The bioaccumulation of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) by benthic invertebrates in estuarine sediments is poorly understood. We sampled and analysed PTEs in sediments and benthic invertebrates from five sites in the Skeena Estuary (British Columbia, Canada), including sites adjacent to an abandoned cannery and a decommissioned papermill. Our aim was to elucidate baseline levels of PTE concentrations at sites that may be recovering from disturbance associated with prior industrial development and identify organisms that could be used to biomonitor the impact of future industrial developments. There was no indication that sediments of the salmon cannery were polluted, but acidic sediments adjacent to the papermill contained elevated concentrations of Cd, Cr, Hg and Pb. Benthic invertebrate community assemblages confirm that sediments have mostly recovered from prior industrial development associated with discharge of papermill sludge. Overall, we did not observe any relationship between PTE concentrations in the sediment and PTE concentrations in invertebrate tissues. However, we did observe a negative relationship between sediment pH and the Biota-Sediment Accumulation Factor (BSAF) of most PTEs for Oregon pill bugs (Gnorimosphaeroma oregonensis). G. oregonensis, observed at all sites, feeds on the fibers associated with the papermill discharge. Thus, G. oregonensis is a useful biomonitors for quantifying the impact of the decommissioned papermill, and are candidate biomonitors for assessing the impact of similar industrial development projects on intertidal ecosystems.
The overall goal of this study was to conduct an extensive literature review to characterize how geospatial tools are being applied in co‐management contexts globally. This was accomplished through two objectives: (i) to investigate the use and applications of geospatial tools in cases of natural resource co‐management; and (ii) to identify benefits and challenges associated with the use of these technologies. A total of 26 articles met the inclusion criteria for review; these encompassed a range of contexts, but were predominantly focused on co‐management of fisheries, protected areas, and forests. Case studies were analyzed through the lens of four tool‐based categories: participatory mapping, spatial data collection, remote sensing, and modelling. Findings suggest a wide range of applications, demonstrating the versatility of these tools including those used to measure the efficacy of co‐management. Frequently cited geospatial tool benefits included identifying space‐use patterns, determining the state of resources, capacity building, and monitoring change over time. Challenges with geospatial tools included issues of scale and generalization, data uncertainty, incomplete or poor data, and lack of trust. A primary conclusion from this study is that geospatial tools tend to be used in a participatory fashion, thereby contributing to key elements of co‐management such as trust building and knowledge co‐production.
Pacific Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena vomerina) occupy a large range throughout coastal waters of British Columbia. Despite their wide distribution, they remain largely data-deficient regarding abundance and population trends, and as such are listed as Special Concern under the Species At Risk Act. Harbour porpoises are also particularly sensitive to disturbance, especially vessel-related acoustic disturbance. Large aggregations of harbour porpoise have been documented in waters around the entrance to the Port of Prince Rupert during the winter months, however little is known about the annual fine-scale activity of this species in this highly trafficked area. In this multi-year study, we used a combination of land-based visual surveys and passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) devices (C-PODs and F-PODs) to address data gaps regarding density, diel patterns, and seasonality of harbour porpoise around Prince Rupert. Echolocation activity was detected during 96% of the 1086 C-POD deployment days and 100% of the 727 F-POD deployment days, with 86% of visual surveys recording harbour porpoise presence. We detected strong seasonal and diel trends in activity, with echolocation peaks between April and June and during the hours of darkness throughout the year. There was a notable increase in daytime activity of harbour porpoise between January and March, which coincides with the months of large aggregation observations. This study indicates that despite the constant presence of large vessels, harbour porpoise continue to persist within waters surrounding Prince Rupert. This suggests the area is an important habitat for this species and also may indicate some extent of acclimatization to localized disturbance.
Relationships between concentrations of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in estuarine sediments and their impact benthic invertebrate communities are poorly understood. We sampled and analysed PTEs in sediments and benthic invertebrates from five sites surrounding the Skeena Estuary, including sites adjacent to an abandoned cannery and a decommissioned papermill. There was no indication that sediments of the salmon cannery are polluted, but acidic sediments adjacent to the papermill contained elevated concentrations of Cd, Cr, Hg and Pb. Benthic invertebrate community assemblages confirm that sediments have recovered from prior disturbances associated with discharge of papermill sludge. Oregon pill bugs (Gnorimosphaeroma oregonensis), observed at all five sites, feed on the fibers associated with the papermill discharge. Thus, G. oregonensis are useful biomonitors for quantifying the impact of the decommissioned papermill, and similar industrial development projects, on intertidal ecosystems along the north coast of British Columbia, Canada.
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