Smallest voices – Shouts of change:
Marine productivity in the coastal Beaufort Sea
Christine Michel
Andrea Niemi
Marine Productivity
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Winnipeg
Overview & Outline
• What we do
• Why we study marine productivity
• What have we done – CIMP and beyond
• What are we seeing
What we do
Structure (key players,
how much) & Function
(ecological roles/energy
transfer)
Food web indicators/linkages
Ecosystem fuel & drivers
Foundation of our Marine Ecosystem
Oil & Gas
Sea ice habitat change
River changes
Climate change
Why we study marine productivity
Small things matter!
• 1000s of species and high biomass
• Biodiversity
• Support the entire food web
• Grow quickly and respond quickly
• Our first indicators of ecosystem
change
The body of some species are made of glass
Community Involvement & Capacity Building
2009 and 2010 Mangilaluk school visits
• Elementary and high school students
• Discussions, experiments, training
• Student surveys
Coastal Monitoring Kit
• Community monitoring
• Hand held instruments
• Basic measurement for
marine productivity
• Used in ongoing work at
Shingle Point and Darnley
Bay
What have we done
Tuktoyaktuk Harbour Winter Sampling Pilot Project
Response to Community Consultations
• Winter sampling gap
• Under-ice fish habitat
• Environmental assessments require
winter coastal knowledge
March 2013
• Community support
• Surveyed 9 stations
• Ice community & water
structure
• HTC meeting. Great
community support for
winter work
• Continuing to look for
ways to address winter
knowledge gap
What have we done
What have we done
Baseline data collection & monitoring
2014 BREA coastal
2013 BREA coastal
2012 BREA coastal
2010 ACES
• TNMPA baseline info & indicators
• ANAOI baseline info & indicators
• Oil & gas leases
What are we seeing
BREA 2013 - Phytoplankton
Shallow Bay
Phytoplankton
BREA 2014 - Phytoplankton
Providing comprehensive baseline data –linking resources to physical drivers
Do estimates of coastal/Arctic production need to be revised?
What does this mean for our resources and adaptive management?
Not all food webs are created equal
Zooplankton & Fish
Recyclers/Benthos
Key Messages
• Tools and experience to support monitoring planning & delivery
• Enhanced community & scientific knowledge of our marine
ecosystem foundation
• Implications of observed changes in marine productivity?
• Need for coastal winter sampling continues