ABSTRACT
The Canadian west coast is recognized for the wide diversity of marine habitats such as long, deep fjords and channels, protected coastal seas, outer continental shelf areas with submarine canyons and offshore pelagic waters. The marine environment of British Columbia (BC) is home to 31 species of marine mammals of which 25, 5 and 1 are cetaceans, pinnipeds and mustelid, respectively. Oil pipeline projects in the BC coastal-marine region cannot be ruled out as potential threats as either a direct impact from coastal-based infrastructural operations or maritime traffic of tankers for marine mammals and their habitats. Impact assessment and source control programs have received little attention and need to be in place to ensure the protection of marine mammals in coastal BC. Harbour porpoises are one of the smallest cetaceans and coastal inhabitants residing in shallow waters, and commonly distributed throughout BC waters, including the southern straits, mainland inlets and Queen Charlotte Basin, but showing low densities in deep-waters.
