A review of subtidal benthic habitats and invertebrate biota of the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia

Burd, Brenda J.; Barnes, Penélope A. G.; Wright, Cynthia; Thomson, R.E.

doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2008.09.004

Cited by 49 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 144 publications

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“…The deepest areas typically had fine sediments whereas shallower areas tended to have more variable sediment types (see also Burd et al [28]). However, this relationship is less clear in the Northern Strait.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Including its contiguous fjords, the Strait of Georgia has 3721 km of shoreline [27], and water depths to 700 m. The southern Strait of Georgia (Fig. 1) has strong estuarine circulation related to seasonal input of particulates and freshwater from the Fraser River [3], [28], [29]. Coarser material from the river settles first along the river bank, to a depth of approximately 30 m. Finer material settles at greater depths along the slope, and is primarily transported northward with the prevailing bottom currents.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A moderately shallow sill (about 100 m deep) separates the deeper southern basin of the Strait of Georgia from the northern basin near the south end of Texada Island (Fig. 1), thus preventing bottom-transported particulates from the Fraser River from entering the northern basin [13], [28]. A number of other moderate discharge volume rivers around the Strait also contribute terrestrial inputs to the system, resulting in a complex input of terrestrial and marine organic material [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A number of other moderate discharge volume rivers around the Strait also contribute terrestrial inputs to the system, resulting in a complex input of terrestrial and marine organic material [3]. Reviews of benthic conditions and biota in the Strait of Georgia are found in Levings et al [27] and Burd et al [28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Towards Predicting Basin-Wide Invertebrate Organic Biomass and Production in Marine Sediments from a Coastal Sea

Burd

Macdonald

Roodselaar³

2012

PLoS ONE

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Detailed knowledge of environmental conditions is required to understand faunal production in coastal seas with topographic and hydrographic complexity. We test the hypothesis that organic biomass and production of subtidal sediment invertebrates throughout the Strait of Georgia, west coast of Canada, can be predicted by depth, substrate type and organic flux modified to reflect lability and age of material. A basin-wide database of biological, geochemical and flux data was analysed using an empirical production/biomass (P/B) model to test this hypothesis. This analysis is unique in the spatial extent and detail of P/B and concurrent environmental measurements over a temperate coastal region. Modified organic flux was the most important predictor of organic biomass and production. Depth and substrate type were secondary modifiers. Between 69–74% of variability in biomass and production could be explained by the combined environmental factors. Organisms <1 mm were important contributors to biomass and production primarily in shallow, sandy sediments, where high P/B values were found despite low organic flux. Low biomass, production, and P/B values were found in the deep, northern basin and mainland fjords, which had silty sediments, low organic flux, low biomass of organisms <1 mm, and dominance by large, slow-growing macrofauna. In the highest organic flux and biomass areas near the Fraser River discharge, production did not increase beyond moderate flux levels. Although highly productive, this area had low P/B. Clearly, food input is insufficient to explain the complex patterns in faunal production revealed here. Additional environmental factors (depth, substrate type and unmeasured factors) are important modifiers of these patterns. Potential reasons for the above patterns are explored, along with a discussion of unmeasured factors possibly responsible for unexplained (30%) variance in biomass and production. We now have the tools for basin-wide first-order estimates of sediment invertebrate production.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Towards Predicting Basin-Wide Invertebrate Organic Biomass and Production in Marine Sediments from a Coastal Sea

Burd

Macdonald

Roodselaar³

2012

PLoS ONE

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“…Previous reviews have considered physical, biological and geochemical aspects of the strait (e.g. Thomson 1981, Harrison et al 1983, Burd et al 2008b, Hill et al 2008). We do not attempt to provide another review of the characteristics of the Strait of Georgia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of local and global change on an inland sea: the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada

Johannessen¹,

Macdonald²

2009

Clim. Res.

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Global changes manifest themselves in coastal waters depending on local oceanography and ecosystems. In this paper, we consider the Strait of Georgia as a case study. After examining physical and chemical processes and trends, we discuss consequences of change on geochemical cycling and biota. Several components of the system are vulnerable. Declines in pH and O 2 of basin waters, partly imported from the shelf and partly supported by carbon cycling within the strait, could reduce benthic and pelagic habitat. Sea level rise and storms will interact with coastal development to place critical habitat, such as low-lying estuaries, intertidal zones and mudflats, at risk. The decrease and earlier peak in zooplankton biomass may lead to changes in the food web that cascade to higher trophic levels such as fish and birds. Anadromous fish, already showing declines, are vulnerable to ocean regime shifts, increasing river temperatures, habitat destruction, harvesting and contaminants. For southern resident killer whales Orcinus orca, a species at risk, decline in Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha together with marine traffic and biomagnifying contaminants will lead to extirpation if no action is taken. Some stressors can be controlled only through international action to mitigate climate change. However, we have local control of fishing, habitat destruction, release of some contaminants and, to some extent, river flow and temperature. Acting to control these stressors will support resilience of biota in the face of inevitable global changes.

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Toward ecosystem‐based sediment quality guidelines for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Arblaster

Ikonomou

Gobas

2015

Integr Envir Assess & Manag

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To investigate whether Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Canada and British Columbia achieve their objective of protecting ecosystems, we measured and compiled concentrations of PCB congeners in sediments, bivalves, crustaceans, fish, and marine mammals from 3 areas off the Pacific coast of British Columbia, Canada. The concentration data showed that whereas PCB concentrations in sediments were predominantly below the SQG of 20 µg/kg dry weight, large fractions of the PCB concentrations in fish and shellfish species exceeded the tissue residue guideline for the consumption of fish and shellfish by wildlife (i.e., 50 µg/kg wet weight [ww]) but were below the tissue residue guideline for the consumption of fish and shellfish by human populations (i.e., 2000 µg/kg ww). Also, PCB concentrations in marine mammals exceeded toxicity reference concentrations. The concentration data were used to develop species- and location-specific Biota-Sediment Accumulation Factors (BSAF = Cbiota /Csediment ), that were used to estimate PCB concentrations in wildlife species that may exist if the PCB concentration in sediments are equal to the SQGs. The results show that if the PCB concentration is equal to the SQGs, then PCB concentrations in most wildlife species can be expected to exceed the tissue residue guideline for the consumption of fish and shellfish by wildlife species and by humans, as well as toxicity reference concentrations for marine mammals. A methodology for developing SQGs for PCBs that are protective of the health of different wildlife species and human consumers of fish and shellfish from general Canadian and coastal First Nations populations was developed and applied. The proposed guidelines may provide useful guidance to establish SQGs for PCBs that can account for the ecological diversity in coastal environments and that better achieve the intent of the guidelines to protect ecosystems. The proposed methodology for guideline development may also be useful in the development of SQGs for other bioaccumulative substances.

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A review of subtidal benthic habitats and invertebrate biota of the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia

Cited by 49 publications

References 144 publications

Towards Predicting Basin-Wide Invertebrate Organic Biomass and Production in Marine Sediments from a Coastal Sea

Towards Predicting Basin-Wide Invertebrate Organic Biomass and Production in Marine Sediments from a Coastal Sea

Effects of local and global change on an inland sea: the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada

Toward ecosystem‐based sediment quality guidelines for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

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