Coastal Ecosystems

The environmental sustainability of the industry will be enhanced through activities conducted at the Deep Bay Marine Field Station. These include, among others, demonstration of environmental and operational “Best Management Practices”; public programs that highlight water quality benefits; and husbandry practices to ensure optimal shellfish health. Public engagement programs will connect coastal water quality preservation with sustainable high quality shellfish (seafood) production.

Green energy and sustainable building practices incorporated and showcased at the Marine Field Station will highlight awareness of the connectivity between sustainable coastal development on the upland and water quality on the foreshore and adjacent marine waters.

Research undertaken at the CSR and the Deep Bay Marine Field Station will highlight the role and importance of shellfish farming in ecosystem function and ecosystem services. The application of genomics health assessment tools to environmental monitoring programs (e.g. Mussel Watch) will provide a new window to assess climate change impacts on coastal BC ecosystems. With shellfish farms along the entire BC coast and training programs for First Nations and others, the shellfish industry is well situated to provide environmental/climate change monitoring coast-wide.