2.3.2 Zooplankton.................................................................................................................................6 2.4 INVERTEBRATES..............................................................................................................................6 2.4.1 Hexactinellid Sponge Reefs ........................................................................................................6 2.4.2 Northern abalone.........................................................................................................................7 2.4.3 Geoduck and other clams ...........................................................................................................8 2.4.4 Prawns and Shrimp .....................................................................................................................9 2.4.5 Crabs...........................................................................................................................................9 2.4.6 Echinoderms ...............................................................................................................................9 2.5 FIN FISH.............................................................................................................................................9 2.5.1 Groundfish...................................................................................................................................9 2.5.2 Pacific Salmon...........................................................................................................................10 2.5.3 Herring.......................................................................................................................................12 2.5.4 Eulachon....................................................................................................................................12 2.6 MARINE MAMMALS.........................................................................................................................12 2.6.1 Killer whales ..............................................................................................................................13 2.6.2 Sea Lions and Seals .................................................................................................................13 2.6.3 Sea otters ..................................................................................................................................13 2.7 MARINE BIRDS................................................................................................................................14 2.8 INVASIVE SPECIES.........................................................................................................................15 2.9 CONTAMINANTS .............................................................................................................................16 3. DRIVERS OF CHANGE.............................................................................................................17 4. REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................18 5. FIGURES ...................................................................................................................................25 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Map of the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA) Figure 2: Time series of global annual average surface air temperature Figure 3a: Time series of monthly average sea surface temperature Figure 3a: Global pattern of sea surface warming and cooling Figure 4a: Lighthouse stations on the BC coast Figure 4b: Time series of temperature from representative BC lighthouse stations Figure 5a: Time series of surface salinity at Ocean Weather Station P Figure 5b: Time series of salinity from representative BC lighthouse stations Figure 6: Time series of annual mean sea level at three BC locations Figure 7: Upwelling indices at (a) 51ºN,131ºW and (b) 54ºN,131ºW. Figure 8: Depth dependent Trends in dissolved oxygen along the continental margin Figure 9: Saturation depth for aragonite over the northeast Pacific Ocean. Figure 10: Time series of chlorophyll a (SEAWIFS data) Figure 11: Standardized time series of zooplankton biomass Figure 12: Standardized annual time series of copepod anomalies Figure 13: Known locations of sponge reef complexes within the ecozone Figure 14: Time series of abalone density within the ecozone Figure 15: Geoduck catch within the ecozone and coast-wide Figure 16: Razor clam landings at North Beach, Haida Gwaii Figure 17: Prawn catch within the ecozone and coast-wide Figure 18: Crab catch within the ecozone and coast-wide Figure 19: Trends with 95% confidence intervals for 39 species of groundfish Figure 20: Time series of estimated biomass for Pacific Figure 21: Distribution of groundfish groups within the ecozone Figure 22: Time series of biomass and annual catch for Pacific ocean perch Figure 23: Time series data for Pacific halibut over the ecozone Figure 24: Time series of sablefish for the ecozone Figure 25: Time series of sockeye returns throughout BC and southern Alaska Figure 26: Returns and forecasts of Smith Inlet sockeye salmon, 1970-2008 Figure 27: Distribution of herring habitat over the ecozone Figure 28: Time series of pre-fishery biomass of Pacific herring over three subregions Figure 29: Time series of resident killer whales within the ecozone Figure 30: Distribution of stellar sea lions and time series of sea lion count Figure 31: Time series of harbour seals outside of the Strait of Georgia Figure 32: Sea otter