Presentation Abstract
Canada has vast seagrass ecosystems, yet they are virtually unprotected and experiencing threats associated with accelerating coastal development and climate change eutrophication, sedimentation, and increased temperature. In British Columbia, there is a long history of community effort to protect seagrass, but little formal legislative action. While federal measures are progressing under the convention on biological diversity (CBD), federal efforts will often miss seagrass which occurs only at the coastal margins. Local action is necessary to protect seagrass, though this will be primarily occurring on a case-by-case basis as individual communities and municipalities act to limit or reduce seagrass-harming actions. We propose a bottom-up ecological approach rather than top-down, with the goal of linking predictors of Zostera bed health, with a focus on nutrient loading, to impacts on trophic use by invertebrates and fish. Most importantly, this information will be used directly to inform local communities and governments of the thresholds of nutrient loading at which these negative impacts may occur. Analysis of data from Boundary Bay (49.0352° N, 122.9400° W) will be a priority because of the network of organizations monitoring and working towards local advocacy. Multiple stressors are likely impacting eelgrass habitat of Boundary Bay, including storm-water discharges and agricultural runoff from three rivers discharging into the bay. However, the eelgrass bed in this estuary is still expansive and may provide the opportunity to identify areas of concern, link them to changes in Zostera bed community structure, and mitigate human inputs of nutrients before large scale loss is experienced. The information collected from this study are being used to inform management-driven assessments of eutrophication in coastal environments starting with Boundary Bay, and be used as restoration targets to reduce nutrient and other stressors that indicate a negative impact to Zostera and the invertebrate community.
Session Title
Seagrass Cross-Border Connections: Management
Keywords
Macroalgae, Eelgrass, Nutrient loading, Environmental stressors
Conference Track
SSE4: Ecosystem Management, Policy, and Protection
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE4-127
Start Date
5-4-2018 3:45 PM
End Date
5-4-2018 4:00 PM
Type of Presentation
Oral
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)
Seagrasses--Protection--British Columbia; Eelgrass--Protection--British Columbia; Sewage--Purification--Nutrient removal--British Columbia; Eutrophication--British Columbia
Geographic Coverage
British Columbia
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
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Identifying nutrient thresholds for sustainable local management of British Columbia seagrass beds
Canada has vast seagrass ecosystems, yet they are virtually unprotected and experiencing threats associated with accelerating coastal development and climate change eutrophication, sedimentation, and increased temperature. In British Columbia, there is a long history of community effort to protect seagrass, but little formal legislative action. While federal measures are progressing under the convention on biological diversity (CBD), federal efforts will often miss seagrass which occurs only at the coastal margins. Local action is necessary to protect seagrass, though this will be primarily occurring on a case-by-case basis as individual communities and municipalities act to limit or reduce seagrass-harming actions. We propose a bottom-up ecological approach rather than top-down, with the goal of linking predictors of Zostera bed health, with a focus on nutrient loading, to impacts on trophic use by invertebrates and fish. Most importantly, this information will be used directly to inform local communities and governments of the thresholds of nutrient loading at which these negative impacts may occur. Analysis of data from Boundary Bay (49.0352° N, 122.9400° W) will be a priority because of the network of organizations monitoring and working towards local advocacy. Multiple stressors are likely impacting eelgrass habitat of Boundary Bay, including storm-water discharges and agricultural runoff from three rivers discharging into the bay. However, the eelgrass bed in this estuary is still expansive and may provide the opportunity to identify areas of concern, link them to changes in Zostera bed community structure, and mitigate human inputs of nutrients before large scale loss is experienced. The information collected from this study are being used to inform management-driven assessments of eutrophication in coastal environments starting with Boundary Bay, and be used as restoration targets to reduce nutrient and other stressors that indicate a negative impact to Zostera and the invertebrate community.
