Grant: College and Community Innovation Program - Entry Level

This entry level Innovation Enhancement (IE) Grant will build North Island College's applied research and technology transfer capacity to support and collaborate with Vancouver Island salmon aquaculture companies. The BC Salmon Farming Association (BCSFA) and member companies have identified a need to strengthen capacity in monitoring of hard bed substrates where some fish farms are, or may in the future be, located. In British Columbia many salmon aquaculture operations are sited over mixed consolidated /unconsolidated seabeds at water depths greater than 30 metres. Environmental impact surveys are usually conducted using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). Hydrodynamic and physicochemical attributes of these habitats vary considerably, and are dominated by motile or attached fauna. Infauna are restricted to pockets of sediments. This proposal addresses two fundamental research issues of concern to fish farmers and regulators: 1) What are the significant ecological changes likely to occur at hard bottom sites associated with salmon farm operation?; and 2) What are the physical, biological and/or chemical habitat indicators and their threshold(s) at which significant negative macro-benthic changes occur? In consultation with the industry and research partners, a two-year research program is proposed to address these questions. This investigation will provide a solid foundation for future industry growth in hard bottom areas. It will also help to inform a broader, more thoughtful dialogue about the impacts of the industry in the region, dispelling misconceptions and misinformation, and supporting decisions grounded in empirical evidence.