Mapping tools are widely used in Ocean Conservation. Using geographical data, we can look at the distribution (i.e. where something is located in space) of species and habitats and analyze how this might be affected by changing temperatures, disturbances, and human activities. We can also use geographical data to determine the “best” places to conserve. We want to conserve marine areas that have high biodiversity (i.e. have many different types of organisms), endangered or at-risk plants and animals, and unique habitats.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are areas of the ocean where a government has placed limits on what humans can do there in order to reduce damage to the environment. For example, in some MPAs, people are not allowed to harvest seafood or fish in the area. MPAs can be a refuge for marine animals, helping in the recovery of sensitive habitats and the population growth of species at risk.

In between Vancouver and Vancouver Island lies a stretch of the ocean called the Salish Sea. The Salish Sea is a beautiful area teeming with wildlife that ocean conservationists want to protect. Conservationists are requesting to have the proposed Southern Strait of Georgia National Marine Conservation Area Reserve (NMCAR) become a protected area under Canadian law. 

In the following mapping activity, you will be exploring mapping tools and learning about what is found around the proposed Strait of Georgia NMCAR and discover why people want to protect this area.

Imagine you are a Marine Conservation Officer working for the Government of Canada. You have been tasked with reviewing the proposal for the Strait of Georgia NMCAR and you are doing some research into this area to learn more about it. You are using mapping tools to learn about what is in and around the area, what ecologically important animals and plants will be protected, and what human disturbances this area might be exposed to.

First and foremost it is important to know which First Nations have claim to the area in question. Not only do we need to know which First Nations must be consulted, but also Nations have been interfacing with this landscape since time immemorial and undoubtedly have valuable insights that can inform our conservation goals!

Steps:

• Toggle off the "Territories" on the map below. This will allow you to see the map without any layers on so it’s easier to navigate.
• Navigate to the Strait of Georgia, centering the map on the Southern Gulf Islands (see image 1 for reference on where to zoom, you can also search "Salish Sea, British Columbia").
• Turn the territory layer back on and hover over the proposed NMCAR to see which Nations have their traditional territories within the borders.
• Optional extra: Once you have counted the Nations within the proposed NMCAR, continue exploring the map to learn about the Indigenous groups in different parts of Canada. Do you know which traditional territories you live on?

Hint there are at least 6 Nations with territories encompassed by the proposed NMCAR.

Reflection Questions:

• Why do you think it's important to know whose territory we want to conserve?
• What sort of insights could local indigenous leaders and knowledge holders provide that could support marine conservation?
• As you can see, there are many nations that lay claim to the area that the proposed NMCAR is in. What are some potential challenges and opportunities could this create?

2 - Which Critically Endangered Species has a portion of their Critical Habitat within the boundary of the NMCAR? And what is this layer's Symbology?

Endangered species are species of plants or animals that are at serious risk of extinction. A species’ critical habitat is a habitat area essential to the conservation of this animal or plant. The map below (you will need to scroll down to the map at the bottom of the page) shows the critical habitat of different species overlayed on the proposed NMCAR. To figure out what we are looking at on the map, we need to consult the legend. A map's legend contains crucial information needed to interpret the map, such as the layer’s name (i.e. what that layer represents) and the layer’s symbology (i.e. what symbol or colour is used to represent that layer on the map).

Symbology is how we identify which layer is which. It is the colour or pattern used to distinguish any given layer from all the other layers. The map below has a legend button (highlighted in yellow in Image 2), which you will need to activate with a click in order to see the map's symbology. Typically, a legend will have the layer's name above or beside a coloured polygon or patterned line.

Using the legend, answer the following questions:

• Which species' critical habitat is represented on the map?
• What symbology is used for this species' critical habitat?

3 - Using the "Measure Tool", measure the area of overlap between the species' critical habitat step and the proposed NMCAR.

Maps are a great way to explore the spatial relationships between almost anything! Our world is a very complex place where seemingly unrelated people, animals, habitats, and things can be interrelated in complex relationships and patterns. Using maps, we can quickly explore the spatial relationships between these people, animals, habitats and things. In conservation, it is always important to consider who is doing what since we want to maximize the space of nature while minimizing the negative impacts to humans.

In this scenario, we are trying to maximize the protection of the Southern Resident Killer Whale’s (“killer whale”) critical habitat, which is currently completely unprotected, and use that as a driving force behind the establishment of this park. Knowing how much of the orca’s critical habitat would be protected will be useful information to share when meeting with elected government officials.

Steps for using the measurement tool to calculate the area:

• Click on the Measure Tool (Image 3) and select the Area measurement. Once this is activated, click anywhere on the map to start creating your measurable polygon (i.e. shape).
• Use your mouse to place vertices (i.e. lines) along the edge of the killer whale’s critical habitat where it is within the proposed NMCAR.
• Once you have created your measurable polygon, the area (in km2) will be displayed in the Measurement Tool window. The measurement will update automatically once you have three points, and will refresh with each new point reporting the updated area of the shape you are drawing.
• Double click on your last point to finish the measurable polygon and check the Measurement Tool window to get your answer!

4 - How many 'Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures' (OECMs) are within the proposed boundary? What are they they protecting?

To answer this question let's start by turning off all the other layers using the Layer List tool (Image 4) which is located right next to the Legend button used in Question 2.

Look at the Layer List (Image 5) and toggle on and off any of the layers listed. Look at how turning on and off a layer changes what is on the map. Turn everything off except for the OECMs and the NMCAR and count the number of shapes you see in the OECM layer. This is how many Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures there are within the proposed boundary.

To answer the second part of the question, zoom into the OECMs and get a closer look at why they might have been placed there.

Hint: An image pops up on the OECMs when you zoom in. Try to figure out what this image represents. After you have a think as to what it is, click on the image to see a popup that explains why these OECMs were chosen.

5 - What is the longest Ferry route within the NCMAR and what "Type" is it?

Spatial data is often used to create maps or other visualizations that help us interpret the information, but there can be a lot more to it. Spatial data usually comprises two parts: the mapped area or location data (a shape, point, or line) and an attribute table that contains added information for each feature. Open the Attribute Table for the Ferry Routes layer to answer this question.

The Attribute Table button (Image 6) is the final tool we will explore in this activity. Clicking on this button (see image) will open a table along the bottom of the map. This table contains detailed information about each ferry route, providing the route name (ROUTE), the type of route (TYPE), and the route length (FEAT_LEN) of each ferry.

Go through the FEAT_LEN column (sometimes called a field) to find the longest route. Once you find the highest value under FEAT_LEN, look at the TYPE column to find out which kinds of boats use this route.

The proposed Southern Strait of Georgia National Marine Conservation Area Reserve (NMCAR) is home to Canada's most endangered killer whales and more than 3000 marine species. Known by Coast Salish peoples as “SQELATES”, meaning “home”, the Southern Strait of Georgia has long been revered for its role in nurturing both human and natural ecosystems.

The Gulf Islands and the rugged shoreline of Vancouver Island form a network of reefs, bays, cliffs and channels that are fed by the open waters of the Strait, creating diverse habitats for plants and animals to feed, rest and breed.

Currently, 22 species in the marine waters of the Southern Strait of Georgia are either federally designated as Endangered, Threatened, Special Concern, or considered a high conservation priority by the Government of British Columbia.

Explore the different coloured layers and wildlife icons to learn about some of the remarkable habitats and animals that the proposed marine protected area would protect. To do this, look at the Layer List and zoom into the map until you see animal and plant shaped icons on the map.

6 - What kind of at risk fish are protected by several conservation areas (shaded in red)?

a. salmon

b. herring

c. rockfish

d. sandlance

7 - What important nursery habitats, shaded in green, for salmon line many of the shores in the Southern Strait of Georgia?

a. kelp forests

b. eelgrass beds

c. coral reefs

d. mud flats

8 - Glass sponge reefs, which are only found off the BC coast, are important habitat for what animals?

a. salmon

b. shrimp

c. rockfish

d. killer whales

9 - What fish spawn (lay eggs) on many of the shores in the Southern Strait of Georgia?

a. salmon

b. herring

c. rockfish

d. halibut

Use this map to answer Questions 2 - 9

Hint: The button in the top right corner of the map will open the map in a new tab so you can have the questions and the map side-by-side

Check your answers below.

1 - The following all have territory around the proposed NMCAR: Coast Salish, sc̓əwaθenaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsawwassen), Te’mexw Treaty Association, Á,LEṈENEȻ ȽTE (W̱SÁNEĆ), Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group, Stz'uminus, Quw'utsun, Snuneymuxw, Halalt

2 - Killer Whales

3 - ~700km

4 - 4 OECMs protecting Glass Sponges

5 - Surrey - Swartz Bay | Freight and Vehicle

6 - Rockfish

7 - Eelgrass

8 - Shrimp

9 - Herring