Canada’s Federal Marine Protected Areas Strategy, 2005

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Table of Contents

ExecutiveSummary ……………………………………………..3 Protecting Our Marine Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 A Time for Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 BuildingaNetwork–AnInnovativeApproach ……………………………7 BenefitsofaMarineProtectedAreasNetwork ……………………………8 International Agreements and Commitments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Linkages to Federal Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Guiding Principles for Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Strategic Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Appendix 1 – Federal Tools for Establishing and Managing
Marine Protected Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Appendix 2 – Roles and Responsibilities of Other Government
Departments in Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Establishment and Management. . . . 17

Appendix 3 – The Federal Approach to Building a Network
of Marine Protected Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

See the Full PDF :2005canadasmarineproareastrategy

Executive Summary

Around the world, marine protected areas are increasingly being endorsed as a valuable conserva- tion and protection tool. The benefits of a network of marine protected areas are numerous, diverse and include ecological, social, economic and cultural elements. The drive for a Federal Marine Protected Areas Strategy ensued from the need for a coopera- tive and collaborative approach to the development of a network of federal marine protected areas in Canada as a means to help address the declining health of our oceans. In 1997, the Oceans Act pro- vided Fisheries and Oceans Canada with a leading and coordinating role in this endeavor.

The intent of this Strategy is to clarify the roles and responsibilities of federal departments and agencies with marine protected area mandates, namely Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment Canada

In support of this goal, this Strategy will aim to fulfill its objectives to:

• establish a more systematic approach to marine protected area planning and establishment;

• enhance collaboration for management and monitoring of marine protected areas;

• increase awareness, understanding and participa- tion of Canadians in the marine protected area network; and

• link Canada’s network of marine protected areas to continental and global networks.

These objectives, and the Strategy’s supporting activities, are a shared responsibility of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment Canada and the Parks Canada Agency. Together, the departments and agencies will work towards meeting these objectives. To ensure that progress on the
network continues, the above mentioned federal departments and agencies will move forward in

and the Parks Canada Agency, and to describe how federal marine protected area programs can collectively be used to create a cohesive and com- plementary network of marine protected areas.

The establishment of a network of marine protected areas, established and managed within an integrated oceans management framework, that contributes to the health of Canada’s oceans and marine environments.

In support of this goal, this Strategy will aim to fulfill its objectives to:

• establish a more systematic approach to marine protected area planning and establishment;

• enhance collaboration for management and monitoring of marine protected areas;

• increase awareness, understanding and participa- tion of Canadians in the marine protected area network; and

• link Canada’s network of marine protected areas to continental and global networks.

These objectives, and the Strategy’s supporting

activities, are a shared responsibility of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment Canada and the Parks Canada Agency. Together, the departments and agencies will work towards meeting these objectives. To ensure that progress on the
network continues, the above mentioned federal departments and agencies will move forward in establishing areas that have previously been identi-

fied as candidate sites. In addition, the Strategy outlines how collective planning efforts will be undertaken to identify a suite of sites that may

be added to the network in the future.

See the FULL PDF:

 

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Race Rocks Millenium Project 2002-2004

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A Bold Initiative: racerocks.com utilizes 21st century technology to maximum advantage to create a dynamic educational web experience utilizing the extraordinary marine eco-system at Race Rocks, Canada’s most southerly point in the Pacific.

Real time streaming video webcasts digital images of marine life from above the sea at Race Rocks and below the ocean when divers are on hand to do the live mobile webcasts. In addition, a complete environmental scan will be continually transmitted from the site using an array of data sensors in five ecosystems of the area.

The knowledge of the First Nations is being explored and explained as the Salish people share generations of experience in living in harmony with the abundance that once dominated this region and is now threatened.

Creative educators are developing internet-based curriculum to stimulate students and teachers to engage fully in the racerocks.com educational program. Researchers will share their studies and discoveries as we gain a new and deeper understanding of the ecosystem

The Place

For centuries, deep ocean currents and the great rivers of the Georgia Basin have converged in the Strait of Juan de Fuca between southern Vancouver Island and Washington State. Race Rocks reveals itself as nine rocky outcrops thrust from the ocean floor in the middle of the strait.

For generations the people of the Salish Nation prospered in this region at the entrance to the Salish Sea. The extraordinary richness of this diverse ecosystem represented by Race Rocks is valued today as it was then. Race Rocks has been an ecological reserve since 1980 and is becoming Canada’s first internationally recognized Marine Protected Area.

The small, rocky outcrops are home to seals, sea lions, elephant seals and birds, as well as the buildings and equipment of the Race Rocks Lighthouse. These outcrops are literally the tip of the ecosystem New leading-edge bathymetry reveals Race Rocks as a giant underwater mountain. The diversity of marine life is breathtaking and still not fully explored. The teachings of Salish elders merge with more recent science to explain the mysteries of nature at Race Rocks.

The Technology

Recent developments have made a complex real time streaming video site possible. Presently three and potentially up to seven digital cameras and an array of data sensors above and below the ocean at Race Rocks will collect information. The signal is compressed and transmitted by broad band radio from the top of the Race Rocks light tower direct to nearby Pearson College. From Pearson College, through high speed fiber links to the racerocks.com server, and then on to the AKAMAI network, the video and data will be available throughout the internet. Two-way interactive capability is being incorporated into the design to allow for specific educational programming.

The Partners

Lester B. Pearson College– is one of ten United World Colleges located around the world. Two hundred students from over 80 countries study the International Baccalaureate curriculum during their two years at Pearson College. Garry Fletcher, a faculty member teaching Environmental Systems and Biology at Pearson College, is the educational director of racerocks.com. Garry and his students will guide the educational content of the site. Pearson College operates the former Race Rocks light station facilities as a education centre under an agreement with BC Parks. Pearson College is the lead proponent and partner directing the racerocks.com project.


LGS Group Inc. – is one of Canada’s largest full service IT consulting firm with 2100 employees in 20 offices in Canada, Europe and the US. LGS is donating the time and resources to provide project management and web design services in the creation of racerocks.com. Along with their ability to capitalize on emerging Internet technologies to promote the project, LGS brings essential knowledge, skills, and expertise. 

Telus– a leading Canadian telecommunications company, is providing the bandwidth and server capability  to host racerocks.com. Skilled technical staff at Telus have assisted in the development and implementation of the project assuring high-speed delivery to the Internet and accessibility to a large audience. Telus is donating this component to racerocks.com.

Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre-a leading organization in marine research and public education on the West Coast of Canada. The Marine Science Centre has committed a significant contribution of funds and expertise to the project. In return it will gain a new window for aquarium visitors into an ecologically sensitive marine world at the South tip of Vancouver Island. The most recent contribution is a hydrophone which will be installed subtidally at Race Rocks.

Apple Computers (Canada)– The Computers that we use for the live video webcasts from Race Rocks are all made by APPLE COMPUTERS. In July of 2000, Apple Canada became a partner in the Millennium Partnership program with the donation of a Macintosh PowerBook G3. 500 MHz. It followed up with further support in April of 2001 with the donation of a G4 500 MHz portable computer. These new high speed computers have been essential in broadcasting the manually operated live programs from the islands.They have been a most valuable addition for our live video webcasting programs.

Apple and the Apple Learning Interchange:

The quicklime live video streams were hosted by the Apple Learning interchange over the Akamai Internet distribution network. In April of 2001, a set of three airport cards was provided by ALI in order to make all the cameras webcasting wirelessly from the island. Race Rocks support pages, learning activities, discussion forums, and scheduled chats.

Seapoint Sensors Inc. of Kingston New Hampshire has joined as a partner providing a turbidity meter for measuring turbidity or suspended solids and a Chlorophyll fluorometer for measuring chlorophyll a . Both are representative of a fine line of high performance oceanographic sensors. They are installed sub-tidaly in 8 meters of water off the docks on the North Side of Race Rocks .

CompuSmart of Victoria , B.C. has joined as a partner in providing the majority of the funds for the purchase of a new computer for the Database which is being produced to handle the  Phase 2 Environmental Data Sensors for Race Rocks.

Sorenson Media provided  software to assist in the production of the live streaming video and the improvement of the archived video on the website.

FRIENDS of ECOLOGICAL RESERVES-The “Friends” have been long time supporters of Race Rocks. They have given financial help for the purchase in 2000 of a camera for the project and in 2001, a SONY wireless microphone.

 

SONY of Canada Ltd.

joined as a partner in April of 2001, with the donation of a SONY Digital Video camera. This camera joins the three other SONY cameras that are used to provide the live streaming video from Race Rocks.

Government Agencies-racerocks.com has received assistance from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in many aspects of the project development. BC Parks has provided the use of buildings and facilities at Race Rocks. Both levels of government are working cooperatively with local First Nations groups as well as other community groups to create the Race Rocks Marine Protected Area.

 

Millennium Partnership Fund– racerocks.com would not have been possible without major funding from the Canadian Millennium Partnership Fund of the Government of Canada. We are very grateful to the Federal Government and all those who assisted us in our application.

Graduate Students We are particularly fortunate to benefit from the services and support of a number of alumni of Lester B. Pearson College who have donated their time or have given direct financial assistance to racerocks.com

Ken Dunham ( PC year 9) has designed and implemented the advanced network at Pearson College, and recently
extended these facilities across the water to Race Rocks.

Giovanni Rosso (PC year 24) has provided the money for a digital camera which we use to document the project.

Jochen Kumm (PC year 10) has provided a computer for the Ecological Overview database and is assisting with the development of the Environmental Database for racerocks.com

Affiliated Organizations

  • Glentel

Continue reading →

Black Oystercatcher, (Haematopus bachmani) Nest

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These pictures were taken in June 2005 of a nest in the surge channel off the engine room. The images show how well the eggs are camouflaged.

bloynest3m

Black Oystercatcher nest photo by Garry Fletcher


Return to the black Oystercatcher taxonomy file

ADCP data on Currents at Race Rocks

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CLICK ON IMAGES FOR LARGE SIZED CHARTS
This file is extracted from a report of the analysis of the data by Rick Birch of ASL from the ADCP Deployment at Site 1.

 

Figure 1 Bin Locations:

The mooring was deployed on the bottom on may 30 and recovered on June 15, 2005. The ADCP collected current profile data in 1m bins starting from 2.5 metres off the bottom (bin 1).Times were recorded in PDT and directions in degrees magnetic. Directions were converted to degrees true during processing by adding 19 degrees. Water Depth: 13 m (LLW) Location: 48 17,955’N 123 31, 937′ W

 

Data Quality:

One of the primary indicators of ADCP velocity data quality is the error velocity. This is the difference in computed vertical velocities using different combinations of 3 beams. Error velocities over the deployment were generally less than 5cm/s and never exceeded 12 cm/s (Figure 2).This is generally considered acceptable for such a deployment.

Characteristics of the measured currents:
Most of the current is due to tides. Maximum tidal ranges reach 3.3 m during the larger ‘spring’ tides. Tides are mixed, mainly diurnal with one main low and one main high each day. Peak ebb currents occur ~2 hours before the main low tide, and peak flood currents occur~ 4-5 hours after the main low tide (Fig.3). Flood tide currents are generally stronger than the ebb.

Upwelling/Downwelling:

As at site 2, there was upwelling on the ebb flow and downwelling on the flood. Maximum vertical velocities reached about 11 and 15 cm/s respectively (Fig 5)

This probably relates to the shallows just West of the site.

Bin 2-5 Average Current

The current velocity data from bins 2-5 were selected as representative of the flow through the turbine and were averaged.

Figure 6 is a plot of the averaged current speeds over the entire record. The average current speeds range up to about 2.3 m/s on the floods , and 1.75 on the ebbs.

Ed.note: Due to these low current levels, site 1 had to be abandoned as a candidate for the tidal current generator location.

 

LINK to the Integrated Energy System at Race Rocks

Jetty Repair at Race Rocks-2005

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Mike and Carol Slater who were Ecoguardians of Race Rocks at the time took this set of images on the process that was used to repair the Jetty at Race Rocks. There had been serious undercutting and erosion on the West side of the docks so it had to be fixed to avoid total collapse.  There are 56 images of the work in this pdf:

Race_Rocks_Dock_Repair-2005

 

 

 

 

BC Parks Impact Assessment Process Preliminary Screen Report for Electrical Cable installation

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File No:   85700-35/0210206

BC Parks Impact Assessment Process 

Level 1, Preliminary Screen Report

Name of Action:    Installation of Electrical Cable Channel and Conduits at Race Rocks. 

Proponent:               Lester B Pearson College and Clean Current Power

Review Date(s):         May 17, 2005                                                                Page:  1of 3

  1. Issues and Environmental Components
  2. List any issues of concern that have been or may be raised by BC Parks, other government agencies, First Nations, or the public.
  • No habitat loss should take place.
  • Impacts that could potentially be damaging to other wildlife and plant communities as a result of  demolition/construction activities.
  1. Identify any geographic “hots pots” at or close to the proposed action (e.g., areas of high use, concentrations of facilities, wilderness conservation zones, unique landscape features).

The proposed location of the cable entry to the water from the island is represented below.

This would allow construction in the intertidal area during mid-May to mid-June in a location where there is already extensive human-created infrastructure, and where there is no impact to nesting birds. It also enables us to provide needed repair of the dock structure.

  1. Identify any important environmental, recreational, social or economic values in the area of the proposed action and/or the area surrounding the proposed action (e.g., rare or endangered species, hiking experience, midden site). Include a rationale as to why the value is considered important.

There are none of the above values with this route along the docks that could be considered an impediment. Pam Thuringer of Archipelago Marine did a survey of the area at low tide on May 12. She found no rare or significant species in the area that will not recover in a short period afterwards. Link to her species list here

Preliminary Screen Checklist Page:  2 of 3

Complete the following based on information available and/or the experience of BC Parks staff at the time of the review.

  1. BC Parks has a responsibility to comply with the following Acts and regulations. Indicate that the proposed action complies with the following: Done ( or N/A)
    Park Act, Park Amendment Acts Yes
    Ecological Reserve Act Yes
    An order issued under the Environmental Land Use Act n/a
    BC Environmental Assessment Act n/a
    Waste Management Act n/aHeritage Conservation Act (i.e., Archaeological Impact Assessment Guidelines) n/a
    Federal Fisheries Act (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) n/a
    Other (specify):
    Comments:
    BC Parks should ensure that all actions comply with BC Parks policies. Indicate that the proposed action complies with the following: Done
    Approved management plan or management direction statement (MDS)Yes
    BC Protected Areas Strategy: Resource and Recreation Use Guidelines for Protected AreasYes BC Parks Policy including conservation and recreation goals (Striking the Balance) Yes
    BC Parks Policies (specify):Eco reserves set aside for protection and research Yes
    BC Parks ConservationProgramPolicies yes
    BCParksAnnualManagementPlan (i.e.,values and targets)n/a
    Other (specify):
    Comments:
    Page:3 of 3 3.
    Document which agencies /stakeholders that have been or should be notified and/or contacted: yes” Done ( or N/A)
    Conservation Data Centre n/a Ministry of SRM (specify branch):
    Ministry of Forests (i.e., Range Act) n/a

Ministry of Energy and Mines (Mineral Tenure Act) n/a
Ministry of Health Services n/a>
First Nations Yes
Agencies responsible for broader level plans (i.e., Regional District, LRMP) n/a
Other (specify):
Comments (include name and title of contact):
The proposed action is likely to result in the following impacts (check all that apply) Done
(U or N/A)

Adverse and permanent effects on the important conservation, recreation and/or cultural heritage values n/a

Adverse and permanent effects on the character and aesthetics of the protected area n/a

Adverse effects to endangered, threatened or vulnerable or regionally significant species, populations and  habitats (i.e., red/blue-listed species/habitats, biogeoclimatic representation) U

Adverse effects to critical or geographically unique characteristics U

Adverse effects to public health and safety n/a

Adverse effects to traditional use of the area by First Nations n/a

Adverse effects to local communities n/a

Adverse effects to the recreational use or enjoyment of the park (regardless of the intended benefits of the proposed action) n/a

Economic implications, such as operating costs, that cannot be maintained over time n/a

A high level of controversy or public concern regarding the action n/a

Effects of the action, which when combined with the effects of other actions in the region, may result in cumulative impacts n/a

Implications which may be precedent-setting and should therefore be considered in the context of similar future actions n/a

Comments (use corresponding letters to refer to specific impacts listed above):

  1. Level 1 report should recommend appropriate times and methods for construction to ensure birds/wildlife impacts are kept to a minimum.
    to ensure birds/wildlife impacts are kept to a minimum.The site where the cable would enter the sea, is on the west side of the Jetty. This area can receive concrete cladding of a reinforced conduit right down to the end of the jetty, if concrete is poured at one of the upcoming low tides in the next month, in order to avoid pouring underwater.
    The proposal involves a protective conduit that can be bolted to the wall of the jetty. This same conduit would enter the water and carry the cable down to the depths, where intertidal damage from rolling rocks would not occur.
    A further advantage of this proposal is that we would require that the west wall of the jetty would re-enforced with concrete in order to repair some of the undermining of the jetty. In some areas this has gone in as far as 60 to 80 centimeters. That part of this erosion of the jetty could be the result of it not being fully filled in with new concrete when the jetty was partly rebuilt in 1986. It looks very much like the older exposed loose concrete and fill was the part that has eroded. The dock was constructed sometime pre-1950 on a rock finger projecting seaward.
    By using camera 5 remote control at  you can see this area easily if you choose the pre-selection of “Jetty”. By zooming in at low tide, the base of the dock can be seen almost to the end.    Construction Method: Roma Construction is being contracted for the above water portion of the job.This job consists of two parts:

    Part a) Consists of immediate work, to commence within the next week, in order to take advantage of the upcoming sets of low tides during the daytime. A 6 inch solid conduit in 25’ sections (HDPE )  will be embedded in concrete for the length of the docks shown here in magenta. Removal of the surface coating of algae and sessile invertebrates will be done only in the area of the new concrete addition. Any large motile invertebrates will be displaced manually from the immediate area prior to the cleaning. No chemicals will be used in the cleaning process as a directed water jet should be adequate. The dock will be repaired along this side in the process, with holes and unstable portions filled in. Also included in this operation will be the inclusion of a 4 inch conduit for telemetry and cables as well as a 1.25 inch poly hose for water intake.

    Concrete will be made on site from materials transported to the island. Any debris created during the process will be hauled off the island for disposal.

    Chris Blondeau, operations manager and Garry Fletcher, Ecological Reserve Warden, will be on site to oversee the environmental concerns. In addition, Pam Thuringer and staff of Archipelago Marine have been contracted to do an ongoing environmental assessment for the duration of the construction phase of the project during the next year.

Species List for the West Side of the Race Rocks Jetty , 2005

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This list was compiled by Pam Thuringer of Archipelago Marine on May12, 2005. She examined the west side of the docks exposed at a 0.35m tide as part of the Environmental Impact assessment for the Tidal Current Project.

Invertebrates Balanus glandula many
Semibalanus cariosus many
Hemigrapsus nudis few
Mytilus californianus few
Sponge ( orange encrusting species) few
Katharina tunicata few
Littorina scutulata many
Tectura persona few
Lottia pelta few
Anthopleura elegantissima few
Lirubuccinum dirum few
General Group Species Occurence
Brn. Algae Nereocystis luetkeana sparse
Fucus sp. sparse
Leathesia difformis sparse
Hedophyllum sessile abundant
Alaria marginata abundant
Costaria costata few
Red Algae Mazzaella splendans few
Mastocarpus pappilatus sparse
Halosaccion glandiforme few
Lithothamnion sp. few
Odonthalia floccosa sparse
Polysiphonia sp. sparse
Coralline algae. several species sparse
Porphyra perforata sparse
Endocladia muricata sparse
Green Algae Ulva sp. sparse
Acrosiphonia sp. few

BC Parks Preliminary EIA for Dock Species.

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This list was compiled by Pam Thuringer of Archipelago Marine on May12, 2005. She examined the west side of the docks exposed at a 0.35m tide. This is the area that will be impacted by the construction of the conduit to carry electrical cables from the Tidal Current generator up to the island,

General Group Species Occurence
Brn. Algae Nereocystis luetkeana sparse
Fucus sp. sparse
Leathesia difformis sparse
Hedophyllum sessile abundant
Alaria marginata abundant
Costaria costata few
Red Algae Mazzaella splendans few
Mastocarpus pappilatus sparse
Halosaccion glandiforme few
Lithothamnion sp. few
Odonthalia floccosa sparse
Polysiphonia sp. sparse
Coralline algae. several species sparse
Porphyra perforata sparse
Endocladia muricata sparse
Green Algae Ulva sp. sparse
Acrosiphonia sp. few
Invertebrates Balanus glandula many
Semibalanus cariosus many
Hemigrapsus nudis few
Mytilus californianus few
Sponge ( orange encrusting species) few
Katharina tunicata few
Littorina scutulata many
Tectura persona few
Lottia pelta few
Anthopleura elegantissima few
Lirubuccinum dirum few

Blue water Diving — Pearson College Divers

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Henry Steinberg, Julia Clarke and Laura Verhegge do their first tether dive with Chris off the shores of Race Rocks in Race Passage. The apparatus for the dive was constructed by Henry Steinberg, a Pearson College diver, as part of a project in his PADI Divemasters course. This type of diving is useful for research purposes when one wants to sample jellyfish, salps or other macro-planktonic life forms which may otherwise be damaged if collected in a towed plankton net. It is also necessary as a safety measure for drift diving when the bottom is beyond safety limits, and there are currents involved such as here in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Lirabuccinum dirum: Spindle whelk–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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RMdira

Dire whelk along with many other species of other phyla represented

Habitat: Middle intertidal zone on wave-washed, coralline-encrusted rocky shores. Can be found on protected outer coasts and quiet bays anywhere from Alaska, south to central California.
At Race Rocks, they occur frequently in the mid to low intertidal range. They have often shown up in intertidal transects.

searlesia

A spindle Whelk beside two Tealia Anemone

Description: The Spindle Whelk has a thick, mainly grey shell with many spiral threads of varying sizes. The soft body of the animal is white. Shell is heavy; whorl sculptured with spiral grooves and 9 round, low axial swellings. The siphonal canal is short and coloured grey or brownish.
Additional Information: The spindle whelk is a scavenger that feeds mainly on injured animals. Prey can include littorines, snails, barnacles, worms and limpets. The Spindle Whelk’s proboscis can extend fully out of the shell which allows for gregarious feeding on large prey. Additionally, the proboscis permits the consumption of prey that are already being digested by the everted stomach of sea stars. Its main predator is the sea star. Spindle whelks are most active when submerged in calm water; otherwise it is a largely inactive animal. The longevity of the spindle whelk is unknown, however one which is 40 mm long could be 15 years or more in age.

taylorspindle

Taylor Hartrick finds a Searlesia right on the end of the Jetty.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Subclass Caenogastropoda
Superfamily Buccinoidea
Family) Buccinidae
Genus Lirabuccinum
Species: dirum

Formerly Searlesia dira

Common Name dire whelk or spindle whelk
Other Members of the Phylum Mollusca at Race Rocks.

Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. 

Date:2005 Taylor Hartrick