Mackenzie River Basin Board State of the Aquatic Ecosystem Report

The Mackenzie River Basin Board (MRBB) is tasked to periodically report on the State of the Aquatic Ecosystem in the Mackenzie River Basin. The next report, referred to as a SOAER, is expected to be completed by late 2018. The MRBB has directed that the SOAER be designed as follows:

The report be built around a predetermined set of ecological and socio-cultural-economic indicators. The report co-present information from the local and traditional knowledge world view and the western science and monitoring world view. The two world views will hold equal importance. Reporting includes a strong visual (and in some cases audio) perspective. Data will be reported on a digital, web-based platform. The platform will be updated periodically, and will have the capacity to host and display map, graphic, photo, video, and audio files, or link into other websites where the data / files are hosted. Short, high level written reports will be periodically developed that describe the key messages of the information displayed on the digital platform.

The SOAER is intended to provide MRBB Ministers with an understanding of the current state of the Mackenzie River Basin aquatic ecosystem, and inform basin residents and decision-makers about the basin’s ecological integrity. This work is being led jointly by the MRBB’s Traditional Knowledge and Strengthening Partnerships Steering Committee (TKSPSC) as well as the SOAER Steering Committee (SSC). This Joint Steering Committee (JSC) is currently drafting a SOAER statement of work.