Gulf of St Lawerence Aster
Symphiotrichum laurentianum
This plant is legally listed as Threatened, but in 2023, it was recommended that its status be changed to Endangered. An annual plant, it is endemic to ( grows only in) the Gulf of St. Lawrence coastal habitats, mainly on brackish sands around coastal lagoons and ponds isolated from the sea by sand and /or salt marsh. The plant presently occurs in 12 subpopulations: four in the Magdalen Islands of Quebec, three in Prince Edward Island, and five in New Brunswick. An additional 13 subpopulations have not been seen in 15 years and are likely extirpated.
The number of mature individuals often fluctuates, but declines of increasing frequency and severity resulted in a long-term population decline of 90% from 2007 to 2022. Declines were substantial in Prince Edward Island (98.9% decline) from 57,907 to 625 plants. The Magdalen Islands showed a 90.3% decline. while there was a 1,721% increase in the New Brunswick population. This plant grows from seed each year, and the seed may be viable for only a year. The few plants in PEI are protected within PEI National Park. Elsewhere in the Magdalen Islands, and New Brunswick, many of the sites are protected habitats. Key threats to Gulf of St. Lawrence Aster are habitat change caused by severe storms and sea-level rise associated with climate change and shoreline development.