Marine ecosystem changes in Atlantic Canada: drivers of altered abundance and habitat use by waterfowl and marine birds?

Saltmarshes and coastal wetlands in Atlantic Canada are some of the habitats that have experienced the greatest decline in area over the past 400 years. Various organizations have monitored habitat change and bird use of these sites for decades, but no one has undertaken a comprehensive examination of changes in habitats or avian abundance, potential factors that influence those (including government policies), and the perspectives of local stakeholders on the successes and failures of conservation efforts in these region. This project seeks to remedy that through a collaborative examination of 40+ years of scientific data, as well as interviews with stakeholders and local landowners. The results will help direct future, multi-stakeholder land use activities and long-term planning for coastal wetlands in Atlantic Canada.

Faculty Supervisor:

Mark Mallory

Student:

Sarah Gutowsky

Partner:

Ducks Unlimited Canada

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

University:

Acadia University

Program: