Marine Riparian

Marine Riparian

Marine and Estuarine Riparian Habitats and Their Role in Coastal Ecosystems, Pacific Region

This paper is an assessment of the fish habitat significance of a particular ecotone (zone of transition between adjacent ecological systems) of the marine & estuarine shoreline in British Columbia: locations where aquatic habitat at higher tides merges into terrestrial habitat. The paper provides a focussed review of the scientific literature on marine riparian habitat, comments on some of the major differences on how to identify the marine riparian zone, and answers three specific questions posed by fish habitat managers regarding this component of coastal ecosystems: whether riparian areas along the foreshore of marine & estuarine areas are considered to be fish habitat as defined under the Fisheries Act; the relative values of differing riparian categories along the marine & estuarine foreshore to fish & fish habitat; and whether sufficient scientific data exist to recommend an appropriate setback for these differing riparian areas to ensure that harmful alteration, disruption, or destruction of habitat does not occur, or if not, what research programs are required.

Marine and Estuarine Riparian Habitats and Their Role in Coastal Ecosystems, Pacific Region