Figure-7.9: Ocean salinity changes in the Pacific Ocean off Canada’s west coast

Figure caption: Annual mean salinity in the Pacific Ocean off British Columbia at same sites as the mean temperature in Figure 7.2. Long-term trends in these times series are small but statistically different from zero for the Station P (10–50 m) near-surface layer (1956–2017, declining trend of 0.015 per decade, significant at 5% level, (there is only a 5% possibility that the trend is due to chance]) and Amphitrite and Kains Islands (1935–2017, declining trend of 0.043 per decade, significant at 5% level). Interannual and decadal variability is large at Entrance Island (east Vancouver Island) relative to the sites on the west coast of Vancouver Island and at Station P. Long-term trends are not statistically different from zero at Entrance Island (1937–2017, increasing trend of 0.038 per decade) nor at Station P (100–150 m) deep layer (1956–2017, increasing trend of 0.013 per decade).