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Marine Ecosystems Panel

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Marine ecosystems are a part of the largest aquatic system on the planet, covering over seventy percent of the Earth’s surface.

The habitats that make up this system range from very productive nearshore regions to the barren ocean floor.

British Columbia’s Pacific coast is a biologically diverse and productive temperate marine environment. Island archipelagos, deep fjords, shallow mudflats, estuaries, kelp and eelgrass beds, strong tidal currents and massive upwellings all contribute to an abundance of marine biodiversity.

This abundance of coastal marine life not only contributes to the marine food web, but also provides food for terrestrial animals such as otters, eagles, ospreys, bears, raccoons, minks and humans. As these animals dispose of the marine waste, marine nutrients are cycled back to the land to fertilize terrestrial plants.