Sharing Knowledge on Cumulative Effects in the Salish Sea Ecosystem
The Government of Canada is improving access to knowledge including data, publications and tools to inform the management of cumulative effects in the Salish Sea Ecosystem.
Datasets
These datasets represent the most commonly requested research and monitoring results by the Government of Canada and its partners.
Ecosystem Wide
These links allow for key word searches to find data relevant to the Salish Sea Ecosystem.
- Open Data Portal – Federal Government
- Open Data Catalogue – BC Government
- Open Science and Data Platform – Federal Government
- Remote Sensing Data
- RADARSAT Constellation Mission and RADARSAT-2 – Federal Government
- Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) – Federal Government, External
- Landsat 9 – External
- Air Photo Library and Satellite Imagery – Federal Government
- Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Data – BC Government
- Canadian Integrated Ocean Observing System (CIOOS) – Federal Government, External
- Ocean Networks Canada – External
- Federal Marine Bioregions – Federal Government
- Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Atlas – Federal Government
- BC Marine Conservation Analysis – Federal Government, BC Government, External
- Strait of Georgia Data Centre – External
- Important Areas for Geography in Strait of Georgia Ecoregion – Federal Government
Human Activities and Stressors
These stressors include large scale drivers of change such as climate change, population growth, as well as human activities.
- Canadian Centre for Climate Services – Federal Government
- Land Cover – External
- Development Projects Map – Federal Government
- BC Environmental Assessments Map – BC Government
- Interactive Pipeline Map – Federal Government
- National Forestry Database – Federal Government
- Forest Inventory – BC Government
- Agricultural Land Reserve – BC Government
- National Pollutant Release Inventory – Federal Government
- Waste Discharge Authorizations – BC Government
- Municipal Wastewater Monitoring – Federal Government
- Local Wastewater Infrastructure – BC Government
- Local Stormwater Infrastructure – BC Government
- Pulp and Paper Effluent Monitoring – Federal Government
- Pipeline Incidents Data – Federal Government
- Disposal at Sea Sites – Federal Government
- Spill Incidents in British Columbia – BC Government
- Vessel Traffic Routes – Federal Government
- Marine Transportation Occurrences – Federal Government
- Commercial Shipping Anchorages in Pacific Canada – Federal Government
- Commercial Fisheries Catch Statistics – Federal Government
- Recreational Fisheries Catch Statistics – Federal Government
- Shellfish and Invertebrate Fisheries – Federal Government
- Aquaculture Facilities in Marine Areas – Federal Government
- National Inventory of Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels – Federal Government
- Data on Lost Gear Reporting– Federal Government
- Marine Invasive Species Hotspots – Federal Government
- Aquatic Invasive Species in British Columbia – BC Government
- Aquatic Invasive European Green Crab Monitoring – Federal Government
- BC Wildfires Map – BC Government
- Interactive Map of Cumulative Marine Vessel Emissions in the Salish Sea – Federal Government
- Marine Emissions Inventory Tool – Federal Government
- Cumulative impacts from anthropogenic activities and stressors on marine ecosystems in Pacific Canada – Federal Government
- Human Disturbance Data Explorer – BC Government
Air
Air quality data covers specific trace gases and particles and are used to report on the human health risks posted by these air pollutants.
- National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS) Program – Federal Government
- Canadian Air and Precipitation Monitoring Network (CAPMon) – Federal Government
- BC Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) – BC Government
- Environmental Monitoring System – BC Government
Water
The state of water includes physical and chemical properties of water in rivers, lakes and the Salish Sea, and indicators of water quality such as its ability to support aquatic organisms. It can also reflect water levels and flows.
- Long-term Sea-Surface Temperature and Salinity Data – Federal Government
- Long-term Wind and Wave Data at Ocean Weather Station Papa – Federal Government
- Marine Water Properties – Federal Government
- Biological and Chemical Marine Data – Federal Government
- Marine Bacteriology Water Quality Data for Bivalve Shellfish Harvest Areas – Federal Government
- Marine Sediment Quality and Mussel Tissue Quality Data – External
- Sediment Profile Imagery at Disposal at Sea Sites – Federal Government
- Sediment Contaminant Data from Disposal at Sea Sites, and Inside and Outside Southern Resident Killer Whale Critical Habitat – Federal Government
- Freshwater and Sediment Contaminant Data, Pacific Region – Federal Government
- Long-term Freshwater Quality Monitoring Data, Pacific Coastal Basin – Federal Government
- Long-term Freshwater Quality Monitoring Data, Fraser River – Federal Government
- Surface Water Quality Monitoring Sites, Interactive Map – BC Government
- Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN) – Federal Government
- Freshwater Quality Surveillance Data for the Pacific Coastal Basin – Federal Government
- Freshwater Surveillance of Mercury – Federal Government
- Freshwater Surveillance of Pesticides – Federal Government
- Freshwater Monitoring of Pesticides – Federal Government
- Hydrometric Data, Real-Time – Federal Government
- Hydrometric Data, Historical – Federal Government
- Freshwater Sediment Data, Historical – Federal Government
- Environmental Monitoring System – BC Government
Species
The Salish Sea Ecosystem boasts high species diversity and provides important habitat for species of cultural, commercial, and ecological significance.
- Species in the Salish Sea Region – External
- Species of Concern in the Salish Sea Region – External
- Fishes of the Salish Sea, Compilation and Distribution – External
- Birds and Mammals of the Salish Sea, Compilation – External
- Coastal Waterbird Survey, British Columbia – External
- Breeding Birds Atlas, British Columbia – External
- Pelagic Seabird Atlas, West Coast of Canada – Federal Government
- Shorebirds – Roberts Bank, British Columbia – Federal Government
- Shorebirds, Sidney Island, British Columbia – Federal Government
- Shorebirds, Tofino Mudflats, British Columbia – Federal Government
- Pacific Salmon Explorer – External
- Pacific Salmon Conservation Units, Sites, Status – Federal Government
- Pacific Herring Spawn and Catch Records – Federal Government
- Pacific Halibut Time Series – External
- Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW) Population – External
- Northern Resident Killer Whales (NRKW) Population – Federal Government
- Aquatic Species at Risk, Critical Habitat – Federal Government
- Aquatic Species at Risk, Distribution and Range – Federal Government
- Eelgrass, Strait of Georgia – Federal Government
- Environmental Monitoring System – BC Government
- Bivalve Shellfish Harvesting Map – Federal Government
- Kelp Distribution on the British Columbia Coast – Federal Government
- Important Areas for Cetaceans, Strait of Georgia Ecoregion – Federal Government
- Important Areas for Cetaceans, West Coast of Vancouver Island Ecoregion – Federal Government
- Important Areas for Fish, Strait of Georgia Ecoregion – Federal Government
- Important Areas for Fish, West Coast Vancouver Island Ecoregion – Federal Government
- Important Areas for Birds, Strait of Georgia Ecoregion – Federal Government
- Important Areas for Birds, West Coast of Vancouver Island Ecoregion – Federal Government
- Important Areas for Other Vertebrates, Strait of Georgia Ecoregion – Federal Government
- Important Areas for Other Vertebrates, West Coast of Vancouver Island Ecoregion – Federal Government
- Important Areas for Sponge Reefs, Strait of Georgia Ecoregion – Federal Government
- Important Areas for Coral and Sponge, West Coast of Vancouver Island Ecoregion – Federal Government
- Important Areas for Other Invertebrates, Strait of Georgia Ecoregion – Federal Government
- Important Areas for Other Invertebrates, West Coast of Vancouver Island Ecoregion – Federal Government
- Bivalve Shellfish Harvesting Map – Federal Government
- Green Crab Monitoring Data – Federal Government
Interconnections
Models help to describe complex interactions within an ecosystem. They help better understand and manage cumulative effects.
- Salish Sea Cast NEMO Model, to evaluate storm surge risk – External
- Coastal Storm Modelling System (CoSMoS) – External
- Salish Sea Model, to analyze responses to sea level rise, manage water quality, plan restoration – External
- Visualizing Ecosystem Land Management Assessments (VELMA) Model – External
- Ecopath with Ecosim, to model ecosystem interactions– External
- Salish Sea Atlantis, to model multiple stressors on marine food webs – External
Publications
These publications are written reports, peer-reviewed articles, story maps and additional websites that have synthesized, analyzed and interpreted datasets.
- Salish Sea in the Federal Science Library – Federal Government
- Cumulative Effects in the Federal Science Library – Federal Government
- Salish Sea Initiative (SSI): Coming Together to Understand Cumulative Effects – Federal Government
- Salish Sea Institute Science, Policy, Learning – External
- Cross-Linked Information Resources (CLIR) – BC Government
- Ecological Reports Catalogue (EcoCat) – BC Government
- Canada-US Cooperation in the Salish Sea: 2025-2028 Action Plan – Federal Government
- Health of the Salish Sea Ecosystem Report – Full Report – External
- State of the Salish Sea Report – External
- State of the Pacific Ocean Annual Reports – Federal Government
- Ocean Watch by Ocean Wise, Howe Sound Edition, 2020 – External
- Disposal at Sea Monitoring Reports – Federal Government
- Georgia Basin-Puget Sound Airshed Characterization Report (2014) – Federal Government
- Georgia Basin Action Plan (GBAP, 2003-2009) – Federal Government
- Georgia Basin Ecosystem Initiative (GBEI, 1998-2003) – Federal Government
- Fraser River Action Plan (FRAP, 1991-1998) – Federal Government
- Burrard Inlet Environmental Action Program (1991-2013) – Federal Government
- Fraser River Estuary Management Program (1985-2013) – Federal Government
- Fraser River Estuary Study (FRES, 1978-1984) – Federal Government
- Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators – Federal Government
- Environment Statistics – Federal Government
- Human Activity and the Environment – Federal Government
- Environmental Reporting BC – BC Government
- Protection of Southern Resident Killer Whales – Federal Government
- Wings Over Water: The Salish Sea Marine Bird Monitoring and Conservation – Federal Government
Tools
Tools to interpret and apply datasets to assess and manage cumulative effects.
- National Framework for Assessing Cumulative Effects of Marine Shipping – Federal Government
- BC Cumulative Effects Framework, to guide assessment and management – BC Government
- Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines, to interpret monitoring data – Federal Government
- BC Water Quality Guidelines, to interpret aquatic monitoring data – BC Government
- Canadian Water Quality Index Calculator, to summarize data on multiple variables – Federal Government
Contact Us
For questions or comments: ec.enviroinfo.ec@canada.ca