Proceedings - Teaching and Learning Centre - Simon Fraser ...

Fraser River Action Plan 3rd Research Workshop
∗ significance of contaminant exposure levels to sentinel species such as the dunlin; and,
∗ how are contaminants moving up the food chain.
– Relevance of Fraser River estuary, relative to other estuaries, with respect to potential impacts on
migratory species.
– Relative effects of fresh water falling on mudflats or fields, and driving marine invertebrates down
or terrestrial invertebrates up, and how important these effects are on birds’ behaviour.
– Habitat loss:
∗ extent of habitat loss;
∗ implications for wildlife use and pollutant exposure;
∗ what habitat will be left for use by wildlife, now and projected; and,
∗ what will be pollutant exposure regimes, now and projected.
– Identify all dunlin habitats during a life cycle, and establish the nature and use of each habitat type.
– Samples to be collected for Rob MacDonald for PAH analyses; organochlorines also need to be
looked at.
– Take more samples at A0 and get horizontal distribution of silver to complement vertical profiles.
– Benthic samples have been archived at A14 (reference site) — need to coordinate with someone
else to analyze data this summer and thereby provide baseline information.
• Focus on biogeochemistry and ecology of Fraser estuary mudflat and mouth of Fraser River.
• Recovery of Iona Island Site (present vs. past azoic site) - review chapter - overview of recovery.
Discussion
Hall: Is there any info on vertical distribution near Iona?
Harrison: Gordon has done some core samples.
Hall: Has anybody talked about the application of stable isotopes, e.g., carbon?
Harrison: Gordon found silver the best.
Bendell-Young: Is the marsh a sink for contaminants?
Harrison: With the little sampling we have done, I don’t think we can answer that.
Hall: Check the FREMP research workshops.
Unrecorded Speaker: Will the contaminants come back to the surface?
Harrison: It will vary with texture. Winter storms affect this.
Gray to Harrison: Dependence of migratory waterfowl on estuarine system - will there be any difficulty
linking information from reference sites to other sites in the estuary.
Shepherd: Bird movement can be tracked with radio.
Gray: Will we ever get the location of the prey species?
Shepherd: There is sediment data, but little vegetation data.
Harrison: Can other birds be used?
Shepherd: Dunlin are the most practical.
Gray: Comment on contaminants/nutrients from Fraser?
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