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Salish Sea

Coordinates:48°56′12″N123°03′40″W/ 48.93667°N 123.06111°W/48.93667; -123.06111
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Salish Sea
French:Mer des Salish[1]
The Salish Sea, showing the open Pacific Ocean at lower left, and from there, heading inland: theStrait of Juan de Fuca,the narrowPuget Soundat lower right, and the wideStrait of Georgiaat upper center. Sediment from theFraser Rivershows as a greenish plume in the Strait of Georgia.
Salish Sea is located in Western Canada
Salish Sea
Salish Sea
LocationBritish ColumbiaandWashington
Coordinates48°56′12″N123°03′40″W/ 48.93667°N 123.06111°W/48.93667; -123.06111
River sourcesFraser,Nisqually,Nooksack,Puyallup,Skagit,SnohomishandSquamish Rivers
Ocean/sea sourcesPacific Ocean
Catchment area110,000 km2(42,000 sq mi)[2]
BasincountriesCanadaandUnited States
Surface area18,000 km2(6,900 sq mi)[3]
Average depth130 m (430 ft)
Max. depth670 m (2,200 ft)[4]
Residence time110 days[5][6]
SettlementsSeattle,Vancouver,Surrey,Tacoma,Victoria,Everett,Nanaimo

TheSalish Sea(/ˈseɪlɪʃ/SAY-lish) is amarginal seaof thePacific Oceanlocated in theCanadian provinceofBritish Columbiaand theU.S. stateofWashington.It includes theStrait of Georgia,theStrait of Juan de Fuca,Puget Sound,and an intricate network of connectingchannelsand adjoiningwaterways.

The sea stretches from the channels of theDiscovery Islandsnorth of the Strait of Georgia toBudd Inletat the south end of Puget Sound. It is partially separated from the open Pacific Ocean byVancouver Islandand theOlympic Peninsula.

Much of the coast is part of thePacific Northwestmegalopolis.The region is anchored by MetroVancouverto the north, and MetroSeattleto the south. Other principal cities on the Salish Sea includeBellingham,Port Angeles,Port Townsend,Everett,Tacoma,Olympia,andBremertonin Washington, andVictoriaandNanaimoin British Columbia. As of 2021, the region is home to 8.76 million people.[7]

Name

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Etymology

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The first known use of the term "Salish Sea" was in 1988 when Bert Webber, a geography and environmental social studies professor emeritus in Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University inBellingham, Washington,created the name for the combined waters in the region with the intention to complement the names Georgia Strait, Puget Sound, and Strait of Juan de Fuca, not replace them.[8]The adoption of the term, he said, would raise consciousness about taking care of the region's waters and ecosystems. Webber's efforts are credited with the official recognition of the term in Canada and the U.S.

Coast Salish peoples

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Distribution ofCoast Salish languagesin the early 19th century

TheCoast Salishare the indigenous peoples who live in southwest British Columbia and northwest Washington along the Salish Sea and share a common linguistic and cultural origin. The Coast Salish are seen as one of the main cultural and linguistic branches of a larger group known asSalishanor Salish. Five divisions of the Salish language family are recognized, with Coast Salish andInterior Salishbeing the primary two. The Salish family consists of 23 separate languages.[9]European and American explorers first encountered Salishan people along thePacific Northwestcoast in the late 18th century. The first detailed information was obtained by theLewis and Clark Expeditionof 1804–1806.[10]The term "Salish" was originally applied only to theInterior SalishFlathead tribe living in the region ofFlathead Lake,Montana.[10][11]By the mid-20th century, it had been extended to cover all people speaking a similar language.[12]The Flathead Nation continues to refer to their language and culture as Salish.[13][14]A variant name for Flathead Lake is "Selish Lake".[15]The name Salish Sea was coined only in the late 20th century. No overarching title exists for this area or even a commonly shared name for any of the waterbodies in any of the Coast Salish languages.

The waterways of the Salish Sea were important trade routes for the Coast Salish, and they remain a source of food and other resources for theindigenous peoples.The basin includes territory of not only Coast Salish peoples, but also theNorthern WakashanKwakwaka'wakwandSouthern Wakashanpeoples (the Nuu-chah-nulth,Makah,andDitidaht) and, formerly, that of theChimakum(aChimakuanpeople related to theQuileute,who no longer exist as a recognizable group, having been wiped out by theSuquamishand others in the 19th century).[16]

Official recognition

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In March 2008, theChemainus First Nationproposed renaming the Georgia Strait the "Salish Sea", an idea that reportedly met with approval by British Columbia's Aboriginal Relations MinisterMike de Jong,who pledged to put it before theExecutive Council of British Columbiafor discussion. Making the name "Salish Sea" official required a formal application to theGeographical Names Board of Canada.[17]A parallel American movement promoting the name had a different definition, combining theStrait of Juan de FucaandPuget Sound,as well as the Strait of Georgia and related waters under the name Salish Sea.

In August 2009, the British Columbia Geographical Names Office approved a resolution recommending that theGeographical Names Board of Canadaadopt the name Salish Sea contingent on approval by theUnited States Board on Geographic Names.[18][19]The name was endorsed by the Washington State Board on Geographic Names in late October 2009.[20]It was approved by the United States Board on Geographic Names on November 12, 2009,[21]and by theBritish Columbia Geographical Names Officein February 2010. The French nameMer des Salishis also official in Canada.[3]

In a 2019 survey of residents in the general vicinity of the Salish Sea, only 9% of Washingtonians and 15% of British Columbians were able to correctly identify and name the Salish Sea.[22]

Other names

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The region encompassing these waterways is or was also known variously as the Georgia–Puget or Puget–Georgia Basin, or in the singular as theGeorgia Depression,the Georgia Basin or Puget Sound,et al.The Canadian half of the region was named in 1792 byGeorge Vancouver,and often remains referred to as theGulf of Georgia,[23]a term which encompasses the Strait of Georgia and all other waters peripheral to it, as well as to the communities lining its shores or on its islands. Like the term "Puget Sound", the terms "Georgia Strait" and "Gulf of Georgia" refer to the general region, as well as the body of water.

Geography

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Sunlight reflects off the Salish Sea as seen from theInternational Space Stationon April 11, 2020
The Salish Sea with the Olympic Peninsula in the background

The Salish Sea is about 440 km (270 mi) long and has asurface areaof about 18,000 km2(6,900 sq mi), which is roughly the same size as theGulf of RigainNorthern Europe.[3]This combines the total surface area of theStrait of Georgia(6,400 km2or 2,471 mi2),Strait of Juan de Fuca(4,400 km2or 1,699 mi2),Puget Sound(2,500 km2or 965 mi2),Desolation Sound(1,100 km2or 425 mi2), and various other bodies of water (3,600 km2or 1,390 mi2).[2][24]The sea has an average depth of 130 m (430 ft) and reaches a maximum depth of 670 m (2,200 ft) inJervis Inlet.[4]

Extent

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The Transboundary Georgia Basin–Puget Sound Environmental Indicators Working Group defines the limits of the Salish Sea as:[2][3][25]

On the West.The entrance to Juan de Fuca Strait (a line betweenCape FlatteryandCarmanah Point).

On the South.The south end of Puget Sound (the head ofBudd Inlet).

On the North.Extends just beyond the Strait of Georgia to include those channels and waterways where thefloodstreamortidal surgeis from the south:Discovery Passagesouth ofSeymour Narrows,Sutil Channelsouth of Penn Islands,Lewis Channel,Waddington ChannelandPendrell Sound,Desolation Sound,and the southern portion ofHomfray Channel.

Hydrology

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Thewatershedof the Salish Sea (not including theUpper Fraser Riverwatershed) has a total area of about 110,000 km2(42,000 sq mi), which is over six times the surface area of the sea itself.[2]Major rivers discharging into the sea include theFraser River,Nisqually River,Nooksack River,Puyallup River,Skagit River,Snohomish River,andSquamish River.

The flow of fresh water into the Salish Sea from numerous rivers and the introduction of salt from the Strait of Juan de Fuca create asalinity gradient,which varies considerably depending on seasonal changes inocean currentsandriver discharge.[26]TheFraser Riveris the single largest source of freshwater with an average discharge rate of 3,475 m3/s (122,700 cu ft/s) and a maximum discharge rate of 17,000 m3/s (600,000 cu ft/s).[27]

Residence timesat intermediate depths average 60 days in Puget Sound and 160 days in the Strait of Georgia.[5][28]

Islands

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Forested islets andskerriesof theSouthern Gulf Islands

The Salish Sea contains more than 400 islands, most of which can be grouped into one of three island groups: theDiscovery Islands,Gulf Islands,andSan Juan Islands.

Whidbey IslandinWashingtonis the largest and most populous island with a total area of 436.9 km2(168.7 sq mi) and an estimated population of 69,480 as of 2010.[29][30]Bainbridge Island,also in Washington, is the most densely populated island with 354 residents/km2(916 residents/mi2) as of 2019.[31]The largest island by far on the Canadian side isTexada Islandof 300.45 km2(116.00 sq mi), but a population of 1000–2000 people.

Geology

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Main article:Georgia Depression

The Salish Sea sits within theGeorgia Depression,a largedepressionthat formed out of the collision ofcontinental platesabout150 million years ago.The depression was then carved by the advance and retreat of theCordilleran Ice Sheetduring theVashon Glaciation,which lasted from about 19,000 – 16,000BP.The retreat of the ice sheet revealed a scarred landscape that filled in with sea water once it had retreated beyond what is now the Strait of Juan de Fuca.[2][32][33]

Ecology

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Marine

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The Salish Sea supports an active and dynamic marine ecosystem, dominated by species suited to thebrackish,nutrient-rich, conditions. As with all marine food webs, the Salish Sea features a range oftrophicgroups, withautotrophicalgaeacting as primary producers. Thefluvial systemsdraining British Columbia and Washington introduce large volumes of sediment and dissolved nutrients into the Salish Sea.

Flora

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Bull kelpwashed ashore nearVictoria

The Salish Sea hosts a diverse community ofkelpspecies that provide large volumes of high-quality habitat in areas with hard, rockysubstrates.The largest of these kelp species includebull kelpandgiant kelp.[34]

Eelgrassmeadowsare abundant throughout the shallower regions of the sea.[34]

Fauna

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Main article:Marine mammals of the Salish Sea
AnorcabreachinginHood Canal

The Salish Sea is home to253 fish speciesrepresenting 78 families and 31 orders. These species encompass onemyxinid,twopetromyzontids,18chondrichthyans,twochondrosteans,and 230teleosts.[35]

In addition, the sea hosts 37 marine mammal species, most notablySteller sea lions,humpback whales,andkiller whales(orcas). While mammal-eatingtransient orcasare gradually increasing in population, fish-eatingsouthern resident orcashave struggled to survive due to low salmon populations and inbreeding.[36]In 2019, this orca population was at a 35-year low after three adult deaths and no surviving calves over three years, leaving only 73 whales in the community.[37][38][39]In 2021, an upsurge may occur in the humpback whale population with a record 21 humpback calves spotted in Salish waters.[40]

Sea ottershave been increasingly observed within the Strait of Juan de Fuca.[41]

Sponge reefs

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The mineral-rich waters of the Salish Sea are an ideal habitat for the formation ofglass sponge reefs.These reefs were believed to have gone extinct during or shortly after theCretaceous period,until a large collection of existing reefs werediscoveredoff theBritish Columbia Coastin 1987.[42]Due to their scientific and ecological importance, all known sponge reefs in the Salish Sea are protected from bottom-contact fishing activities.[43]

Terrestrial

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The lowlands surrounding the Salish Sea are part of theWWF-designatedPuget lowland forestsandCentral Pacific coastal forestsecoregions.

Of the 172 bird species found in the area, 72 are highly dependent on the marine ecosystem for their food.[44]

Foot discoveries

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Main article:Salish Sea human foot discoveries

Since August 20, 2007,at least 20 detached human feethave been found on the coasts of the Salish Sea.[45][better source needed]The first discovery, on August 20, 2007, was onJedediah Islandin British Columbia.[46]

See also

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References

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  1. ^Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada."Place names – Mer des Salish".www4.nrcan.gc.ca.RetrievedNovember 18,2021.
  2. ^abcdeEnvironmental History and Features of Puget SoundArchivedMay 13, 2009, at theWayback Machine,NOAA-NWFSC
  3. ^abcd"BC Geographical Names – Salish Sea".apps.gov.bc.ca.RetrievedSeptember 29,2020.
  4. ^abGovernment of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans (January 29, 2009)."Fisheries and Oceans Canada |Pacific Region | Jervis Inlet".www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca.RetrievedOctober 3,2020.
  5. ^ab"Puget Sound's physical environment | Encyclopedia of Puget Sound".www.eopugetsound.org.RetrievedOctober 1,2020.
  6. ^Pawlowicz, Rich; Riche, Olivier; Halverson, Mark (2007)."The circulation and residence time of the strait of Georgia using a simple mixing-box approach".Atmosphere-Ocean.45(4): 173–193.doi:10.3137/ao.450401.ISSN0705-5900.S2CID129018974.
  7. ^Canada, Environment and Climate Change (February 12, 2021)."Importance Salish Sea".www.canada.ca.RetrievedJuly 30,2023.
  8. ^Stefan Freelan (Washington State University) 2009:"The Salish Sea (& surrounding basin" ):"Rather than being a replacement for any of the existing names, the designation 'Salish Sea' is an overlay, which includes and unites the established and familiar names of the various water and land bodies".
  9. ^Czykowsky-Higgins, Ewa; Marvin Dale Kinkade (1998).Salish languages and linguistics: theoretical and descriptive perspectives.Walter de Gruyter. pp. 1–4, 59.ISBN978-3-11-015492-4.
  10. ^abHodge, Frederick Webb(1910).Handbook of American Indians north of Mexico, Volume 2.United States Government Printing Office.pp.415–417.OCLC1297754.
  11. ^Oxford English Dictionary.Salish.Second Edition 1989 (online). Retrieved November 23, 2009.
  12. ^"Salish".Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.RetrievedNovember 23,2009.
  13. ^"Tribal Preservation Department".Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes. Archived fromthe originalon March 15, 2012.RetrievedNovember 23,2009.
  14. ^"Salish Culture Committee".Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes. Archived fromthe originalon April 21, 2012.RetrievedNovember 23,2009.
  15. ^"Flathead Lake".Geographic Names Information System.United States Geological Survey,United States Department of the Interior.
  16. ^Curtis, Edward S.The North American Indian. Volume 9 – The Salishan tribes of the coast. The Chimakum and the Quilliute. The Willapa.Classic Books Company. pp. 141–142.ISBN978-0-7426-9809-3.
  17. ^"Strait of Georgia could be renamed Salish Sea".Canadian Press.CBC.ca. March 9, 2008.RetrievedMarch 10,2008.
  18. ^"Washington state adopts" Salish Sea "name for body of water including Strait of Georgia".The Georgia Straight.October 30, 2009.
  19. ^Berger, Knute(October 20, 2009)."Smooth Sailing for the Salish Sea?".Crosscut Blog.Archived fromthe originalon January 5, 2010.RetrievedJune 1,2020.
  20. ^ "State Board on Geographic Names Approves 'salish Sea'".October 30, 2009. Archived fromthe originalon October 30, 2013.
  21. ^Berger, Knute(November 12, 2009)."U.S. approves Salish Sea name".Crosscut.com.Archived fromthe originalon February 27, 2010.RetrievedAugust 13,2011.
  22. ^Trimbach, David; Gaydos, Joe (May 20, 2019)."Survey illustrates a lack of familiarity with the Salish Sea".Puget Sound Institute.RetrievedMay 21,2019.
  23. ^Roberts, John E. (2005).A Discovery Journal: George Vancouver's First Survey Season – 1792.Trafford Publishing. p. 72.ISBN978-1-4120-7097-3.
  24. ^"Map of the Salish Sea & Surrounding Basin – Maps by Stefan Freelan".RetrievedOctober 9,2020.
  25. ^"GNIS Detail – Salish Sea".geonames.usgs.gov.RetrievedSeptember 29,2020.
  26. ^"A year of LiveOcean salinity fields".faculty.washington.edu.RetrievedOctober 3,2020.
  27. ^Cannings, Richard and Sidney. British Columbia: A Natural History. p. 41. Greystone Books. Vancouver. 1996
  28. ^Pawlowicz, Rich; Riche, Olivier; Halverson, Mark (2007)."The circulation and residence time of the strait of Georgia using a simple mixing-box approach".Atmosphere-Ocean.45(4): 173–193.doi:10.3137/ao.450401.ISSN0705-5900.S2CID129018974.
  29. ^"Search Results".The United States Census Bureau.RetrievedSeptember 29,2020.
  30. ^"Community Facts: Camano CDP, Washington".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedSeptember 26,2019.[permanent dead link]
  31. ^"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Washington: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019".United States Census Bureau. May 2020.RetrievedMay 27,2020.
  32. ^"About the Strait • Georgia Strait Alliance".Georgia Strait Alliance.RetrievedOctober 9,2020.
  33. ^Parks Canada Agency, Government of Canada (March 22, 2018)."Environment – Gulf Islands National Park Reserve".www.pc.gc.ca.RetrievedAugust 24,2020.
  34. ^ab"Puget Sound Kelp Conservation and Recovery Plan May 2020"(PDF).Northwest Straits Commission.May 1, 2020.Archived(PDF)from the original on September 24, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 26,2020.
  35. ^Pietsch, Theodore W.; Orr, James W. (September 2015).NOAA Professional Paper NMFS 18-Fishes of the Salish Sea: a compilation and distributional analysis(PDF)(Report). National Marine Fisheries Service. p. 1. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on June 14, 2017.RetrievedNovember 15,2015.
  36. ^Kardos, Marty; Zhang, Yaolei; Parsons, Kim M.; A, Yunga; Kang, Hui; Xu, Xun; Liu, Xin; Matkin, Craig O.; Zhang, Peijun; Ward, Eric J.; Hanson, M. Bradley; Emmons, Candice; Ford, Michael J.; Fan, Guangyi; Li, Songhai (2023)."Inbreeding depression explains killer whale population dynamics".Nature Ecology & Evolution.7(5): 675–686.doi:10.1038/s41559-023-01995-0.ISSN2397-334X.
  37. ^Wasser, Samuel K.; Lundin, Jessica I.; Ayres, Katherine; Seely, Elizabeth; Giles, Deborah; Balcomb, Kenneth; Hempelmann, Jennifer; Parsons, Kim; Booth, Rebecca (2017)."Population growth is limited by nutritional impacts on pregnancy success in endangered Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca)".PLOS ONE.12(6): e0179824.Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1279824W.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0179824.PMC5491047.PMID28662095.
  38. ^Lynda V. Mapes (January 3, 2019)."2 more Puget Sound orcas predicted to die in critically endangered population".Seattle Times.RetrievedJanuary 5,2019.
  39. ^Robinson, M. (August 7, 2019)."Deaths of southern resident killer whales raise fears for population".Vancouver Sun.RetrievedAugust 9,2019.
  40. ^"Record number of humpback calves spotted in Salish Sea and 'surprised' researchers wonder why | Globalnews.ca".Global News.RetrievedOctober 23,2021.
  41. ^Ollikainen, Rob (July 22, 2018)."Sea otter sightings swell in Strait of Juan de Fuca".Peninsula Daily News.RetrievedSeptember 28,2020.
  42. ^Government of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (September 18, 2019)."Hecate Strait/Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine Protected Area (HS/QCS MPA)".www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca.RetrievedSeptember 26,2020.
  43. ^Government of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (August 30, 2019)."Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reef (17 fisheries area closures)".www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca.RetrievedSeptember 27,2020.
  44. ^Gaydos, Joseph (2011)."Birds and Mammals that Depend on the Salish Sea: A Compilation"(PDF).Northwestern Naturalist.92(2): 79–94.doi:10.1898/10-04.1.S2CID84847690.
  45. ^Fraga, Kaleena (May 20, 2023)."The Eerie Mystery Behind The 21 Severed Feet That Have Washed Ashore In The Pacific".All That's Interesting.RetrievedMarch 4,2024.
  46. ^"Discovery of unattached human feet baffles B.C. police".CBC News.August 31, 2007.RetrievedJune 18,2008.

Further reading

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  • Tucker, Brian; Rose-Redwood, Reuben (2015). "Decolonizing the map? Toponymic politics and the rescaling of the Salish Sea".Canadian Geographies / Géographies Canadiennes.59(2).doi:10.1111/cag.12140.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toSalish Sea.
Gaydos, Joseph K.; Dierauf, Leslie; Kirby, Grant; Brosnan, Deborah; Gilardi, Kirsten; Davis, Gary E. (December 2008)."Top 10 Principles for Designing Healthy Coastal Ecosystems Like the Salish Sea"(PDF).EcoHealth.5(4): 460–471.doi:10.1007/s10393-009-0209-1.PMID19259736.S2CID11325705.RetrievedNovember 3,2022.
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