Ocean pollution indicators for the Strait of Georgia
Presentation Abstract
In the Salish Sea, pollution represents an anthropogenic pressure which would clearly benefit from a methodical tracking of contaminant types, levels and trends in the environment and in valued biota. A surprising lack of regimented, ecosystem-based pollution monitoring efforts presently constrains the ability to track trends in priority pollutants in the Strait of Georgia. However, datasets for certain pollutants are available from different agencies, reflecting their legislated need to monitor discharges to the environment. These datasets are captured in articles and reports. Seldom are they made available in an integrated manner to decision makers or the general public, with the result that it is difficult to construct a ‘state of the environment assessment’ for coastal British Columbia. We are collating available datasets in support of a series of ocean pollution indicators, which will contribute to a new coast-wide ‘ocean health’ initiative being launched by the Vancouver Aquarium’s new Coastal Ocean Research Institute. We will present here our conceptual framework, and illustrate its utility by drafting case studies. These examples will capture priority pollutant topics and provide for an overview of trends. We will then develop a cumulative index of pollution which integrates concentrations of different contaminant classes and affords insight into trends by trophic level, marine fisheries catches, and in species of concern. This ‘Marine Pollution Trophic Index (MPTI)’ will track pollutant responses to past or present emissions histories, thereby providing insight into the overall health of food webs and potential risks for human health. MPTI trends for a given species or aggregate of species can then be compared against toxic effect thresholds and human consumption guidelines. These indicators will then be applied to forward-looking, climate-driven scenarios to inform marine and climate policies in Canada.
Session Title
Softening Borders through Information Exchange: Monitoring and Indicator- Efforts Within and Across Boundaries in the Salish Sea
Conference Track
Policy and Management
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Marine pollution--Risk assessment--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Environmental toxicology--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Subjects – Names (LCNAF)
Vancouver Aquarium
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
Ocean pollution indicators for the Strait of Georgia
2016SSEC
In the Salish Sea, pollution represents an anthropogenic pressure which would clearly benefit from a methodical tracking of contaminant types, levels and trends in the environment and in valued biota. A surprising lack of regimented, ecosystem-based pollution monitoring efforts presently constrains the ability to track trends in priority pollutants in the Strait of Georgia. However, datasets for certain pollutants are available from different agencies, reflecting their legislated need to monitor discharges to the environment. These datasets are captured in articles and reports. Seldom are they made available in an integrated manner to decision makers or the general public, with the result that it is difficult to construct a ‘state of the environment assessment’ for coastal British Columbia. We are collating available datasets in support of a series of ocean pollution indicators, which will contribute to a new coast-wide ‘ocean health’ initiative being launched by the Vancouver Aquarium’s new Coastal Ocean Research Institute. We will present here our conceptual framework, and illustrate its utility by drafting case studies. These examples will capture priority pollutant topics and provide for an overview of trends. We will then develop a cumulative index of pollution which integrates concentrations of different contaminant classes and affords insight into trends by trophic level, marine fisheries catches, and in species of concern. This ‘Marine Pollution Trophic Index (MPTI)’ will track pollutant responses to past or present emissions histories, thereby providing insight into the overall health of food webs and potential risks for human health. MPTI trends for a given species or aggregate of species can then be compared against toxic effect thresholds and human consumption guidelines. These indicators will then be applied to forward-looking, climate-driven scenarios to inform marine and climate policies in Canada.
