Despite adversity towards the non-status Mi’kmaq community their resiliency remains grounded in cultural values, providing a depth of experiences and knowledge. This study will work alongside one of the largest self-governing grassroots organizations within Nova Scotia, the Native Council of Nova Scotia (NCNS), to tell the stories of self-determination and resilience of the non-status Mi’kmaq community.

This project will work to identify contaminant levels in elasmobranch (shark, skate and ray) species throughout the North American seaboard. Using non-lethal sampling methods, the intern will collect mostly muscle tissue from which the presence of contaminants including mercury and other trace metals will be analyzed.

We propose an innovative approach to generate a provincial digital core repository. To achieve this, we integrate cutting-edge imaging technologies with a deep neural network to bring the best practices in imaging technologies to core digitization. We aim to streamline the process of imaging core boxes, extracting drill cores from boxes, and characterizing their mineral composition. The outcome of the project will become a world-class methodology that facilitates immediate, remote access to core imagery data and promotes the mining sector in the province.

Following the completion of the Annapolis River Tidal Power Generating Station in 1984, the abundance of many native diadromous fish species declined in the river. In 2019, new regulatory directives resulted in the abrupt termination of power generating activities, and tide gates that had barred access to the river were left open for the first time in 35 years.

Western honey bees are economically important insects that provide essential pollination services to agriculture. It is generally acknowledged that Varroa destructor mites, since making their way from Asia to the rest of the world, have become the most serious threat to the stability of the apiculture industry. To control V. destructor, apiculturists apply miticides, but this entails significant costs and additional labour, has collateral effects on honey bees, and can leave residues in commercial products; moreover, miticide resistance has repeatedly evolved.

In collaboration with Acadia University and Nova Scotia Power, Innovasea inc. proposes an intern to determine route choice, and measure survival of Atlantic salmon smolt as they descend the Gaspereau River past the White Rock Hydropower Generating Station. This project will be completed in full collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada Scientists. The results will both test new V3 tagging technology and inform mitigation efforts that will reduce negative impacts of dam passage on inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon as they begin their migratory journey to the ocean.

Wetland-dependent birds, notably waterfowl, are prominent features of the conservation landscape in Eastern Canada, Ducks and geese in particular denote seasonality through their spectacular migrations, are key harvested species in many regions, and are often visible to connect the public with the sense of “wild”. However, populations of most of these species in Eastern Canada remain below targets set under the North American Waterfowl Conservation Plan, which may be due in part to threats or changes to breeding habitats.

The lack of scientific data on the potential effects of instream tidal power extraction on migratory fishes is delaying the decision-making process on a technology that shows promise for reducing carbon emissions, and for which Canada could become a global leader in the production of infrastructure. It remains unclear if fishes that occupy Canada’s leading tidal energy test site (Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy [FORCE], in Minas Passage, Nova Scotia) will be negatively affected by turbine installations.

Atlantic salmon is in decline in many places across its range. Reduced habitat quality, declines in at-sea survival, and decreases in availability or timing of food resources are all recognized as factors contributing to spawning declines and early life survival. Healthy rivers are good candidates for adult enhancement programs. Adult enhancement involves removing some smolts from the river, growing them to adults in aquaculture tanks, and returning them to the river to supplement the natural returns from sea.

Striped bass, Morone saxatilis, is a popular anadromous fish caught along the Eastern Coast of North American. Striped bass invaded Labrador, NL in August 2017 and, during Part 1 of this study, were identified to feed on Atlantic salmon, cod, char and capelin; important fishes to NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC). The traditional method to identify stomach contents consists of examining stomach contents and morphologically identifying the species consumed.