Clayoquot Sound Oceanographic Conditions: University of Washington Tacoma Study

Since 2017, the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT) has collaborated with the University of Washington Tacoma (UW Tacoma) to conduct ongoing water-quality research on the physical, chemical and biological oceanographic conditions in the fjords of Barkley and Clayoquot Sounds. UW Tacoma has been conducting this research in the region since 2000 and have a vast collection of data as a result. This partnership is mutually beneficial as it provides us with a broader knowledge of local conditions as well as giving the students real world data collection and analysis experience.

For the second year in a row, the UW Tacoma Estuarine Field Studies Class was forced to adapt in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was replaced by an Oceanographic Data Analysis course where students were able to analyze and compare data collected by previous classes in the inlets of Clayoquot Sound. The students decided to focus on comparing data from 2013 and 2015. They were drawn to these data sets as they were from the years preceding and following the “Blob,” a patch of warm water in the North Pacific that came ashore in the fall of 2014 and quickly increased water temperatures by 2-4°C. This was a significant and unprecedented change in a short period of time, and the 2021 class was interested to see how it affected the local oceanic conditions. 

The class presented their findings in a Zoom meeting to our Research Director and other members of the CBT team, local researchers, guides, and interested members of the public. In this presentation, they compared various environmental conditions in each inlet of Clayoquot Sound for both 2013 and 2015. To explore their data and findings, check out the 2013 website and the 2015 website.

Congratulations to the students on a job well done! We look forward to our continued collaboration in the name of science and discovery.

Regional Forum

November 20, 2023
On Wednesday, October 18th, 2023 the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust facilitated a regional forum. Over 65 individuals convened virtually and in person on Tla-o-qui-aht territory at TinWis, fostering meaningful connections, sharing insights, and cultivating strong relationships. Participants included representatives from First Nations, local governments, organizations, businesses and individuals involved in environmental research, stewardship, restoration, and sustainable development.

Clayoquot Biosphere Project Storymap

March 24, 2022
We are excited to share an exciting new StoryMap that shares a foundational chapter in science and conservation history on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Back in the 1990s, west coast residents created a grass-roots environmental research organization called the Clayoquot Biosphere Project (CBP).

Reflections on the book "Communities, Conservation and Livelihoods"

April 22, 2021
The book Communities, Conservation and Livelihoods, edited by Anthony Charles, is an account of these community stories recently co-published by the Community Conservation Research Network and the IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEEP). When taken together, these community experiences demonstrate how each community in its own unique way has learned the value of working together when guided by shared conservation principles and partnerships for mobilizing support for local economic and ecological solutions.