Odd-Year Pink Salmon Conservation Units and Status in Canada

This dataset defines Conservation Units (CUs) for odd-year Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) on Canada's Pacific coast, based on ecotypology, life history, and genetics. It includes CU boundaries, associated counting sites for spawner escapement data, and WSP status assessments (Red, Amber, Green). The CU boundaries were updated in March 2023 using the BC Freshwater Atlas at a 1:20,000 scale.

Use Cases

• Map and analyze CU boundaries at a 1:20,000 scale for spatial conservation planning.
• Assess population health by analyzing the WSP status zone (Red, Amber, Green) assigned to each Conservation Unit.
• Link CU data to spawner enumeration records from the New Salmon Escapement Database (NuSEDS) via Counting Site identifiers.
• Investigate the ecological and genetic basis of CUs using the framework of joint adaptive zones and life history characteristics.

Strengths

• CU boundaries are defined at a detailed 1:20,000 scale from the BC Freshwater Atlas.
• Data is managed by the authoritative government agency, Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
• Includes a formal status assessment (WSP status zone) for each Conservation Unit.

Limitations

• The dataset's row count, column structure, and sample size are unspecified.
• CU boundaries are subject to review and change without notice, as noted in the documentation.
• The specific metrics and data underlying the WSP status assessments are not detailed in this description.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Defined using a framework aggregating salmon populations based on ecotypology, life history, and genetics; boundaries derived from the BC Freshwater Atlas.

Freshness

The CU boundaries were last updated in March 2023.

Geography

Canada's Pacific coast