Presentation Abstract
Defence Construction Canada, on behalf of the Department of National Defence (DND), undertook dredging in Constance Cove, Esquimalt Harbour, as part of DND's multi-year, harbour-wide sediment remediation program. One of the mitigation measures recently implemented with the Constance Cove remedial dredging is the salvage of understory kelp within the project's dredge footprint prior to the dredging; the relocation of salvaged material to a temporary storage area, and restocking once construction is complete. These kelp salvage measures are intended to address impacts of temporal fish habitat loss due to dredging activities in an area with an existing kelp bed, and to reduce the succession time required for a disturbed area to return to a functioning kelp habitat. Understory kelp provides important functions supporting the productivity of local Esquimalt Harbour Commercial, Recreational and Aboriginal (CRA) fish such as Pacific herring, rockfish, Pacific salmon, greenling, sea perch, among others. The understory macro algae Saccharina latissima (sugar kelp) was the primary target species for salvage in areas within the dredge footprint that had greater than 25% cover attached to salvageable rock substrate. During storage of salvaged kelp and substrate, kelp enhancement lines, employing locally developed kelp cultivation techniques, were installed to provide an additional source of spores to inoculate the salvaged substrate, as well as provide additional temporary fish habitat during construction activities. Methods and preliminary results will be discussed.
Session Title
Kelp Distribution and Recovery Strategies in the Salish Sea: Part II
Keywords
Understory kelp, Mitigation, Fish habitat, Sacchanna latissima
Conference Track
SSE1: Habitat Restoration and Protection
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE1-529
Start Date
6-4-2018 11:45 AM
End Date
6-4-2018 12:00 PM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Dredging--Environmental aspects--British Columbia--Esquimalt; Kelps--Transplanting--British Columbia--Fraser River Estuary; Fishes--Habitat--Effect of dredging on--British Columbia--Fraser River Estuary; Understory plants--British Columbia--Fraser River Estuary
Geographic Coverage
Fraser River Estuary (B.C.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Techniques for understory kelp salvage and recolonization of disturbed sites to mitigate temporal habitat loss
Defence Construction Canada, on behalf of the Department of National Defence (DND), undertook dredging in Constance Cove, Esquimalt Harbour, as part of DND's multi-year, harbour-wide sediment remediation program. One of the mitigation measures recently implemented with the Constance Cove remedial dredging is the salvage of understory kelp within the project's dredge footprint prior to the dredging; the relocation of salvaged material to a temporary storage area, and restocking once construction is complete. These kelp salvage measures are intended to address impacts of temporal fish habitat loss due to dredging activities in an area with an existing kelp bed, and to reduce the succession time required for a disturbed area to return to a functioning kelp habitat. Understory kelp provides important functions supporting the productivity of local Esquimalt Harbour Commercial, Recreational and Aboriginal (CRA) fish such as Pacific herring, rockfish, Pacific salmon, greenling, sea perch, among others. The understory macro algae Saccharina latissima (sugar kelp) was the primary target species for salvage in areas within the dredge footprint that had greater than 25% cover attached to salvageable rock substrate. During storage of salvaged kelp and substrate, kelp enhancement lines, employing locally developed kelp cultivation techniques, were installed to provide an additional source of spores to inoculate the salvaged substrate, as well as provide additional temporary fish habitat during construction activities. Methods and preliminary results will be discussed.
