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This data set is a generalized characterization of the offshore and inshore environments of Canada’s Pacific Ocean. Compiled from various sources to depict the biogenic habitats, pelagic habitats, and general bottom types such as offshore and inshore by depth strata.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada has conducted a cumulative human impact mapping analysis for Pacific Canada to support ongoing Marine Spatial Planning. Cumulative impact mapping (CIM) combines spatial information on human activities, habitats, and a matrix of vulnerability weights into an intuitive...

The richness of benthic macro-invertebrate species is used to monitor the overall health of stream ecosystems in Gwaii Haanas. Any shifts in community composition, initially detected as an increase or decrease in species richness, can be the result of nutrient levels, atmospheric pollutants, or...

Using permanent transects, geo indicators are tracked annually to monitor the effects of long term erosion and deposition processes and significant erosional events to ecologically sensitive sand dune ecosystems.

Areas with high potential for exotic introductions are monitored annually for new growth and new plants are treated as necessary.

In partnership with ECCC, Gwaii Haanas monitors five Marbled Murrelet colonies by using a radar station located offshore. As birds fly out to the ocean at dawn, and return at dusk, the radar data is used to estimate the number of birds per hectare of suitable nesting habitat. Sampling areas focus...

Black Oystercatcher breeding success is estimated by visually surveying known breeding habitat in key areas of Gwaii Haanas. Surveys are conducted twice a year during breeding season. Black Oysercatchers are very vulnerable to disturbances, predation of eggs and young, predators, oil spills and...

The subalpine zone of Haida Gwaii occurs between an elevation of 600 to 800m. Permanent plots are monitored every 5 years to detect any changes to the structure and composition of the vegetation community on Yatza Mountain. Metrics include: canopy closure, debris classes, tree species, organic...

Gwaii Haanas evaluates changes to forest breeding songbird occupancy and diversity annually. Point counts are conducted using Acoustic Recording Units (ARUs) at permanent sampling sites.

The EPT index measures the proportion of freshwater organisms belonging to the taxa Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera (or EPT for short). These species are considered to be highly sensitive to pollution and are a measure of good environmental conditions. Any significant declines to these...