Haida Gwaii

In 2022, I travelled to Haida Gwaii to help out with some fieldwork studying some unique populations of threespine stickleback. Haida Gwaii is an archipelago off the coast of northern British Columbia with a rich natural and human history. For many plants and animals, the populations of Haida Gwaii have been seperated from the mainland for thousands of years, resulting in several endemic species and subspecies. 

Threespine stickleback are abundant in Haida Gwaii, both in the marine waters and the many lakes and rivers on the islands. The numerous populations, variable environments, and disjointed population structure have created an amazing amount of variation within the species in this archipelago. Led primarily by Tom Reimchen, researchers have now studied and characterized hundreds of populations on these islands, including a few that have stood out due to some unique traits.

Rouge Lake is home to a particularly unique population of stickleback, characterized by a combination of phenotypic traits, including a complete reduction of both the armour plating and the pelvic structure. This unique phenotype was enough to get the population listed as a species of Special Concern on the Species at Risk Act. 

Unfortunately, the region underwent a drought in 2017, so severe that almost all of the lake completely dried up. Until recently, the status of the stickleback population was unclear. We now know that fish are still present in the lake, but many questions remain:

Are they survivors from the original population? Was the lake recolonized from elsewhere? Do they still possess those unique phenotypes? And what are the implications for the listing on the Species at Risk Act.

Stay tuned for some results soon!

Haida Gwaii is truly a unique place, both in terms of the natural and human history. The Haida people have lived on these islands for thousands of years and cultivated a rich and thriving culture. During the time of European contact, the Haida population fell from tens of thousands to just 600, largely due to the introduction of disease. Yet, thousands of Haida remain on the islands today where they continue to be dedicated to the stewardship of the lands and seas of Haida Gwaii. We are truly grateful for the opportunity to study the animals that share their land with the Haida people.