Climate Ready BC Seafood Program
Lead Organizations
- Ocean Decade Collaborative Center for the Northeast Pacific
- Tula Foundation
- Province of British Columbia
Project Description
The Tula Foundation’s Ocean Decade Collaborative Center for the NE Pacific is thrilled to announce the Climate Ready BC Seafood Program, a $1.7 million fund aimed at supporting actions from the B.C. Ocean Acidification Action Plan (B.C. OAH). This program aims to support coastal communities in understanding, mitigating, and adapting to the impacts of climate change on B.C.'s oceans and coasts.
Over the next two years, the Climate Ready B.C. Seafood Program will be delivering targeted funding across four priority program areas outlined in the B.C. OAH Action Plan:
Advancing scientific Understanding of OAH
Collaboration, knowledge transfer, awareness, and understanding related to Ocean acidification/hypoxia (OAH)
Marine Carbon Removal Technologies
OAH Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies
Eleven proposals were selected for funding as they displayed strong alignments with program priorities, meaningful collaborations and high impact on understanding B.C. OAH. Successful proposal applicants include industry associations, research institutions, Indigenous communities and organizations, and non-profit organizations.
Full Press Release Full List of Awards CRBS Information DocumentFunded Awards
Recipient organization: Oceans Network Canada
Project: Baynes Sound OAH Mooring Enhancement
Ocean Networks Canada Society aims to enhance measurements on an existing observing platform by upgrading ONC’s Baynes Sound mooring to a profiling application, which will improve the spatial scope and data quality of ocean acidification and hypoxia parameters. Baynes Sound, is one of B.C.’s most productive regions for shellfish aquaculture and clam beaches. There is an existing buoy acting as an observatory and sentinel site for OA, however data and measurements have been largely compromised by intense biofouling. To improve OAH-related data quality, ONC is proposing upgrading the fixed-depth instrument packages to a profiling application with a single instrument package. In other words, a single instrument platform with all the key biogeochemical sensors will transit the entire water column, providing a spatially resolved view of ocean conditions critical to monitoring OAH. This infrastructure improvement would reduce servicing requirements, data gaps, improve the spatial scope of OAH measurements, and deliver high-quality OAH data. Sampling throughout the entire water column will provide a more complete view of potential corrosive and hypoxic conditions adversely affecting marine species.
Recipient organization: Maaqutsiis Hahoulthee Stewardship Society
Project: Hypoxia Monitoring in Ahousaht Territory
An Indigenous-led research endeavor that focuses on investigating marine oxygen conditions in Ahousaht territory. Key activities include enhancing established hypoxia monitoring programs, augmenting an existing model with comprehensive data, and using the data collected to assess impacts to seafood species. MHSS plans to collect data on temperature, oxygen, conductivity, and density using a CTD at various depths across all five fjords within Ahousaht territory. Data collected will bolster the existing Clayoquot Sound Monitoring program, spearheaded by the Ocean Modelling and Predictions (OMAP) at the Ocean Sciences Division of DFO. OMAP will provide training to MHSS stewardship biologists and guardians to support capacity building for similar sampling programs in the future. Additionally, the collected data and model outputs will be used to inform an internal vulnerability assessment on the status of seafood species of importance to the Ahousaht muscim (people). MHSS will compare findings with biological impacts of OAH on marine organisms in the literature to evaluate how oxygen conditions are affecting seafood species. The overall aim of this project is to increase understanding of how oceanographic conditions, particularly oxygen, are changing and better prepare for these future conditions.
Recipient organization: University of British Columbia
Partners: Hakai Institute
Project: Identifying thresholds in B.C. shellfish vulnerability to ocean acidification
This project aims to identify thresholds of ocean acidification beyond which important shellfish in BC (Dungeness crabs, oysters, and mussels) suffer disproportionately large impacts on growth and survival, and become more vulnerable to heatwaves, hypoxia, and predators. Through mesocosm experiments conducted at the UBC lab and the Hakai Marna lab, researchers will expose important species for food security to various OAH conditions, to better understand thresholds. In addition to exposing species to OAH conditions, they will also look at cumulative effects, from heat waves and invasives. They aim to engage and communicate broadly and lay the foundation for future research partnerships.
Recipient Organization: Salish Sea Indigenous Guardians Association
Partners: Semiahmoo First Nation, World Wildlife Fund Canada, North Island College
Title: Assessing the role of eelgrass in Sehmiahmoo Bay in building resilience to OAH
Description: This multi-partner project will build on existing and new collaborative relationships to develop foundational knowledge, with the ultimate goal of restoring sustainable shellfish harvest in the bay. Planned activities and outcomes include;
Identification of traditionally harvested species that may be affected by OAH and other stressors in Semiahmoo Bay,
Mapping the extent of the existing eelgrass bed, assessing the ecological health of the eelgrass bed, and its ability to support shellfish populations,
Assessing the ecological health of the eelgrass bed and its ability to support shellfish populations
Assessing the influence of eelgrass on resilience to OAH by examining water quality, pollutant levels, oxygen, and pH within and outside the eelgrass bed
Identify no-regret actions that will improve the health of Semiahmoo Bay and potential strategies for the protections and restoration of shellfish habitats and harvest
Create BC-specific communication materials around the importance of eelgrass meadows for carbon sequestration, OA mitigation, and food security
Recipient Organization: SciTech Consulting
Partners: Hakai Institute
Project: Models, mesocosms, and field work to assess kelp mitigation to OAH impacts
SciTech will work with partners to augment a mature, mathematical model of CO2 drawdown by seaweed aquaculture (Bullen et al, 2023) to include three habitat-enhancing services: OAH mitigation, trophic nourishment, and habitat provisioning. The project will then aim to contextualize the model using field sampling and mesocosm assays with support of Nation partners and Hakai Institute (Fig 1). The work will develop a local seaweed services model (LSSM). The outcomes will characterize the local seascape in the Broughton study area, improve our understanding of the role of native kelp species in coastal OA processes, and lastly, establish a foundational model for supporting climate-ready seafood.
Recipient Organization: North Island College
Partners: Semiahmoo First Nation, University of Calgary, Nova Harvest
Project: Coast to Coast: Critical Ocean Acidification sensor technologies for coastal industries and communities
North Island College (NIC), with the support of the University of Calgary, will deploy an ocean acidification (OA) sensor package that combines established sensors with new lower-cost sensors. They will assess the relative performance of lower-cost options and determine their effectiveness for use by stakeholders in B.C.. The overarching goal of the implementation of the oceanographic sensor system is to allow the end user to interpret and act upon live data to ensure the best commercial outcome for their farm. Real-time access to data may improve growth rates, quality of products, and survival of animals, thus improving farm profit and strengthening B.C. food security. NIC will work alongside industry partners, like Nova Harvest, to assess under what conditions low-cost sensors can provide adequate monitoring of OA. An integral piece of this project is the collaboration and knowledge sharing that will happen between OA experts and industry and community partners to undergo training on how to maintain and interpret data from the tested low-cost sensor packages.
Recipient Organization : Wilderness Tourism Association
Project: OAH Spatial and Temporal Variability on the B.C. Northern Shelf Bioregion
WTA will embark on a large-scale, industry-led, citizen science project that harnesses the sea-going capacity and geographic range of the small ship marine tourism industry throughout Bella Bella, Klemtu, Hartley Bay, Kitimat. This region supports numerous commercial and First Nation fisheries and communities that are highly vulnerable to the impacts of increasing ocean acidification and hypoxia (OAH); however, OAH observations and oceanographic science are particularly limited in this region. In collaboration with oceanographers and hypoxia experts at Oregon State University, WTA’s fleet of 11 expedition tourism vessels will purchase and deploy oceanographic sensors developed by OSU that measure depth, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and pH. These sensors are currently in use by the commercial crab and lobster fisheries in the USA. The Small Ship Tour Operators will purchase and deploy oceanographic sensors (dissolved oxygen, depth, temperature, pH) throughout their operating regions and 2024 and 2025 seasons, focusing on the Central and North Coast, as well as Northern Vancouver Island and southern Haida Gwaii (Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve).
Recipient Organization: Nova Harvest
Partners: Hakai Institute
Project: OA Monitoring to protect local shellfish growers Pacific seed oyster supply
Nova Harvest will maintain the BoL located at Bamfield Marine Sciences. The BoL will serve the scientific and industry communities by providing data on OAH in the area. This endeavor is expected to yield significant outcomes, including essential insights to sustain a robust local Pacific oyster seed supply for the BC shellfish industry. The project will also generate valuable ocean acidification data covering various time scales, addressing a critical monitoring gap in BC's oceanic landscape. These deliverables serve the dual purpose of enhancing scientific operations at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre and contributing to the broader scientific understanding of ocean acidification.
Recipient Organization : T Buck Suzuki Foundation
Partners: United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union, Oregon State University, Hakai Institute
Project: Harvesting pCO2: Bridging the gap between fish harvesters and ocean science for a sustainable B.C. coast
This citizen science pilot project aims to empower commercial fish harvesters to collect OAH data and samples to bridge the data gap of OAH across the B.C. coast. T Buck will work closely with the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union to support training and deployment of pCO2 to go devices on fishing vessels. This project fosters a collaborative relationship between industry members and research facilities/early career scientists. T Buck Suzuki, in partnership with Hakai Institute and Dr. Burke Hales, will install pCO2 To-go devices on 3 participating commercial fishing vessels. Data indicating acidification levels of water samples will be recorded by the pCO2 To-Go units alongside adjacently required measurements of temperature, salinity, oxygen, as well as participant-logged environmental conditions (tide, current, weather) and location. Harvester participants will also retrieve water samples for comparative analysis.
The project has five key outcomes:
Determination of utility of pCO2 To-go data recording devices for measuring ocean acidification by employing citizen science via commercial fishing trips.
Establishment of a database for OAH measurements for a variety of Coastal BC marine locations.
Development of relationships with commercial fish harvesters as citizen science
participants that will enable opportunistic and passive data collection for OAH in BC.
Implementation and establishment of a collaborative network for further data collection based on test case determinations.
Distribution and broadcast of education materials to the commercial fishing community.
Recipient Organization : Redd Fish
Project: Increasing Knowledge Transfer, Collaboration, and Scientific Understanding of Nearshore Marine Health in Clayoquot and Northern Barkley Sound
Redd Fish aims to increase knowledge transfer, build collaborations, and invest in continued and expanded monitoring of habitat health and ocean acidification and hypoxia in northern Barkley and Clayoquot sounds. Following Marine Plan Partnership for the North Pacific Coast (MaPP) methodology, they will continue long-term canopy kelp monitoring, expand the program, and focus on oceanographic data collection. Dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity , and conductivity will be logged. A main pillar of this work is providing training and employment for First Nations stewardship staff, Guardians, youth interns, and Warrior programs. Redd Fish will also host a forum with presentations from experts in the field of OAH to discuss existing work, future opportunities for conservation and restoration action, and how OAH research links to local food security.
Recipient Organization : Vancouver Island University
Project: Implement genomic selection for OA resistance in B.C. oysters
Ocean acidification (OA) reduces the availability of calcium carbonate that shellfish use to build their shells. Despite genetic variation observed for shell formation in bivalve populations exposed to OA, the biomineralisation processes are poorly characterised. Larval and adult oysters produce their shell out of aragonite and calcite, respectively. This ontogenetic shift coincides with separate gene repertoires for constructing larval and adult shell. By identifying the genetic loci associated with OA resistance in larval and adult oysters, this project intends to protect the B.C. shellfish industry against OA. This experiment aims to perform genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on larval and adult oysters exposed to OA conditions that are representative of future climate change scenarios for B.C. Additionally, they will evaluate the potential for within-family selection using genetic markers identified from GWAS. The outcome will be to implement low-cost genotyping assays for genomic selection of OA resistant oysters in the B.C. oyster breeding program.
For any questions or further information about the Climate Ready B.C. Seafood Program reach out to Nina Nichols at nina.nichols@tula.org
