Terms of Reference

Indicators, Monitoring Protocols and Strategies for the Sgaan Kinghlas - Bowie Seamount Marine Protected Area and Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents Marine Protected Area

Pacific Regional Advisory Process

October 26-28, 2010 - Nanaimo, British Columbia

Chairperson: Marilyn Joyce

Context

This Regional Advisory Meeting (RAP) will review two scientific assessments (working papers) prepared to identify ecological indicators, and associated monitoring protocols and strategies, for two Pacific Coast Marine Protected Areas (MPA):  Sgaan Kinghlas - Bowie Seamount MPA  and the Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents MPA.   The outputs from this RAP may be used to inform the development of Monitoring Plans for each of the MPAs, which are components of the overarching Management Plans, required under Canada’s Oceans Act.

The conservation objectives, established by regulation under the Oceans Act for each MPA and those established in the Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents MPA Management Plan are outlined below, and form the basis for the development and evaluation of the working papers to be reviewed.  Indicators and monitoring protocols and strategies will be primarily focused on those aspects of the ecosystem that have the potential to be affected by human-induced threats.

The following provides a general overview of the two MPAs.  For additional information on these MPAs, see the Additional Information & References section of these terms of reference.

Sgaan Kinghlas - Bowie Seamount MPA

The Sgaan Kinghlas - Bowie Seamount  MPA became a Marine Protected Area (MPA) under the Oceans Act in April of 2008.  The Sgaan Kinghlas - Bowie Seamount MPA is located 180 kilometres west of Haida Gwaii in the northeast Pacific, off the coast of British Columbia. Probably the shallowest seamount in Canada's Pacific waters, it rises from a depth of more than 3,000 metres to approximately 20 metres below the sea surface. The conservation objective for this MPA is as follows:

To conserve and protect the unique biodiversity and biological productivity of the area’s marine ecosystem, which includes the Bowie, Hodgkins and Davidson seamounts and the surrounding waters, seabed and subsoil.

Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents MPA

Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents became a  MPA under the Oceans Act in April of 2003.  The Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents MPA lies in water 2,250 metres deep, 250 kilometres southwest of Vancouver Island. As part of the Juan de Fuca Ridge system, the Endeavour Segment is an active seafloor-spreading zone where tectonic plates diverge and new oceanic crust is extruded onto the seafloor. In these zones, cold sea water percolates downward through the crust where it is heated by the underlying molten lava, eventually emerging through the seafloor as buoyant plumes of particle-rich, superheated fluid. The five known vent fields on the Endeavour Segment are separated along the ridge from one another by about two kilometres. Their associated plumes rise rapidly about 300 metres into the overlying water column.  Twelve of the 60 species known to occur within the Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents MPA are considered endemic to the area.

The Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement (RIAS) outlining the intent for which the MPA was designated states that: “The designation of the Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents as a Marine Protected Area will provide for the long-term protection of this biologically diverse and productive ecosystem.”   The conservation objective for this MPA is as follows:

Ensure that human activities contribute to the conservation, protection and understanding of the natural diversity, productivity and dynamism of the ecosystem and are managed appropriately such that the impacts remain less significant than natural perturbations (e.g. magmatic, volcanic or seismic).

The Management Plan for this MPA has been developed and identifies specific management objectives aimed toward achieving this conservation objective.  The purpose of this assessment is to identify the indicators necessary to evaluate the achievement of the conservation objective and the specific management objectives, where appropriate. For additional detail on the sub-objectives see the Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents MPA Management Plan.

Objectives

The objectives of this review are to evaluate each working paper and to:

• Identify human induced threats and associated impacts that have the potential to compromise the achievement of the conservation objectives for each MPA. 
• Evaluate the completeness and appropriateness of the pathway of effects assessments for each MPA.
• Determine whether the potential impacts identified for each threat are adequately covered and whether the assumptions are appropriate and clearly identified.
• Develop recommendations for indicators, monitoring protocols and strategies that are appropriate to evaluate and monitor the achievement of the conservation objectives, the effects of the identified threats, and any actions undertaken to mitigate or eliminate threats.
• Indentify any outstanding information gaps and potential approaches to address the gaps, where appropriate. 

Expected Publications

CSAS Science Advisory Report (2)
CSAS Proceedings
CSAS Research Document (2)

Participation

DFO Science Branch
DFO Oceans, Habitat and Species at Risk Branch
DFO Fisheries and Ecosystem Branch
Council of the Haida Nation
Environment Canada
Transport Canada
Academia
Non-Government Organizations
Fishing Industry
Province of British Columbia

Additional Information & References

Canessa, R., K. Conley and B. Smiley. 2003. Bowie Seamount Pilot Marine Protected Area: an ecosystem overview. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2461.

Tunnicliffe, V. and R. Thomson. 1999. The Endeavour Hot Vents Area: a pilot marine protected area in Canada's Pacific Ocean.  Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Oceans Background Report.

The following reports have not yet been published but can be obtained by contacting this office at CSAP@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Fisheries and Oceans Canada. 2010. Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents Marine Protected Area Management Plan (2010 – 2015). unpublished.

Kucera, Henry (PACMARA). 2008. Bowie Seamount Science Monitoring Workshop Report.  unpublished.