The Strait of Georgia Ichthyoplankton Survey, 1979-1981

Study Extent

Strait of Georgia and Malaspina Strait from north of the Ballenas Islands to north of Texada Island as well as the central and southern Strait of Georgia.

Sampling

All tows were made using 0.25m^2 Bongos equipped with 351 micron Nitex nets of modified SCOR design, and General Oceanics center-mounted flow meters. A 90 kg cylindrical weight was suspended from the yoke of the Bongos. All sampling gear was black to minimize potential avoidance and resulting catch bias. The tow procedure for oblique tows generally followed that established by CALCOFI: vessel speed of I m/s gear descent at a cable pay-out rate of 50 m/min, and gear ascent at a cable recovery rate of 20 m/min. Tows were made to within 20 m of the sea floor at all stations. The recovered nets were thoroughly washed down with a high-pressure deck hose and the resulting catches were preserved in 5% buffered seawater formaldehyde for processing ashore.

Quality Control

In the laboratory, fish, fish eggs, and larvae, euphausiids and other selected invertebrate groups were extracted from one-net catches. The entire catches from the other net were retained in a row reference collection for future use.

Method steps

1. Source data was obtained, with permission, from Open Canada and Excel was used to construct an Event Core, Occurrence Core and Extended Measurement or Fact extensions. Taxon matches were obtained from WoRMS

1. Agonidae
   common name: poachers rank: family
2. Ammodytidae
   common name: sand lances rank: family
3. Stichaeidae
   common name: pricklebacks rank: family
4. Cottidae
   common name: sculpins rank: family
5. Pleuronectidae
   common name: righteye flounders rank: family
6. Scopelarchidae
   common name: pearleyes rank: family
7. Bythitidae
   common name: viviparous brotulas rank: family
8. Caristiidae
   common name: manefishes rank: family
9. Clupeidae
   common name: herrings rank: family
10. Macrouridae
    common name: grenadiers and rattails rank: family
11. Gobiidae
    common name: gobies rank: family
12. Cryptacanthodidae
    common name: wrymouths rank: family
13. Cyclopteridae
    common name: lumpsuckers rank: family
14. Gonostomatidae
    common name: bristlemouths rank: family
15. Myctophidae
    common name: lanternfishes rank: family
16. Gadidae
    common name: cods rank: family
17. Psychrolutidae
    common name: fathead sculpins and toadfishes rank: family
18. Hexagrammidae
    common name: greenlings rank: family
19. Bathylagidae
    common name: deep-sea smelts rank: family
20. Liparidae
    common name: snailfishes rank: family
21. Zoarcidae
    common name: eelpouts rank: family
22. Merlucciidae
    common name: hakes rank: family
23. Osmeridae
    common name: smelts rank: family
24. Pholidae
    common name: gunnels rank: family
25. Ptilichthyidae
    common name: quillfishes rank: family
26. Rajidae
    common name: skates rank: family
27. Rhamphocottidae
    common name: grunt sculpins rank: family
28. Bathymasteridae
    common name: ronquils rank: family
29. Scorpaenidae
    common name: scorpionfishes and rockfishes rank: family

Surveys were conducted in 1979, 1980 and 1981 in the Strait of Georgia, a portion of the Salish Sea separating southern Vancouver Island from the British Columbia mainland, in British Columbia, Canada. The Strait of Georgia is connected to the Pacific Ocean through the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the south and Johnstone Strait and Queen Charlotte Strait to the northwest.