1. Geoscience and Ocean Management: Queen Charlotte Basin western Canada GeoHab 2003 May 2, 2003 J. Vaughn Barrie 1, Kim Conway 1, Manfred Krautter 2 and Alan Sinclair 3 1 Geological Survey of Canada 2 University of Stuttgart, Germany 3 Pacific Biological Station, Canada

2. SEDIMENTARY BASINS IN CANADAS WEST COAST REGION Qualitative estimates indicate that Queen Charlotte Basin contains 3 to 4 times (25.9* trillion cubic feet) the gas resource potential of either Georgia or Tofino basins. It also contains a significant oil resource potential (9.8* billion barrels) which is not identified for either of the other two basins. (* Hannigan et al., GSC Bulletin 564, 2001; values quoted are 50% probability in-place petroleum play estimates) Georgia Basin area: 15,000 km 2 Tofino Basin area: 40,000 km 2 Queen Charlotte Basin area: 80,000 km 2

3. ESTIMATED RESOURCE POTENTIAL QUEEN CHARLOTTE BASIN Higher potential areas - deep Tertiary sub-basins - known Tertiary gas source rocks - probable Jurassic oil source rocks - oil and gas shows in several wells - gas indicators on seismic data - seismically-mapped prospects - high quality reservoir materials

4. Queen Charlotte Basin Oil and Gas Fisheries and Habitat Marine Protected Areas - Sponge Reefs Wind Farms Marine Minerals and Aggregates Geohazards ISSUES

5. The region shown on this map incorporates land claims by eleven distinct First Nations. First Nation Land Claims

6. Objective: To provide the geoscientific knowledge necessary for effective decision-making on competing resource management issues in the Queen Charlotte Basin NRCan - GSC Geoscience for Ocean Management Program

7. % Mud % Sand Objective 1: Generate web accessible, national standard maps of geohazards, habitat, and surficial geology

8. Objective 2: Acquire multibeam data of key areas of resource and environmental conflict Sponge Reef

9. Gas Pipeline Georgia Basin

10. Objective 3: Map and delineate the benthic habitats for sustainable fisheries and provide knowledge for the establishment of marine protected areas Groundfish Trawl Data Hecate Strait Ecosystem Project - DFO, NRCan, UBC, UVic

12. FISH HABITATS Coloured areas indicate the known habitat extents of west coast fish species.

14. Objective 4: Determine the seafloor expression and risk assessment of marine geohazards % Sand Slope Stability Shallow Gas Sediment Mobility Sedimentary Bedforms Boulder Fields Seafloor geologic hazards

15. Objective 5: Establish the extent and conditions that determine the health and survival of the globally unique sponge reefs

20. Bottom Trawling - > 50% of the Reefs Destroyed

21. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans designates known sponge reefs in Queen Charlotte Basin, and a ~9 km buffer region surrounding them as no fishing zones. The department has advised that the reefs are under consideration for designation as Marine Protected Areas. POSSIBLE OFF-LIMIT / NO-GO ZONES 3.Marine Protected Areas

22. Summary: Queen Charlotte Basin is know to the world for two conflicting characteristics, 1) world heritage site for cultural, biological and geological ecosystem, and 2) resource wealth in fishing, potential hydrocarbons, wind power and precious and industrial minerals. What is needed is a integrated Ocean Management Program to balance the competing demands of renewable and non- renewable resources with conservation through the development of Marine Protected Areas.