Dr Samuel Starko1, Dr. Julia Baum1, Mr. Brian Timmer1, Mr. Matthew Csordas1, Dr. Christopher Neufeld2
1University Of Victoria, Victoria, Canada, 2Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, Bamfield, Canada
Kelp forests are among the most productive ecosystems in our oceans and are common on temperate reefs. In recent decades, climate change and other anthropogenic drivers have threatened the persistence of kelp forest ecosystems in some regions. In the Northeast Pacific, many kelp forests experienced negative impacts from both direct and indirect effects of the 2014-2016 marine heatwave (i.e., the blob) and subsequent drivers. However, little is known about how kelp forests in British Columbia, which has a complex and remote coastline, have fared in response to these recent stressors. In this study, we explore intra- and inter-regional variation in kelp forest persistence across coastal British Columbia. Focusing on several regions that span a range of sea temperatures and sea otter-occupancy statuses, we compared historical (1994 – 2007) and modern (2017 – 2021) aerial imagery to assess changes in kelp extent between these time points. We also assemble a limited number of case studies with more complete time-series to better contextualize the patterns observed in some regions. We provide support for the hypothesis that recent drivers including increased temperatures and spatially variable trophic cascades (increases in otters or decreases in seastars) have altered the distribution of kelp forests across British Columbia. However, patterns vary on local and regional scales, with kelp forests in areas occupied by sea otters appearing to be resilient and possibly expanding.
Presentation Slides – Sam Starko
Biography:
Sam is a postdoctoral researcher interested in how marine habitats interact with their environments over both broad and narrow spatial and temporal scales
