Sentinels of Change

Adapted from the Sentinels of Change website.

Sentinels of Change is an initiative led by the Hakai Institute and driven by communities and scientists from across the coast of British Columbia (BC). Together, partners in the initiative are investigating the dynamics and patterns of invertebrate biodiversity, recruitment, and resilience and how they are changing. The project has established a growing network of skilled partners to work together within the complex and dynamic natural and social seascape of the Northeast Pacific region, drawing on strengths from place-based knowledge across diverse communities.

Not only does this project provide much-needed insight into the recruitment of larval Dungeness crab, it brings communities, scientists, agencies, and organizations together across an international border and gets them working towards a common goal. It’s fostering so much collaboration and exciting work that the fishery really needs.

~ Heather Earle, Project Lead, Sentinels of Change

The broad objective of the initiative is to improve the understanding of regional and temporal patterns of marine invertebrate dispersal and connectivity, with a particular focus on the recruitment dynamics of Dungeness crab. This is a species of critical ecological, cultural, and economic importance. Dungeness crab populations are facing numerous threats from global issues such as ocean acidification and warming to localized pressures such as fishing and coastal development. An improved understanding of the reproduction, dispersal, and recruitment of marine invertebrates will provide information to managers and decision makers to help sustain healthy ecosystems and communities.

Inspired by the Pacific Northwest Crab Research Group (PCRG) in Puget Sound, Sentinels of Change facilitated the deployment of 35 light traps operated by community partners up and down the BC coast to track the aerial and abundance of larval Dungeness crab. This work expands the existing PCRG light trap network to produce a long-term, large-scale, transboundary dataset in partnership with managing agencies and First Nations. Partnering in this initiative results in on-the-ground training, education, and capacity-building within communities that can be transferable to other local projects and monitoring initiatives. Participants are encouraged to inform and steer data collection efforts based on community needs and interests.

For more information visit the Sentinels of Change website, or read about the initiative in Hakai Magazine.