Streaming Media
Presentation Abstract
Life in the ocean faces myriad anthropogenic pressures that vary in their spatial scales, from global climate change to site-specific industrial projects. Marine spatial planning (MSP) is one approach to manage these pressures while protecting ocean health and human access. Unfortunately, many coastal communities have restricted capacity to lead MSP processes due to two barriers: limited access to high resolution local data, and insufficient knowledge sharing across jurisdictions. Our project seeks to address these barriers by implementing a bottom-up approach to MSP in the Salish Sea, Canada. The Howe Sound/Átl’?a7tsem Marine Stewardship Initiative’s goal is to protect the diverse human and ecological values associated with Átl’?a7tsem, a glacial fjord located within the Squamish Nation’s territory. The Initiative works toward this goal by creating decision-support tools that inform MSP, conservation, and education in Átl’?a7tsem. One tool the Initiative has created is an interactive map that visualizes over 700 ocean-based data layers, including ecological, socio-economic, and cultural data. This map upholds local, Indigenous and western scientific knowledge, centralizes data previously managed by discrete entities, and visualizes where aquatic values and pressures overlap in space. The map has already informed the designation of grassroots marine conservation areas, and is supporting MSP processes led by the Squamish Nation and other regional governments. Importantly, we conducted extensive community engagement (e.g. storytelling and stewardship events) and relationship building so that the decision-support tools reflect community values and strengthen sense of place. Finally, the Initiative has advanced reconciliation within Átl’?a7tsem by elevating the voices and goals of Squamish Nation community members. Our map includes Squamish language, place names, stories, and research led by Squamish youth. Overall, the Marine Stewardship Initiative demonstrates an effective, community-based approach to inform and decolonize marine conservation and planning strategies, and to protect both ocean health and human access and activities.
Session Title
Data Science 3
Conference Track
SSE1: Science for the Future
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-traditionals-172
Start Date
28-4-2022 10:15 AM
End Date
28-4-2022 11:45 AM
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Howe Sound/Átl’ḵa7tsem Marine Stewardship Initiative: a bottom-up and community based approach to marine spatial planning in the Salish Sea
Life in the ocean faces myriad anthropogenic pressures that vary in their spatial scales, from global climate change to site-specific industrial projects. Marine spatial planning (MSP) is one approach to manage these pressures while protecting ocean health and human access. Unfortunately, many coastal communities have restricted capacity to lead MSP processes due to two barriers: limited access to high resolution local data, and insufficient knowledge sharing across jurisdictions. Our project seeks to address these barriers by implementing a bottom-up approach to MSP in the Salish Sea, Canada. The Howe Sound/Átl’?a7tsem Marine Stewardship Initiative’s goal is to protect the diverse human and ecological values associated with Átl’?a7tsem, a glacial fjord located within the Squamish Nation’s territory. The Initiative works toward this goal by creating decision-support tools that inform MSP, conservation, and education in Átl’?a7tsem. One tool the Initiative has created is an interactive map that visualizes over 700 ocean-based data layers, including ecological, socio-economic, and cultural data. This map upholds local, Indigenous and western scientific knowledge, centralizes data previously managed by discrete entities, and visualizes where aquatic values and pressures overlap in space. The map has already informed the designation of grassroots marine conservation areas, and is supporting MSP processes led by the Squamish Nation and other regional governments. Importantly, we conducted extensive community engagement (e.g. storytelling and stewardship events) and relationship building so that the decision-support tools reflect community values and strengthen sense of place. Finally, the Initiative has advanced reconciliation within Átl’?a7tsem by elevating the voices and goals of Squamish Nation community members. Our map includes Squamish language, place names, stories, and research led by Squamish youth. Overall, the Marine Stewardship Initiative demonstrates an effective, community-based approach to inform and decolonize marine conservation and planning strategies, and to protect both ocean health and human access and activities.
