Grant: Engage Grants Program

One of the most challenging aspects of undertaking environmental impact statements (EIS) is determining the*distribution and abundance of aquatic organisms such as corals, for which there is limited survey data on their*occurrence. In particular, understanding how the specific environmental conditions of a particular geographical*area - potentially being approved for natural resource extraction - may or may not support corals and other*marine biota. Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions conducts EIS guided by surveys from Fisheries*and Oceans Canada (DFO) and provides an estimation of the type and density of corals and other aquatic*species likely to be found within its client's proposed oil and gas project area. In order to make appropriate*management recommendations and to suggest suitable mitigation actions, Wood requires a better*understanding of the ecology and distribution of corals offshore Newfoundland. Therefore, this proposal aims*to develop unique probability models of suitable habitats for corals. The new knowledge generated will include*predicted areas of high coral density and the identification of the most important environmental variables that*determine coral suitable habitat. This new information will be incorporated within Wood's EIS which will*permit the targeting of offshore activities more efficiently to avoid interactions with corals.*Following recommendations from Wood we will select three coral species for which species distribution*models will be estimated: a shallow water, a deep-sea specialist, and a species with a wide depth range. With*the technical help of Wood professionals, we will obtain occurrence data from DFO in a format suitable for*modelling. Using environmental data such as depth, slope of the seabed, velocity of tidal currents, temperature,*wave height, and substrate type, these distribution models will be able to predict the location of the most*suitable habitats to sustain them. This work will fill a knowledge gap that results in sometimes-inappropriate*management recommendations, therefore Wood will benefit from the research outcomes, as well as the natural*resource sector, and government regulatory agencies responsible for approving natural resource extraction.