Bottom trawling impacts on diversity and composition of habitat-forming benthic communities in Hecate Strait, British Columbia

Quantitative estimates of fishing gear impacts on vulnerable seafloor habitats are an important component of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management. Currently, procedures do not exist for assessing the regional-scale impact of bottom trawling on benthic ecosystems on Canada's west coast. In this study, I used metrics of diversity and composition to evaluate the response of habitat-forming benthic communities in Hecate Strait, B.C. to varying intensities of bottom trawling. Results demonstrated that trawling effort and substrate are important factors associated with the diversity and composition of habitat-forming species in Hecate Strait. Rockier habitats with less sand/mud substrate and minimal trawling effort displayed the highest abundance and diversity of habitat-forming species. Results will help managers to identify habitats most sensitive to bottom trawling in Hecate Strait and subsequently inform management decisions regarding conservation and protection of these areas.