Fraser River sockeye salmon: data synthesis and cumulative impacts

Metric Connected to Biologically-supported HypothesisEach reported metric should be clearly connected with a biologically-supported hypothesis thatemphasizes WHY this metric is potentially important in explaining patterns in sockeyeproductivity over time and/or space. Consider where these hypotheses fit within the initialconceptual model provided in the template. As stated in David Levy’s letter of Sept 8,hypotheses should be expressed in the form of questions. A temperature index may be developed that only integrates temperaturedata from one season because that is when sockeye would be most affectedby temperature or pass by that region. If a statistical method such as multiple regression or PCA is used todetermine that January temperatures are most significant but this is notbiologically supportable (e.g., sockeye are not in the area in January), thenthat would be a poor index.Metadata – Sources and MethodsThe original data sources and analytical methods need to be explicitly described to communicateHOW this integrative metric was generated. The leaders of each project are expected to be theexperts on how to best integrate stressor-specific data over space and time, but all users(intermediate and final) must be able trace the analysis pathway of a particular metric from itssources to its final form. Key metadata components are included in the template (specific detailsbelow).Qualitative EvaluationIt is anticipated that many important metrics will have a limited data record. To overcome thislimitation and to facilitate additional analyses over the entire time period of data on Fraser Riversockeye stock productivity, we would like to have Contractors supply a qualitative data whichprovides estimates/ educated guesses for the entire time period. This would complement thequantitative data set.Contractors will be required to fill in a second, complete data set with qualitative assessments (5point scale) of the same integrative metrics over time. This is based on the expert experience ofeach contractor in their respective field. This qualitative assessment will also be collected basedon each contractor’s expert knowledge of their particular stressor outside of the Fraser system aswell.267