Research for healthy oceans

How can salmon populations and industrial development coexist in a sustainable way? How do we involve citizens to collect meaningful ocean data? And how can we make northern marine transportation safer by better predicting sea ice conditions including hazards?

These are some of the challenging questions driving the work of three University of Victoria researchers whose projects are receiving a total of $690,000 in funding through the Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response network (MEOPAR) and Irving Shipbuilding Inc.

BC’s Fraser River estuary is the mouth of the largest salmon-bearing river in the world and borders on a variety of marine industries. Dr. Julia Baum (biology) will study the impacts of industrial and urban development in the estuary, including pollution, loss of habitat, exploitation of fish stocks and climate change, in an effort to ensure the estuary’s long-term sustainability as future development is planned for the area.

Researchers will use a novel, internationally developed approach that has been effective in advancing conservation abroad. This project represents the first application of these state-of-the-art decision analysis techniques in Canada.

Declining salmon stocks in the Salish Sea is the focus of Dr. Maycira Costa (geography) who is using new technologies and approaches to study changes in the marine environment, including turning to the public for help collecting ocean data. As soon as this spring, researchers will use a variety of channels to collect spatial-temporal environmental data including satellites, tablets and sensors on ships of opportunity, citizens such as fishermen and ferry passengers, and research cruises. In addition to collecting new, detailed oceanographic data, the project will also use this information to check the accuracy of satellites, which may be skewed by interference from the atmosphere.

The third project to receive funding is led by Dr. Randy Scharien (geography) whose team will collaborate with government and industry partners to improve the observation and prediction of summer sea ice conditions using the leading-edge capabilities of satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. As the Arctic experiences environmental change and increasing marine activity, the demand for timely and accurate sea-ice information is also growing. These data will foster the development of tools to support safe navigation and avoidance of ship-based oil spills, allowing stakeholders to make informed, timely, and ecosystem-friendly decisions when operating in ice-prone waters during all seasons.

The projects are part of a $1.8 million funding announcement today by MEOPAR and Irving Shipbuilding. Irving Shipbuilding contributed $1 million to the funding pool. Its contribution is pursuant to its Value Proposition obligation under the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, whereby the company is committed to spending 0.5 per cent of contract revenues with the aim of creating a sustainable marine industry across Canada. 

More information on today’s announcement by MEOPAR and Irving Shipbuilding Inc. is available here.

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