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 ma ...

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 contine ...

. The program is administered by

Fisheries and Oceans Canada Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; french: Pêches et Océans Canada, MPO), is a Ministry (government department), department of the Government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Can ...

, and regroups 12 lighthouse stations in

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

. 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 in

Nanaimo Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "Hub City," which was ...

. 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 John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Seco ...

, 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 In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

. 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