Integrated pelagic ecosystem survey on the Vancouver Island continental shelf, July 1-16, 2025 / by Amy M. Tabata, Jennifer L. Boldt, Kelsey L. Flynn, Hilari Dennis-Bohm, and Jackie R. King.: Fs97-6/3779E-PDF

"Fisheries and Oceans Canada's mandated ecosystem based approach to fisheries management requires a comprehensive understanding of factors that affect species' distribution, abundance, and interdependencies. The Integrated Pelagic Ecosystem Survey (IPES) is the only broad-scale survey in the Pacific Region that collects this information for the pelagic ecosystem. The IPES is an annual, random stratified survey on Vancouver Island's continental shelf, 2017-present, with comprehensive biological, stomach content, and physical- and biological-oceanographic sampling. The goal of the IPES is to understand factors affecting the distribution, abundance, and food web linkages of pelagic fish species (e.g., Pacific Herring, juvenile Pacific Salmon). The 2025 IPES was conducted on the CCGS Sir John Franklin from July 1-July 16, 2025, which was half of the expected survey time; the second half of the survey was unexpectedly cancelled due to ship staffing shortages. In the 69 usable midwater trawl tows, there were 51 species caught in 16,009 kg of catch; the highest catch weights were 6,630.31 kg of Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii, 41% of total catch weight), 4,040.59 kg of Lions Mane (Cyanea capillata), and 1,625.42 kg of Water Jellyfish (Aequorea sp.). Juvenile Pacific Salmon (Oncohynchus spp.) made up 1% (185.2 kg) of the total catch weight, and the relative abundance of species (by count), in decreasing catch count, were: Chum Salmon (O. keta), Sockeye Salmon (O. nerka), Coho Salmon (O. kisutch), Pink Salmon (O. gorbuscha), and Chinook Salmon (O. tshawytscha), with catch distribution varied based on species. There were 6,824 individual lengths and 6,012 individual weights recorded from 42 species. Biological samples collected included: tissue for genetic stock composition, otoliths, energy density, and coded wire tags. These samples are archived at the Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Nanaimo, BC). Associated information on the physical oceanography (36 locations), water samples for chemistry and chlorophyll a along with zooplankton samples (34 locations) were returned to the Institute of Ocean Sciences (DFO, Sidney, BC). The IPES supports research into 1) linkages between oceanographic conditions and fish abundance and distribution; 2) Pacific Salmon ocean ecology; 3) forecasted adult fish returns, and 4) food-web dynamics. IPES data are required for ecosystem monitoring and modelling, support for SARA-listed species, DFO's State of the Pacific Ocean reporting, and the State of the Salmon program"--Abstract, page vi.

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