Use of Satellite Imagery to map Seagrass beds in shallow coastal waters across Atlantic Canada

This project is part of a research program that will develop a bay-scale cumulative effects monitoring program for eelgrass in Atlantic Canada, adding to work previously completed by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the Northumberland Strait Environmental Monitoring Partnership (NorSt-EMP) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. The proposed research aims to develop a method that uses satellite optical images to map eelgrass beds over two estuaries across the Atlantic Canada region. The resulting maps will then be compared to previous data available through DFO, Environment Canada and industry as well as data collected by a community-based monitoring effort. Project partners (Stantec and the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Coalition on Sustainability) will provide equipment and expertise in the field. Such a project will contribute to understand the current state of eelgrass in Atlantic Canada estuaries. Such information will permit resource managers to formulate mitigation plans for areas where eelgrass is found to be declining.

Faculty Supervisor:

Armand LaRocque

Student:

Partner:

Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Coalition on Sustainability

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of New Brunswick

Program: