What is an ‘Ecosystem View’

Situating the Coastal part of North Coast – it is a matter of scale

Seems the North Coast is in a ‘transition area’ between Alaska and the South (No surprises there)

A closer look: 3 marine eco regions (Dixon Entrance, Hecate, and QC Sound)

plus the less saline waters of the Fjords

The fig on right has been further divided into eco-sections;

Note the ‘hook’ where Dixon cuts into Hecate on left image –

presumably it is the deep channel seen on charts

The figure on the right shows some organisms seek salinity and others mixed waters

Colonial Seabird Nesting areas

This dates from the 1980s but shows many seabirds seek offshore islets to both escape predators and be closer to feed; Marbled Murrelets by contrast seek shelter in tall oldgrowth trees. A strange and endangered bird.

The figure on left is showing important “wetlands”

The same areas are important for seabirds and wintering water fowl See an earlier PW Martin work where they are ranked. Surprisingly Big Bay is the Highest. The figure on right gives seal haul out areas and is dated; still it is telling us not only where ‘loafing is easy’ but also where food is closest. Note the sand banks (dotted lines)