What climate change means for the Salish Sea

The Salish Sea is a hub of interconnectivity. It is a key link for international trade between North America and Asia, home to approximately 11.5 million people and two large cosmopolitan urban centres, and connects climates regimes ranging from temperate rainforest to cool Mediterranean. The Salish Sea is also a nexus for political and ecological frontiers. It is divided by the Canada-USA border and is an ecological transition zone connecting the Alaskan and Californian Current ecosystems. Climate change will affect this region via its influence on watersheds, coastal microclimates, and marine ecosystems. These effects can have potentially serious consequences for quality of life, the economy, native species and important ecological processes. Projected climate changes and impacts are as varied as the stakeholders and interests within this region. That these all come together in one place makes the Salish Sea an ideal mixing zone for cooperative adaptation and resilience planning. This presentation will review the current state of knowledge for climate changes and impacts in this trans-ecological, trans-political region and help set the stage for discussions about how we may adapt