Tag Archives: Coral

Cost of Climate Change

B.C. launches blueprint to fend off climate’s ‘one-two punch’ on the ocean

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

B.C. has unveiled an action plan to tackle the two greatest climate threats to the ocean, coastal communities and marine ecosystems on the West Coast. 

Ocean acidification and hypoxia (OAH), or plummeting oxygen levels, that often occur in tandem with a snowball effect, are spiking due to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. 

The plan’s goals include strengthening scientific collaboration and research and public awareness on these issues. Finding ways to adapt to or mitigate the negative impacts of OAH is also a priority. 

The province also wants a better understanding of how or if blue carbon — CO2 captured naturally from the atmosphere by marine plants and algae — could or should be used as a natural solution to buffer acidification and hypoxia.  

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Environment

The future of rare cold-water coral garden on B.C. coast is still on the line

National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The fate of a rare and splendid coral garden in a remote B.C. inlet is still on the line pending a decision by the federal government to establish interim protections before the fishing season launches this spring.  

However, the First Nation and conservationists striving to protect the trove of large orange coral fans are more optimistic than they were last spring when Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) failed to put a fishing moratorium in place to protect the fragile ecosystem. 

Continue reading The future of rare cold-water coral garden on B.C. coast is still on the line →
Parks, Rivers & Oceans

A deeper dive into the marine protected network plan on Canada’s West Coast

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

There’s much to celebrate in the proposed plan to create a string of marine protected areas stretching Canada’s West Coast from northern Vancouver Island to Alaska, experts say. 

But the lack of information on specific protection measures for the BC Northern Shelf MPA Network means the blueprint to preserve sensitive ocean ecosystems risks becoming a string of “paper parks” — legally designated areas that don’t actually have effective conservation or stewardship measures. 

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Education, Rivers & Oceans

Campbell River’s ‘catch and release’ Aquarium

There are only seven ‘catch and release’ aquariums in British Columbia, and one of them is in Campbell River. The Discovery Passage Aquarium is also in the first building dedicated to this purpose in British Columbia. 

“This job is very interesting and engaging, but it’s all a means to an end.  We want to work hard to change our relationship with nature, because in its current state it is unsustainable,” explained Ricky Belanger, Manager of the Discovery Passage Aquarium.

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Rivers & Oceans

Rare cold-water coral garden in peril on B.C. coast

National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A remarkable coral garden tucked away in a remote inlet on B.C.’s wild central coast is in danger unless the federal government takes immediate steps to save it from destruction before prawn fishing season gets underway, conservationists say.

Heavy prawn traps and ropes, which make contact with the seabed, are particularly destructive to the delicate red tree corals, or Primnoa pacifica, in a unique area in the centre of Knight Inlet, said professional diver, filmmaker and naturalist Neil McDaniel. 

Continue reading Rare cold-water coral garden in peril on B.C. coast →