Invertebrate Important Areas in Pacific North Coast Management Zone

Important Areas for key invertebrate species were mapped to inform the selection of marine Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) in the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA). Experts identified these areas based on high rankings in criteria like Uniqueness, Aggregation, and Fitness Consequences. Initial assessments occurred from September 2004 to March 2005, with subsequent efforts in 2009 for other regions.

Use Cases

• Analyze the spatial distribution of Important Areas within the PNCIMA ecoregion to support EBSA designation.
• Compare IA assessments from different temporal efforts (2004-2005 vs. 2009) to understand methodological evolution.
• Map areas of high ranking for specific criteria like Uniqueness or Aggregation to identify conservation priorities.
• Integrate this invertebrate IA data with related datasets for birds, cetaceans, and fish for ecosystem-level management planning.

Strengths

• Data collection was coordinated by scientific experts for the purpose of formal EBSA identification.
• The dataset is part of a broader series covering multiple taxonomic groups, enabling cross-species analysis.
• Assessments are based on defined scientific criteria including Uniqueness, Aggregation, and Fitness Consequences.

Limitations

• The specific spatial data, column structure, and row count for the invertebrate features are not provided.
• Assessments for different regions (PNCIMA, WCVI, SOG) used potentially different methods and advisors, complicating direct comparison.
• While considered complete, the dataset's temporal coverage is from 2004-2009 and may not reflect current conditions.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Collection Method

Expert science advisory process identifying areas based on criteria like Uniqueness, Aggregation, and Fitness Consequences.

Time Range

Initial assessment September 2004 to March 2005; subsequent efforts in 2009.

Freshness

Last updated metadata indicates 2026-03-24, though the underlying assessments are from 2004-2009.

Geography

Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA), with related efforts in the Strait of Georgia and west coast of Vancouver Island.