St. Andrews, New Brunswick - Canada’s marine ecosystems are vital to the livelihoods, well-being and cultural heritage of countless Indigenous and coastal communities. They are home to abundant fisheries, attract tourism and recreation, and allow the import and export of goods through responsible shipping.
Conserving and protecting these areas for future generations while encouraging economic growth requires wide-ranging scientific baseline data. This data is vital for scientists to detect changes in our environment and any impacts on marine ecosystems over time caused by shipping and other human activities.
To support these objectives, Member of Parliament for New Brunswick Southwest, Karen Ludwig, on behalf of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced today in Saint John, New Brunswick, that the Government of Canada is investing $710,000 in four marine environmental data collection projects in the Port of Saint John through the Coastal Environmental Baseline Program, which is part of Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan.
These projects, which fall under the $50.8 million Coastal Environmental Baseline Program, will support the advancement of coastal data collection projects and involve close collaboration between Fisheries and Oceans Canada scientists, Indigenous and coastal communities, and other local partners. Participating groups will gather comprehensive data that will help detect changes in our marine environment over time.
The three organizations receiving funding announced include Eastern Charlotte Waterways Inc., Fundy North Fishermen’s Association and Huntsman Marine Science Centre.
Their projects will focus on obtaining environmental baseline data on: fish and zooplankton communities; underwater noise and its impacts on marine mammals; the presence of microplastics and other environmental contaminants resulting from human activities; fish harvesters’ knowledge of surface currents as a source of oceanographic data; and other important ecosystem parameters in the Port of Saint John.
These collaborative efforts will enable researchers to track baseline ecosystem status, detect changes over time in the marine environment and gain insights needed to protect sensitive aquatic species and habitats. The information generated may also inform a new assessment framework to help understand the cumulative impacts of marine shipping and to better safeguard Canadian waters.
Source : Government of Canada