Graph of the Day: Sea Surface Temperature and Salinity on Canada North Coast, 1930s–2000s

Long-term records of sea surface temperature show a period of colder surface waters from the period 1945–1978, switching to a long period of warmer surface waters from 1978–2006. The zooplankton community composition and several fisheries time series (e.g. salmon marine survival and sablefish recruitment) are correlated with large-scale climate signals (i.e. El Niño Southern Oscillation events and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation). In addition, sea surface salinity shows a continuous pattern of freshening through the full period of records.

Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Science Advisory Report 2010/030, 2010 Canadian Marine Ecosystem Status and Trends Report [pdf], July 2010