DF° ii0Mgitique FISHERIES RESEARCH BOARD OF CANADA OBSERVATIONS OF SEA WATER TEMPERATURE and SALINITY ON THE PACIFIC COAST OF CANADA VOLUME XIII 1953 LIBRARY INSTITUTE OF OCEAN SCIENCES BOX 6000 SIDNEY, B.C. CANADA V8L 4132 FISHERIES RESEARCH JoAv CF CANAJA OBSERVATION-3 OF SEA -4ATER TEMPERATURE AND 3ALIITY on the PACIFIC COAST OF CANADA Volume XIII 1953 prepared by PACIFIC OCEAOGRAPHIC GROUP PACIFIC BIOLOGICAL STATION HANAILO, BC . POG-SST /13 c2 Pacific Oceanographic Gr... July 1, 1954 Observations of seawater temperature and salinity... 54970 04018468 c.2 a F55• DAILY SEAWATER OBSERVATIONS BRITISH COLUMBIA 2 Ivory Cope St James Pine I •v• Koins 50°N C.Mudge PACIirIC OCEAN Nootita Texada Departure • Entry cep Amphitrite Seaver P Yslittitt Race Rits„,\411 U.S.A. 130° 125°W 1 INDEX TO DATA Commenced Station Location Observations Observer ' Page Vancouver Island - West Coast Amphitrit point Barkley sound Augustp 1934 J.D. Harrison 5 Nootka light Nootka sound Au7ust, 1934 G.L. Smith 9 Kains island Quatsino sound January, 1935 N.E. Rendell 11 Juan de Fuca Strait Race Rocks light Juan de Fuca May, 1941 G.C. Odium 15 strait Georgia strait East point Saturna island July, 1953 K. Ritchie (Mrs.) 19 Beaver point Swanson channel November 1953 N. Ruckle (Miss) 21 Ladysmith Hbr. Georgia strait July, 1949 D.B. Quayle 22 west side Entrance island Georgia strait November, 1936 F. Mountain 26 central Departure bay Georgia strait September,1914 Various 30 (Biological Stn.) west side Texada Mines Texada island May, 1953 Capt. A. Holler 34 west side Cape nudge light Georgia strait November, 1936 O.S. Dean 37 north L_ 2 INDEX TO DATA Commenced Station Location Observations Observer Page Queen Charlotte and Hecate straits Pine island Queen Charlotte January, 1937 A.J. Swanson 41 strait Ivory island Milbanke sound July, 1937 James Gow 45 Triple island Brown passage November, 1939 R.K. Botham 49 Queen Charlotte islands Cape St. James Queen Charlotte July, 1934 T.4. Diggins 53 islands, south Sandspit Queen Charlotte August, 1953 4.M. Oldfield 57 islands l, E. Coast Langara I. light Queen Charlotte October, 1936 O.A. Lindstrom 59 islands, north Fraser River New destminster New 4estminster,B.C. February, 1927 R.C. Mercer 63 1 3 DAILY 3EA WATER OBSERVATIUNS Since 1934, daily observations of the temperature and salinity of the sea water have been made at a number of exposed and sheltered loca- tions along the British Columbia coast. The data from the station. in exposed positions are required to pro- vide a record of the surface ocealioLicipnic conditions which may be used: (1)As a general reference. (2)As a means of determining the duration of typical conditions in coastal waters, which have been examined by ocean current surveys. (3)For comparison, and where possib' , correla- tion to meteorological condition.,, and to the fishery. The data from stations in sheltered positions are required to: (1) Measure local phenomena of interest for some, particular purpose. (Effect of temperature on shellfish; annual cycle of density in a harbour). The majority of the stations are located at a lighthouse, and the services of the lightkeepers have been arranped in co-operation with the Department of Transport. Other stations are opera'ed by persons al- ready in the service of the Fisheries Research boara, or by arrange- ments with a local resident. The observation point at each station was chosen with care, to minimize the effects of local fresh water drainage on the temperature and salinity. The system of investigation may be briefly outlined as follows: Cases of 3 oz. sample bottles are sent to each observing station, where the observer takes a daily sea water sample at a depth of three feet, using a simple apparatus designed to obtain a sample and record the temperature simultan- eously. The observer records the date and temperature on the sample bottle and makes an entry in a log sheet. The observation is made on the latter half of the rising.. tide (within one hour of high water; occurring during the daytime. When a case of bottles is filled kaidout three months) it is returned to the Pacific Biological Station where the salinities of the samples are determined by chemical analyses. These dat'are presented in tabular form, for each day on which observations were made. 4 In addition to presenting the monthly mean values of temperlture and salinity, a collective monthly mean value is also calulated. After the tenth year of observation is complete, a ten year moving monthly mean value is calculated. The data from stations in the Georgia strait and sheltered posi- tions may be regarded as applying to the areas represented by the positions of the stations. For instance, Entrance is.and data is repres- entative of surface waters in Georgia strait north of this point, as far as Savary island. Cape Mudge data is indicative of the conditions at the entrance to the northern passages; Departure bay data is represent- ative of harbours having two entrances, etc. The data from stations on the ocean coast is representative of surface ocean conditions, from about November first to June first. During this time southeasterly winds prevail, and sea water temperatures are higher than air temperatures. However, during the summer from about June first to November first, westerly winds prevail and the sea water temperatures are less than air temperatures. During this time coastal water is colder than to seaward. Due allowances must be made in estimat- ing off-shore ocean conditions from these data. 5 Seawater Records from Amphitrite, Barkley sound January, 1953 February, 1953 March, 1953 Day Water Water Water Salinity of Temp. Salinity Temp. Salinity Temp. 0/00 Month °F 0/00 °F 0/00 °F 1 46.5 26.35 48.0 28.59 47.0 30.35 2 46.5 21.97 47.5 27.00 47.5 31.27 3 47.0 28.78 47.5 28.64 48.0 31.06 4 47.0 28.6c 4,8.0 28.64 48.0 31.23 5 46.8 26.42 47.0 24.74 48.0 30.16 6 46.5 28.99 47.0 26.76 48.0 30.97 7 46.5 28.71 47.5 26.73 48.5 30.70 8 46.5 28.76 47.0 22.66 49.0 30.66 9 40.0 28.57 46.5 23.95 48.5 30.35 10 46.0 26.42 46.5 26.14 48.0 30.42 11 46.2 28.97 46.2 26.21 47.5 26.35 12 46.0 28.92 46.0 26.16 47.5 30.42 13 46.5 28.73 40.5 25.78 47.2 29.93 14 46.5 26.35 47.0 27.82 47.0 31.28 15 46.8 28.95 47.0 26.69 47.0 29.98 16 47.0 28.6u 47.3 29.00 47.5 30.49 17 47.0 26.33 48.0 29.02 47.2 31.27 18 46.8 28.60 47.5 29.80 19 46.8 28.81 47.0 27.28 47 .0 31.15 20 47.0 30.16 47.0 30.08 47.0 30.58 21 47.0 25.88 46.5 27.40 47.5 30.23 22 46.5 28.80 47.5 29.82 47.5 30.70 23 46.0 27.13 47.2 30.28 47.0 29.81 24 47.0 29.00 47.0 31.02 46.5 30.51 25 47.0 25.79 47.5 30.33 46. 2 30 . 05 26 46.0 26.33 47.5 31.22 27 46.5 28.83 47.0 30.49 46.5 30.47 28 47.0 28.67 47.0 31.01 47.0 29.75 29 47.5 29.21 47.2 30.42 30 47.0 27.13 47.0 29.82 31 47.0 28.64 47 .0 30.47 1953 Mean 46.7 28.08 47.1 27.97 47.4 30.37 1935-53 45.5 23.76 45.1 28.64 46.4 29.10 1944 - 53 45.2 28.83 44.9 28.40 46.0 29.21 6 Seawater Records from Amphitrite, Barkley sound April, 1953 May, 1953 June, 1953 Day Water Water Water of Temp. Salinity Temp. Salinity Temp. Salinity 0/00 Month °F 0/.0 °F 0 /00 °F 1 47.0 28.27 51.0 28.50 53.0 30.70 2 47.5 28.93 51.0 29.34 53.0 31.80- 3 48.0 29.35 50 S 30.18 53.0 31.30 4 47.5 30.23 51.2 28.52 53.0 30.68 5 48.0 30.75 51.5 29.32 52.8 31.77 6 48.0 31.47 51.5 29.53 52.5 31.34 ' 7 48.0 30.65 52.0 28.52 52.5 30.70 8 48.0 30.23 52.0 29.34 53.0 31.86 9 48.0 31.49 51.0 30.23 53.0 31.39 10 48.5 30.23 51.5 29.32 53.0 30.73 11 48.0 30.30 52.0 29.40 53.0 31.80 12 48.0 30.92 52.0 29.35 53.0 30.71 13 47.5 30.54 53.0 29.51 52.5 31.73 14 47.5 31.53 53.0 29.61 52.0 31.73 15 48.0 30.38 53.5 29.27 52.0 31.34 16 48.5 30.97 53.0 29.60 51.5 31.13 17 48.5 30.68 53.0 30.14 51.5 31.97 18 48.5 30.85 52.5 30,13 51.5 31.86 19 49.0 31.88 52.5 30.16 51.0 31.86 20 48.5 31.15 52.5 28.64 51.5 31.44 21 49.0 31.80 52.5 28.27 52.0 30.40 22 49.0 31.18 52.5 29.32 53.0 30.40 23 49.2 31.90 52.5 28.83 52.5 31.49 24 49.0 31.47 52.5 30.w.