Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

NSERC funding will support North Island College (NIC) to develop and test innovative verification tools for marine habitat banks and restoration sites. Habitat banks are part of a multi-billion-dollar global industry used by the BC forestry sector and many other industries to compensate for industrial activity. However, measuring their “success” is challenging and inconsistent. For example, is the habitat self-sustaining over time? Does the habitat bank measurably increase biodiversity compared to its original state? NIC will work in partnership with M.C. Wright and Associates (MCWA) and The University of British Columbia (UBC) to develop an innovative and cost-effective verification method that tests biodiversity at BC Timber Sales marine habitat banks on the east coast of Vancouver Island, BC. The research sites are former log dump sites used for timber sorting/handing, which resulted in varying levels of habitat degradation on the ocean floor. Researchers will measure microbe communities and environmental DNA on seaweed at three research sites as well as a nearby wild kelp bed control site. This project is a unique collaboration between industry, NIC researchers, and UBC scientists, that will provide rich student research experiences. MCWA will directly benefit from these verification tools, which can be applied to their numerous current clients seeking marine and freshwater habitat restoration/verification, and also to an increased client base through new additional services offered.