INTERESTING NEWS Canada’s Oldest First Nations Newspaper - Serving Nuu-chah-nulth-aht since 1974 Canadian Publications Mail Product Vol. 50 - No. 14—July 20, 2023 haas^i>sa Sales Agreement No. 40047776
Rare octopus nursery found in Nuu-chah-nulth waters Sixty-five kilometers off the coast of Hesquiat, a deep-sea expedition discovers octopus brooding on their eggs By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Offshore of Vancouver Island, in Nuuchah-nulth waters 65 kilometers west of Hesquiat Harbour, lives a nursery of deep-sea octopuses brooding their eggs. This is one of four known octopus nurseries in the world, said DFO researcher Cherisse Du Preez. In late May Du Preez and her colleague Heidi Gartner set out to sea on a deep sea expedition, in partnership with the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, Council of Haida Nation, Quatsino and Pacheedaht First Nation, Ocean Networks Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The expedition was largely to explore the pending Marine Protected Area Tang. ɢwan-ḥačxʷiqak-Tsig̱is, alongside additional places of interest to protect, said Du Preez. Months prior, the German scientific research organization GEOMAR and Natural Resources Canada discovered bubbles traveling 1.5 kilometers through the water column, indicating a methane seep from the seafloor, shared Du Preez. This was the reason they went to the site. The group explored roughly 12 locations where gases escape from fissures in the ocean floor. There are among the at least 1,500 offshore cold seeps west of Vancouver Island, extending from southern Vancouver Island to Haida Gwaii, said Du Preez. On their last dive of the expedition, along Hesquiat slope, they came across a nursery of deep sea octopus brooding on their eggs within cave-like features in carbonate rock created by the cold seeps. “The methane bubbles…that are bubbling out of the seafloor creates large chunks of methane ice,” said Du Preez. “They actually create entire uplifts, and they tear the seafloor upwards.” She added that this process also “creates carbonate rocks that are then habitat on the seafloor that otherwise weren’t there.” “It’s almost volcano-like,” said Du Preez. “It’s bringing stuff up from deep within the earth, it’s creating rocks, and it’s all overflowing and then tumbling down and it builds up on itself.” “In this particular location we saw one of these blisters in the earth’s surface,” she continued. “We saw this violent bubbling coming out, and all the rocks that were being created and tumbling down the slope collected in this boulder field that was otherwise surrounded by desertlike, muddy abyss.” According to a 2014 study, this particular deep-sea octopus, Graneledone boreopacifica, is known to have the longest-
Northeast Pacific Deep-Sea Expedition Partnership and CSSF ROPOS photo
A deep-sea octopus, brooding on her eggs on carbonate rock, uses her dexterous arms to punch and successfully defend herself from scarlet king crabs. “Long ago the old timers used to go known egg brooding period of any animal in more sandy locations they also saw down there and dig them out,” said young octopus close to the nursery. due to the cold temperatures of the deep Ignace. “They get right in the water, and “It was really good evidence for us that sea waters. The embryonic development nobody does it anymore.” this nursery habitat is really effective,” period slows down, compared to shallow They would eat them, she said. said Gartner. water octopus which brood their eggs Oftentimes when Ignace or her family Deep-sea octopuses represent the top of from one to three months. have come across an octopus, it happens the food chain, making them significant “It’s a beautiful deep-sea octopus, very in the winter. When they do find them on to the distribution of energy in the deep charismatic, purple, big black eyes,” said shore it’s after they have been dropped by Du Preez. “[They] sit on their eggs, don’t sea, said Du Preez. an eagle. “When the top predators aren’t healthy, move, don’t eat and just defend the eggs “Eagles fly over here with it, and they they actually have an effect back on the for a minimum of four and a half years.” just lose their grip or somehow the thing ecosystem,” she said. Like salmon, brooding these eggs will wiggles free,” she said. “It drops on the Du Preez explained that octopus living be the last thing that these octopuses do, along Hesquiat slope will have an impact flat, and a lot of times when that happens, shared Du Preez. the eagles dive down and they start eating on global ocean ecosystems. Cold seeps are recognized by the Canait on the beach.” “If you didn’t have that nursery dian government to be among ecologi“Eagles really like to eat octopus ground…you almost couldn’t imagine cally and biologically significant areas. because we’ve seen a lot of them eating the ripple effect, if that wasn’t a safe “They are so standalone outstanding, them,” she added. place for the octopus,” said Du Preez. with the biodiversity you find around “You might not have that type of octoIgnace said that once they saw a sea otthem, that they warrant protection,” said ter laying on its back eating an octopus. pus anywhere along the North American Du Preez. “It fell off a few times too and then the continental slope - all five coasts - beThe nursery ground that Du Preez and cause they all come from that one nursery sea otter would dive under and find it her team discovered is currently located again, pick it up again,” she said. “It was ground.” in an area that is fishable. really interesting to watch.” Dianne Ignace and her family lives in “The most concerning thing about findFor Gartner, a collective love and the small village of Heskwii in Hesquiat ing a nursery somewhere where fishing Harbour. For the Hesquiaht family, occonnection to octopus can help connect can happen, is [that] it can be that easy people to the importance of deep-sea topuses close to the shore are a common to take out a single generation of an conservation. sighting. octopus,” she said reflecting on bottom “Seeing an animal that’s intelligent “We do have some excitement with [occontact fishing. and with big eyes and living so deep, so topus] every now and then,” said Ignace. The crew counted 25 easily-spotted remote, so far away from us, and yet, Ignace has been told stories from her octopuses, though Du Preez said she has there’s so many elements that you can husband and his father, George Ignace, “no doubt that there were hundreds more connect to; it’s just kind of special,” said about at the rocky drop off at the edge than what we saw.” Gartner. “It’s a great way to connect the to the channel where octopuses could Heidi Gartner, a DFO researcher, said deep sea to us.” reside, said Ignace. that as they moved along the seafloor
Inside this issue... Delays allow dealer to keep trafficking..........................Page 3 Ditidaht take control of education..................................Page 5 Coming of age ceremony.....................................Page 10 & 11 Partners work on a vision for Clutesi Haven................Page 14 Nitinaht tourism doing well..........................................Page 18
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