Coastal Environmental Baseline Program projects in the Port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia

Baseline conditions of nearshore habitats and shellfish populations, in Metlakatla traditional territory, in conjunction with the PollutionTracker program

Funding recipient: Metlakatla Stewardship Society

Project summary: This project will consist of a baseline study of shellfish, nearshore habitat and marine contaminants in Metlakatla traditional territory, including the Port of Prince Rupert and surrounding areas. The study will focus on data collection and characterization of various habitats and species (including shellfish), as well as the identification and measurement of contaminants in water, sediment and biota through the PollutionTracker program. These data may be used to support a framework on the cumulative effects of marine shipping, other environmental assessments and evidence-based decision-making.

Ecosystem characterization of juvenile salmon, zooplankton and eelgrass abundance

Funding recipient: Lax Kw'alaams Fishing Enterprises Ltd.

Project summary: This project will involve collecting data on key components of the coastal ecosystem within the traditional territory of the Lax Kw'alaams First Nation, including: juvenile salmon, clams, zooplankton and eelgrass. The data will provide information on the status of the coastal ecosystem, wildlife and environmental conditions in the Port of Prince Rupert and surrounding areas.

Ecosystem health of the Skeena River Estuary in the Port of Prince Rupert area

Funding recipient: Gitxaala Nation

Project summary: This project will involve collecting data to characterize the state of the coastal ecosystem in the Skeena River Estuary (within the traditional territory of the Gitxaala Nation), which includes the Port of Prince Rupert surrounding areas, with a focus on estuarine health. The Gitxaala Nation will undertake systematic data collection, focusing on sediment, water and tissue sampling, to better understand the health of the coastal environment. The project will strengthen Canada’s capacity for ocean science and contribute to baseline data for coastal areas in British Columbia with high vessel traffic while building the technical and scientific capacity of the Gitxaala Nation.

Characterizing phytoplankton, zooplankton, kelp beds and Eulachon in the Port of Prince Rupert surrounding area

Funding recipient: Kitsumkalum First Nation

Project summary: Researchers will gather data on key features of the local coastal ecosystem within the traditional territory of the Kitsumkalum First Nation. The data collected will contribute to characterizing the status of coastal ecosystem and environmental conditions in the Skeena River Estuary and Port of Prince Rupert surrounding area. It will focus specifically on detecting inter-annual variability in the abundance, composition and spatial-temporal distribution of Eulachon, plankton and kelp. The project will strengthen Canada’s capacity for ocean science and contribute to research on high vessel traffic in coastal areas of British Columbia while building the technical and scientific capacity of Kitsumkalum First Nation.

Kitselas Eulachon-related marine mammal and seabird baseline surveys in the Skeena River Estuary

Funding recipient: Kitselas Band Council

Project summary: This study will focus on gathering data on marine mammals, including Humpback Whales and Harbour Porpoises. Information on seabirds will also be collected to further characterize current ecosystem conditions in relation to Eulachon life stages, including seasonal migration and spawning. This information will be gathered through land-based point-count sighting surveys and vessel-based transect surveys of marine mammals and seabirds, along the Skeena River Estuary (Port of Prince Rupert surrounding area), within the traditional territory of the Kitselas Nation.

Marine Environmental Water Quality Program

Funding recipient: Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA)

Project summary: This project will expand the scope of PRPA’s Marine Environmental Water Quality program, which was developed to assess the impacts of port-related activities on marine water quality (e.g. heavy metal and organic contaminants, bacterial levels, oxygen concentrations). The study will involve more frequent field campaigns using new oceanographic equipment to provide higher accuracy and precision measurements, collected at higher vertical resolution than in previous PRPA studies.

North Coast Cetacean Research Initiative

Funding recipient: Ocean Wise Conservation Association – Vancouver Aquarium

Project summary: This project will involve collecting data for marine mammal baseline characterization, in the coastal waters of the area surrounding the Port of Prince Rupert, through standardized surveys of nearshore cetaceans, seasonal and spatial habitat use by Humpback Whales, and seasonal and daily patterns of habitat use by Harbour Porpoises, as well as public communication.

A community science approach to quantifying the level and source of plastic pollution in the Prince Rupert region

Funding recipient: North Coast Ecology Centre Society

Project summary: This project uses community science to assess plastic pollution. The project recruits and trains local community members to follow scientific protocols to sample for plastics underwater and in sediment around the harbour. The resulting data will help determine what kind of litter is ending up in the ocean and where it might be coming from.

Analysis and publication of dissolved organic matter inventory data for the Skeena River estuary and Prince Rupert region

Funding recipient: Skeena Fisheries Commission

Project summary:This project interprets data collected on:

• dissolved organic matter and carbon
• water quality from 2019 to 2021 in the Skeena River Estuary and Port of Prince Rupert region

The results will contribute to baseline information on the quantity and quality of dissolved organic matter and carbon. This will help to understand potential environmental impacts on key aquatic species.

Baseline conditions of nearshore habitats and shellfish populations in Metlakatla traditional territory, Port of Prince Rupert

Funding recipient: Metlakatla Stewardship Society

Project summary:This project gathers baseline data on shellfish and soft sediment habitats in the nearshore environment. The project also identifies and quantifies contaminants in the sediment and underwater. The baseline data collected could be used to inform management and stewardship objectives in relation to important traditional food sources.

Baseline environmental data collection at the Port of Prince Rupert

Funding recipient: Prince Rupert Port Authority

Project summary:Building on a previous project, this project collects baseline data on water quality (e.g. heavy metal and organic contaminants, bacterial levels, oxygen concentrations). Underwater profiles are collected at multiple depths in:

• Prince Rupert Harbour
• Skeena River
• Chatham Sound

The data collected contributes to a better understanding of future impacts on the marine environment from increased resource development and vessel traffic in the region.

Cetacean Baseline Characterization in Prince Rupert Harbour (CetaBASE)

Funding recipient: Ocean Wise Conservation Association

Project summary: This project collects baseline data on cetaceans (e.g. whales, dolphins and porpoises) in the nearshore and coastal waters of northern British Columbia. The project builds on information gathered in the last 4 years, including:

• documentation of humpback whale habitat use
• nearshore cetacean observations
• harbour porpoise acoustic monitoring
• environmental DNA (eDNA) collection

It develops a standardized eDNA monitoring technique that compares the detection of cetacean presence from eDNA samples with confirmed visual sightings. This information will be critical to understanding the future impacts of increasing vessel traffic on cetaceans.

Coastal Environmental Baseline Project: Characterizing Phytoplankton, Zooplankton, Kelp Beds and Oolichan around the Port of Prince Rupert and surrounding area– Part 2

Funding recipient: Kitsumkalum First Nation

Project summary: This project builds on a previous project that collected baseline data on:

• Eulachon (candlefish) spawning stock biomass
• kelp forests (e.g. density, extent, species composition)
• Dungeness crab larvae and water quality

It incorporates another year of data collection on these features in the local ecosystem. This project will strengthen Canada’s capacity for ocean science and contribute to research on the impact of vessel traffic in coastal areas of British Columbia. It will also build the technical and scientific capacity of the Kitsumkalum First Nation.

Inventory of dissolved organic matter in the Skeena River estuary and Prince Rupert region

Funding recipient: Skeena Fisheries Commission

Project summary: This project collects baseline data on the composition of dissolved organic carbon in the Skeena River Estuary and nearshore coastal area around Prince Rupert. The data contributes to a baseline understanding of dissolved organic carbon quality and quantity. It will also help to inform conservation efforts and measure the impacts of increased shipping activity and coastal development nearby.

Inventory of dissolved organic matter in the Skeena River estuary and Prince Rupert region

Funding recipient: Skeena Fisheries Commission

Project summary: Building on a previous project, this project collects additional baseline data on the composition of dissolved organic carbon in the Skeena River Estuary and nearshore coastal area around Prince Rupert. The data contributes to a baseline understanding of dissolved organic carbon quality and quantity in the area. It will also help inform conservation efforts and measure the impacts of increased shipping activity and coastal development.

Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Eulachon in the Skeena River and Estuary in Relation to Predator Presence, Absence and Abundance and eDNA Analysis

Funding recipient: Kitselas Band Council

Project summary: This project aims to improve the understanding of existing environmental ecosystem conditions in the Port of Prince Rupert and surrounding areas. This includes potential correlation between eulachon (candlefish) migration and habitat use by marine mammals and birds. The project collects baseline data on marine mammal, eulachon and marine bird characteristics in the nearshore and coastal waters of northern British Columbia and within Kitselas Traditional Territory. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is used to complement baseline data collected on eulachon to confirm their:

• presence
• distribution
• run timing
• spawning abundance