Presentation Abstract
Zooplankton occupy a key intermediate position in pelagic food webs. We know from a variety of studies that zooplankton communities are strongly variable at seasonal and longer time scales, and that changes in the zooplankton affect other components of the ecosystem. Ecologically-important modes of zooplankton variability include changes in total productivity and biomass, changes in community composition and food value, changes in seasonality, and perhaps also changes in the location and intensity of dense aggregations. Salish Sea zooplankton time series data are needed to know how the local zooplankton are changing over time, and to understand how these changes affect harvested fish populations, and more broadly how climate shifts will affect the entire marine ecosystem. Unfortunately, although there is a long history of zooplankton research in the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound, the overwhelming majority of the sampling programs have been short term efforts, done with differing objectives, sampling designs and methods, and separated by many unsampled time intervals. Numerous research groups have independently identified the data gap and are advocating for development of an ongoing coordinated monitoring program. Through the collaborative U.S.-Canada Salish Sea Marine Survival project, we are developing a full Salish Sea zooplankton sampling program aimed at providing data that will answer questions about patterns in zooplankton as prey sources and as indicators of environmental change. The dominant Salish Sea zooplankton include taxa (and developmental stages within taxa) that differ greatly in body size, depth range, migration behavior and ability to avoid capture by nets. For this reason, no single sampling method can be optimal for all components of the zooplankton community. We will discuss the program we are planning including the scientific questions that will shape the sampling plan, the choice of locations, equipment, partners, and protocols, and the costs and benefits of different choices of sampling methods. Our goal is to provide a monitoring program that is responsive to the community’s needs, is flexible and expandable, is sustainable into the future while permitting robust comparisons with historical data, and is streamlined and efficient to make the most of available funding. We welcome input and discussion.
Session Title
Session S-07D: Marine Survival of Salmon and Steelhead: the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project
Conference Track
Species and Food Webs
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
1-5-2014 3:30 PM
End Date
1-5-2014 5:00 PM
Location
Room 611-612
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Marine zooplankton--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Environmental monitoring--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Developing and optimizing a coordinated Salish Sea zooplankton monitoring program
Room 611-612
Zooplankton occupy a key intermediate position in pelagic food webs. We know from a variety of studies that zooplankton communities are strongly variable at seasonal and longer time scales, and that changes in the zooplankton affect other components of the ecosystem. Ecologically-important modes of zooplankton variability include changes in total productivity and biomass, changes in community composition and food value, changes in seasonality, and perhaps also changes in the location and intensity of dense aggregations. Salish Sea zooplankton time series data are needed to know how the local zooplankton are changing over time, and to understand how these changes affect harvested fish populations, and more broadly how climate shifts will affect the entire marine ecosystem. Unfortunately, although there is a long history of zooplankton research in the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound, the overwhelming majority of the sampling programs have been short term efforts, done with differing objectives, sampling designs and methods, and separated by many unsampled time intervals. Numerous research groups have independently identified the data gap and are advocating for development of an ongoing coordinated monitoring program. Through the collaborative U.S.-Canada Salish Sea Marine Survival project, we are developing a full Salish Sea zooplankton sampling program aimed at providing data that will answer questions about patterns in zooplankton as prey sources and as indicators of environmental change. The dominant Salish Sea zooplankton include taxa (and developmental stages within taxa) that differ greatly in body size, depth range, migration behavior and ability to avoid capture by nets. For this reason, no single sampling method can be optimal for all components of the zooplankton community. We will discuss the program we are planning including the scientific questions that will shape the sampling plan, the choice of locations, equipment, partners, and protocols, and the costs and benefits of different choices of sampling methods. Our goal is to provide a monitoring program that is responsive to the community’s needs, is flexible and expandable, is sustainable into the future while permitting robust comparisons with historical data, and is streamlined and efficient to make the most of available funding. We welcome input and discussion.
