Ocean Remote Sensing and spatial-temporal dynamic of coastal marine biophysical provinces of British Columbia and Southeast Alaska

The coastal oceans of British Columbia and Southeast Alaska are influenced by the interplay of different climatic and oceanographic processes. These regions, where freshwater and ocean waters interact, support diverse food webs and determine the habitat available for various species of Pacific salmon, which are highly sensitive to changes in environmental conditions. In recent years, Pacific salmon stocks have fallen below-average levels, possibly due to a low prey availability for juvenile salmon caused by a mismatch with the timing of phytoplankton and zooplankton blooms. The latter have shown to be highly variable because influenced by a combination of environmental factors, such as ocean temperature. In this connection, the detection of ecological provinces as a template for understanding biological and physical processes in the coastal oceans of BC and SE Alaska is key to improve our ability to map conditions experienced by juvenile salmon along their main migration route. Bioregional classification can enhance our understanding of how fish abundance and dynamics respond to different biophysical conditions. This project responds to the need to have a proper, relevant, and dynamic bioregionalization to explain region-specific responses to future environmental changes.