Conclusion: shallow water depths, strong tidal currents, high turbidity, and large woody debris made conditions for towed video work difficult.The fact that there was very little eelgrass observed in areas at a distance from the previously identified beds seems to suggest that the eelgrass has not been actively expanding since 1997.Approximately 96% of the observed eelgrass was either within, or in very close proximity to, those areas where the 1997 Borstad CASI survey indicated eelgrass to be present.Approximately 97% of the observed eelgrass was intertidal, and appeared to be Zostera marina typica.Some general observations about the eelgrass survey:.The following conclusions and recommendations were made based on the results of the survey: See the link for the report describing the survey methodology and the results of the Flora Bank eelgrass survey.
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After several attempts in 2008 to collect video from the site, a successful set of video data was collected during May, 2009.Ĭlick here to view the Flora Bank GIS project (to view the project in Internet Explorer, download and install Adobe SVG Viewer 3.03). In particular, since subtidal eelgrass occurs commonly in the North Coast area, and since the CASI study was limited to eelgrass in the intertidal region, there was a keen interest to see if the Flora Bank eelgrass bed extended any significant distance subtidally. In 2008, WWF had discussions with Ocean Ecology regarding the use of a towed video camera system to observe eelgrass on Flora Bank. Note that almost all of the reported eelgrass was located in the intertidal zone. The amount of eelgrass present on Flora Bank during 1997 as estimated from the CASI study was approximately 0.80 km 2. Mapped habitats included kelp and eelgrass beds, sandflats, and intertidal vegetation. During August, 1997, a Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI) survey of Prince Rupert Harbour and vicinity was carried out (see link). While Flora Bank is recognized as one of the largest eelgrass beds in British Columbia and a region of high habitat value, relatively few studies have been done on the nature and extent of the eelgrass in this area.
A Department of Fisheries and Oceans fisheries habitat study identified Inverness Passage, Flora Bank, and DeHorsey Passage, in that order, as critical habitats for Skeena River juvenile salmon, as well as important eulachon habitat.
Several rare species, including the red-listed western grebe and the blue-listed trumpeter swan, brant, oldsquaw and great blue heron have all been recorded in the wetlands. These mudflats and intertidal areas have been identified by the North Coast Wetlands Program as important migratory/wintering waterfowl habitat. Instead, deposited sediments form a region of extensive mudflats and shallow, intertidal passages around DeHorsey Island, through Inverness Passage, and between Kitson Island and Lelu Island. The Skeena River estuary is a unique system in that it does not have a single distinct intertidal delta typical of most estuary systems. Draining a total area of 54,400 km 2, the Skeena is the second largest river in the province, and one of the longest un-dammed rivers in the world. The Skeena River originates high in the coastal mountains of northwestern British Columbia, at the edge of the Spatsizi Plateau, and flows 610 km to reach the Pacific Ocean.
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