The British Columbia Shore Station Oceanographic Program is a

sea surface temperature Sea surface temperature (SST), or ocean surface temperature, is the ocean temperature close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies according to the measurement method used, but it is between and below the sea surface. Air mas ...

and

salinity Salinity () is the saltiness or amount of salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity). It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg (grams of salt per liter/kilogram of water; the latter is dimensionless and equal ...

monitoring program on the Canadian coast of the northeast

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. The program is administered by

Fisheries and Oceans Canada Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; french: Pêches et Océans Canada, MPO), is a department of the Government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and sci ...

, and regroups 12 lighthouse stations in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. Most lighthouses are staffed by the

Department of Fisheries and Oceans Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; french: Pêches et Océans Canada, MPO), is a department of the Government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and sc ...

, but some have independent contractors instead. The practice of recording ocean water temperature and salinity levels in the area was initiated in 1914 at the

Pacific Biological Station The Pacific Biological Station (acronym: PBS) is located on Hammond Bay Road in Departure Bay, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. Established in , with the Rev. George William Taylor as its first director and sole employee, it is the oldest fish ...

in Nanaimo. Data is collected daily around the time of the daytime high tide. The methodology of the sampling was originally designed by oceanographer John P. Tully, and was never modified in order to maintain the homogeneity of the data. The program expanded to 12 stations in the 1930s. Over time, more stations joined the programs while others stopped reporting. Currently, twelve stations remain in the program. Data from the Amphitrite point and Kains island lightstations, which started reporting in the mid-1930s, show an increase in coastal water temperatures of 0.08 °C per decade. On the other hand, data from the Entrance Island station, which started reporting around the same time, show an increase in coastal water temperatures of 0.15°C per decade. These trends are a result of anthropogenic climate change. The stations currently being monitored as part of the program are:

References

{{Climate change in Canada, state=autocollapse Oceanography Fisheries and Oceans Canada

See also

References