Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking (POST)Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking (POST)

Jonathan TharPOST Research Program Coordinator

Vancouver Aquarium

How POST worksHow POST works

POSTPOST‘Coastal Curtains’of hydrophones

Shoreline

ContinentalShelf edge →

POST’s recent growthPOST’s recent growth

• New lines: Pt. Reyes, CA New lines: Pt. Reyes, CA and Prince William Sound and Prince William Sound (PWS), AK(PWS), AK

• Further expansionFurther expansion into into PWS, Puget Sound, and PWS, Puget Sound, and piloting deep-water piloting deep-water deployments in SE Alaskadeployments in SE Alaska

• POST array now spans POST array now spans over 3000 kmover 3000 km

• Ever-growing data Ever-growing data clearinghouse capabilitiesclearinghouse capabilities

Hinchinbrook EntranceHinchinbrook Entranceand Beartrap Bayand Beartrap Bay

Admiralty InletAdmiralty Inlet

Chatham Strait andChatham Strait and Cape OmmaneyCape Ommaney

Preliminary Synthesis ConclusionsPreliminary Synthesis Conclusions

• Juvenile salmon migration and survival through Juvenile salmon migration and survival through freshwater and marine migrationfreshwater and marine migration

• Mortality of adults migrating back to spawn Mortality of adults migrating back to spawn

• Extensive migrations highlighting international Extensive migrations highlighting international conservation issues (e.g. sturgeon)conservation issues (e.g. sturgeon)

• A tool to directly test hypotheses (e.g. how dams, sea A tool to directly test hypotheses (e.g. how dams, sea lice, UV, wild vs. hatchery, etc. may affect survival)lice, UV, wild vs. hatchery, etc. may affect survival)

DistributionDistribution

• Can track marine and anadromous animals 1000’s km in Can track marine and anadromous animals 1000’s km in the ocean and 100’s km in freshwater (the ocean and 100’s km in freshwater (seamlesslyseamlessly))

• Rate and distance of movement of both salmon and Rate and distance of movement of both salmon and sturgeon have been truly amazingsturgeon have been truly amazing

• Would like to be better able to identify where species go Would like to be better able to identify where species go and survival bottlenecks – need increased resolution of and survival bottlenecks – need increased resolution of arrayarray

• POST is proving valuable in association with other tools POST is proving valuable in association with other tools (e.g. genetics, physiological testing)(e.g. genetics, physiological testing)

• Will continue to expand scope to include other speciesWill continue to expand scope to include other species

New applications of POSTNew applications of POST

• Increasing interest particularly with sablefish, Increasing interest particularly with sablefish, halibut, lingcod, rockfish and herring.halibut, lingcod, rockfish and herring.

• POST could assist in providing important POST could assist in providing important information to assist management of these information to assist management of these species.species.

Visualization & CommunicationVisualization & Communication

Societal Impact of Results to DateSocietal Impact of Results to DateSocietal ImpactsSocietal Impacts

• Realized largely in the future, Realized largely in the future, although current results are although current results are driving healthy discussion and driving healthy discussion and debatedebate

• Roles of dams in salmon Roles of dams in salmon migration and survival; is migration and survival; is barging smolts down-river barging smolts down-river really beneficial?really beneficial?

• Assist ecological restoration Assist ecological restoration efforts by mapping life histories efforts by mapping life histories in regions such as Puget in regions such as Puget SoundSound

• Sturgeon conservation now Sturgeon conservation now considering international considering international issues (e.g. US green sturgeon issues (e.g. US green sturgeon and Canadian white sturgeon)and Canadian white sturgeon)

http://www.erdc.usace.army.mil/pls/erdcpub/docs/erdc/images/johnday1.jpg

Limits to KnowledgeLimits to Knowledge

• Receiver location – movement between or beyond Receiver location – movement between or beyond receiversreceivers

• Tag size – lower limit restrictionsTag size – lower limit restrictions

Solution?Solution?• Convergence of acoustic and archival technologies Convergence of acoustic and archival technologies

• allow animals to upload movement and interaction data allow animals to upload movement and interaction data from their entire life history with new generation tags and from their entire life history with new generation tags and receiversreceivers

• Achievable by 2020, with developments driven by POST, Achievable by 2020, with developments driven by POST, TOPP and the Ocean Tracking NetworkTOPP and the Ocean Tracking Network

• Off shelf behaviour will also become knowable with “roving Off shelf behaviour will also become knowable with “roving receivers”receivers”