Marine Affairs Program, Graduate Projects

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10222/13001

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Open Access
Culture, Community, Language, and Land: A Case Study of Co-management Led Marine Stewardship Education Resources in Nunatsiavut
(2023-12) Laver, Quinna
Marine education plays a key role in equipping individuals and communities with the knowledge and skills necessary to manage complex challenges associated with our changing ocean. In Nunatsiavut – a unique self-governing Inuit territory in northern Labrador – being competent on the land and water has been integral to well-being, economies, and culture since time immemorial, and continues to this day. Consequently, there is a wealth of coastal knowledge and stewardship practices. The Torngat Secretariat – a co-management institution created under the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement – has initiated the Paigitsiaguk project (“taking care of it” in Inuktitut) which is creating interdisciplinary education kits for schools in Nunatsiavut based on locally and culturally important species. This paper explores the Putjotik (“snow crab”) kit, and investigates the diverse ways in which community-, land-, and place-based education can contribute to renewing a culture of marine stewardship. This study employs a mixed-methods qualitative research design by combining a narrative literature review and content analysis to analyze literature for calls for action on Inuit education and how they might be met by the Putjotik kit. This project also explores how Inuit, local, and scientific knowledge can be bridged and communicated within the bounds of the K-12 provincial science and social studies curriculum. Finally, this paper also explores the diverse ways in which co-management institutions such as the Torngat Secretariat contribute to sustainable marine stewardship, management, and self-determination through education interventions.
Open Access
Recommendations to improve Canada’s marine biosecurity
(2023-12) Gaal, Julie
Alien species are species that have been introduced to areas outside of their native range, whether intentionally or unintentionally. A small proportion of alien species will become invasive, meaning they reproduce and spread long distances from where they were first introduced, with the potential to have significant socio-economic impacts, reduce biodiversity, and impact ecosystem services and processes. Globalization and increases in activities such as aquaculture, shipping, fisheries, and the aquarium trade has led to an increased number of alien species introductions in recent decades. While management strategies for invasive species have predominantly been developed for the terrestrial ecosystem, strategies in the marine environment are lacking. This project utilized a systematic literature review to examine how aquatic invasive species are introduced to and move around Canada, what management regulations are in place, and how Canada’s approach differs to other countries. Canada’s biosecurity measures are compared to those of New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. It is recommended that Canada improve intergovernmental cooperation and management, legislation and enforcement, ease of access, monitoring in high-risk areas, and ensure the use of the precautionary approach and adaptive management.
Open Access
Do You Sea What I See: Exploring the Representation of Place-Based Knowledge in Spatial Planning in Coastal Nova Scotia, Canada
(2023-12) Khan, Jumanah
Spatial planning is essential in the interdisciplinary management of dynamic coastal environments. However, conventional approaches to spatial planning do not focus on the comprehensive representation and visual communication of place-based knowledge. This oversight limits the contextual applicability of planning decisions. To understand this issue’s relevance in Nova Scotia, the suitability of six data representation (DR) tools used in spatial planning for representing local perspectives was explored. Through a scoping review and semi-structured interviews with spatial planners, researchers, and users of coastal environments in Nova Scotia, key characteristics that make each DR tool useful in representing place-based knowledge, as well as certain tool design limitations, were identified. Also identified were the generalized stages of the spatial planning process at which each of the selected DR tools was most effective. The Results are meant to inform the use and design of DR tools in a way that better serves coastal users throughout different stages of the spatial planning process – thereby supporting decision-making that is informed, and equitable.
Open Access
“It Grows Alone”: Exploring the Implications of Marine Ecotourism Development on Water Insecurity in Bocas del Toro, Panama
(2023-12) Kim, Abigael
As a dimension of a blue economy, marine ecotourism should not only increase economic viability and environmental sustainability but, most importantly, pursue social equity. In island regions, where substantial tourism appeal often coincides with water insecurity, questions have emerged regarding the ability of a blue economy, rooted in marine ecotourism, to balance development and well-being. Using semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations, and supplemental research, this investigation examines this paradox through a case study in Bocas del Toro, Panama, documenting experiences with water shortages and the perceived role of government and industry, examining whether water shortages have influenced regional policies and investment, and exploring management implications regarding Panama’s blue economy and marine ecotourism across water insecure island regions. Through exploring Bocas del Toro’s economic development, assessing the marine ecotourism and water governance landscape, garnering local experiences with water insecurity, and examining future plans and policies, results highlight the role that marine ecotourism and water insecurity play in shaping local realities and perceptions of development in Bocas del Toro, where there exists a critical disconnect between government aspirations for marine ecotourism and infrastructure development and the needs of those living in the region. A discussion of the theoretical underpinnings of accountability, trust, and development priorities, and an exploration of the role of colonialism and systemic racism, have shown that this case is not strictly a matter of water infrastructure and marine ecotourism, but rather the underlying issues that shape the nature of growth in island regions, as well as who proves to benefit from a blue economy.
Open Access
Exploring the Compatibility of Offshore Wind Farms and Marine Protected Areas in the Scotian Shelf-Bay of Fundy Bioregion: A Case Study of Canso and Middle Banks
(2023-12) Kleinknecht, Claire
In a marine environment of competing human uses and objectives, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and marine renewable energy like offshore wind (OSW) fight for space. OSW has been internationally accepted as an economically viable green energy alternative to conventional carbon-emitting sources, with the long-term goal of aiding to slow global warming. Although OSW is posed as a green energy source, questions continually arise regarding the environmental impacts of the technology and its compatibility with marine conservation initiatives, including MPAs. MPAs have gained global support via the International Convention on Biological Diversity which targets protection for 30% of coastal and marine areas by 2030. This study aims to evaluate the compatibility of OSW and future MPAs in Scotian Shelf-Bay of Fundy bioregion using a novel environmental risk assessment (ERA) method. The ERA uses a case study of Canso and Middle Banks, a site for future marine conservation, to investigate the spatial compatibility of OSW and an Oceans Act MPAs. The environmental risk assessment of Canso and Middle Banks will estimate the magnitude of OSWs impacts to conservation priorities to discern suitability and gaps in knowledge. Overall, OSW site selection, construction and operation pose a moderate threat to the conservation priorities of Canso and Middle Bank. Therefore, it is unclear if OSW and MPAs are spatially compatible due to gaps in the literature, a limited understanding of ecosystem wide effects, and the lack of decommissioning ecological knowledge. This project will help managers understand the potential compatibility between OSW and MPAs and provide direction for future studies that explore beyond ecological components to safeguard marine ecosystems and advance decarbonization for generations to come.
Open Access
Applying Socio-Ecological Thinking to Canadian Regional Assessment
(2023-12) Porter, Lyle
Regional assessments inform the planning and management of a proposed developments impact to society and nature. They are the broadest tool in the impact assessment process and are designed to consider the impacts of human activity, as well as the accumulation of these impacts at a regional level. Under current federal impact assessment legislation, topics of regional assessment consideration must go beyond the possible environmental effects of a proposed development to include the potential impacts this development could have on regional social, cultural, and economic conditions. In practice however, considering all such factors in a representative manner has proved difficult. In this graduate project, I explore the possibility of applying methods not yet used in Canadian impact assessment with respect to scoping the potential impacts of offshore wind development. I apply these techniques to a single marine use potentially in conflict with offshore wind development– Nova Scotia’s culturally and economically important lobster fishery. While novel to impact assessment the basis of this technique is deeply rooted in socio-ecological systems thinking, and is able to capture the coupled and interdependent nature of ecological, social, cultural, and economic factors in a manner applicable to Canadian offshore impact assessment.
Open Access
Promoting Reconciliation and Indigenous Self-Determination through Ecosystem-Based Management
(2023-12) Akinrinola, Grace
Sipekne’katik First Nation launched their Mi’kmaw-regulated, rights-based lobster fishery in the fall of 2020. The launch came 21 years after the Supreme Court reaffirmed the Treaty-protected right to fish for a moderate livelihood and was met with harassment, violence, and racism, setting off a nationwide awakening to the issue of Treaty fisheries implementation and reconciliation on the water. At the same time, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in the Maritimes Region has been developing an Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) Framework encompassing Governance, Social/Cultural, Economic, and Ecological objectives to support integrated fisheries management. The extent to which this initiative could support reconciliation is currently unknown. To address this gap, this project studies how the DFO’s emerging Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) Framework could support reconciliation. The study reviews and compares the DFO Maritimes EBM Framework, DFO-Coast Guard Reconciliation Strategy, and an Indigenous-led Reconciliation Framework linked to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) to identify opportunities for the EBM Framework to support reconciliation. Findings identified areas where the EBM Framework could be the vehicle for reconciliation and other areas requiring further development of its pillars and objectives. In cases where these responsibilities extend beyond the mandate of DFO, Canada must address those injustices through other channels. Promoting Reconciliation and Indigenous Self-Governed Fisheries through Ecosystem-Based Management could help promote healing and justice for Indigenous Peoples, ensuring they have a meaningful role in ocean management decision-making and creating a more equitable and sustainable future for all.
Open Access
The Marine Stewardship Council’s Influence in the Indian Ocean: Lessons of Sustainability from the Maldives Pole-and-Line Skipjack Tuna Fishery
(2023-12) Côté-King, Katrina
The Maldives pole-and-line fishery has sustainably harvested skipjack tuna for millennia. In 2012, this fishery achieved conditional certification with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). To achieve this eco-standard, Maldives led a reform within the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), improving management standards and facilitating certification for surrounding fishing nations. This thesis draws on accounts from participants who have been involved in the MSC assessment process or currently work in IOTC fisheries. The experiences gained on a pole-and-line fishing trip and through the island atolls in the Maldives also contributed to informing concepts throughout this thesis. Eight interviews were conducted with relevant stakeholders, which were subsequently transcribed using NVivo 1.7.1 to draw on key themes found in the qualitative data. The results from this study have demonstrated that there have been an array of sustainability and market consequences following the Maldives’ obtention of the MSC certificate, such as an erosion of market premium for certified tuna and exacerbated fishing pressures throughout the Indian Ocean. The contributions made by the Maldives throughout this Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) – the IOTC, have laid the steppingstones for CTFO, Echebastar, and AGAC fisheries to also pursue the MSC eco-label. All other certified fisheries in the Indian Ocean are purse seine vessels from the European Union. The MSC fisheries standard has therefore been entrenched in IOTC fisheries, resulting in an array of socio-economic and environmental consequences for the coastal nations and distant water fishing nations of the Indian Ocean. Initial obtention of this standard by a small island developing state is an impressive feat and points to the leadership of the Maldives in fishery management; both on a local and global scale.
Open Access
A Scoping Literature Review of European and Atlantic Canadian Green Grab (Carcinus Maenas) Fisheries Literature to Identify Knowledge Gaps for Fisheries-Based Invasive Species Management
(2023-11) Crosby, Brianna
Aquatic invasive species are considered economic and environmental threats to Canada’s aquatic ecosystems. In Atlantic Canada, the European green crab (Carcinus maenas) is a management concern due to its destructive nature. The green crab is an aggressive predator that disrupts ecosystems by outcompeting native decapods, destroying critical habitat, and causing a loss of biodiversity. Additionally, green crabs affect Atlantic Canadian fisheries by preying upon commercially important bivalve species. A potential management solution is the implementation of green crab fisheries to control the invasive populations in Atlantic Canada. Green crab fisheries in the species’ native European range have been reported as successful and as such, small trial fisheries have been established in Atlantic Canada. This study conducted a scoping literature review of European and Atlantic Canadian green crab fisheries literature using a fisheries performance indicator framework developed by Anderson et al. (2015) modified for qualitative analysis to determine what is currently known about each fishery and where knowledge gaps lie. It was determined that Economic indicators were the most common performance indicators in fisheries literature, followed by Ecology and Community. Knowledge gaps were identified for harvest data, product market, stock health, and multiple community metrics. Additionally, there was a lack of Indigenous knowledge in the literature. Management recommendations suggested ways that fisheries managers can address these gaps through day-to-day reporting, interactions with fishers, collaboration with scientific communities, and outreach to Indigenous communities
Open Access
Public Participation in Offshore Wind Development: A Multi-National Analysis of Public Engagements and Consultation Requirements
(2023-12) Fillier, Benjamin
As countries around the world become increasingly invested in offshore renewable energy developments, such as offshore wind farms (OWF), their legal requirements, policies and strategies must safeguard adequate systems of public participation in the decision-making process to ensure equitable outcomes. Public Participation is an instrumental factor in OWF projects, paving the way to success by gaining a social license to operate and increasing public support. However, these developments should only be pursued if they are in service and benefit to the public. The objective of this contribution, therefore, is to assess public participation measures in OWF regimes globally to then provide recommendations for Canada’s offshore wind policy regime that is being spearheaded in the Nova Scotian context. The findings identified in this paper are the result of a created database that synthesizes selected countries' legal and voluntary documents for OWF development. Documents are analyzed by understanding where, when and how the public is involved in the process, their degree of influence, and what return/benefits are gained from development. What’s identified is a difference between planning for acceptance rather than participation. Where acceptance is a condition for development, this nominal democratization of the process takes away from meaningful approaches for public participation. Models for OWF public participation that emphasize greater self-determination for coastal communities in how receive benefit from these projects is necessary. This redistribution of power allows coastal communities to redress inequities from existing developments such as oil and gas, making OWF a true agent of the Blue Economy Strategy.
Open Access
Evaluating the effects of North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) fishery closures on entanglement risk of other large whales from the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) fishery
(2023-12) Friedman, Alexandra
Since 2018, time-area closures have been implemented in Atlantic Canada to reduce entanglements of North Atlantic right whales (NARW) in fixed-gear fisheries, particularly the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GoSL) snow crab fishery. Other large baleen whale species also occur in GoSL and face similar risks of entanglement. These include endangered blue whales, fin whales (special concern), and humpback whales, the second most commonly entangled baleen whale in Atlantic Canada, and other studies have shown the rate of entanglement for these whales in the GoSL are vastly underestimated. The goal of this study was to estimate the risk of entanglement in snow crab gear for these other species, and to quantitatively evaluate the potential change in risk due to the NARW time-area closures. Distributions for each species were based on annual sightings (2015-2022) using a location uncertainty model and combined with snow crab logbook data to estimate entanglement risk. The average risk of entanglement for blue, fin, and humpback whales was estimated for the years prior to the implementation of fisheries management measures (2015-2017) and compared to the entanglement risk estimate for each year with time area closures (2018-2022) to identify the change. The results showed ranges in annual change in risk of -50.76 to -9.04% for blue whales, -70.70 to 6.21% for fin whales, -73.51 to 34.56% for humpback whales, where negative values indicate a decrease. Monthly results show some risk reduction from certain management measures, but an increase as an unintended consequence from others. This study provides important information on the effects of fisheries management measures on non-target whale species.
Open Access
Fisheries Management in Napu’saqnuk (St Mary’s) River and Alignment with Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Conservation Through an Ecologically Significant Area Case Study.
(2023-12) Rivers, Joy
There are escalating threats to freshwater ecosystems, including pollution, invasive species, land use changes, and climate change. Recognizing the importance of habitat protection in conserving freshwater biodiversity, this study focuses on Ecologically Significant Areas (ESAs) as a designated tool under the Fisheries Act in Canada. ESAs serve as proactive, project-based regulatory designations to safeguard sensitive, highly productive, and rare fish and fish habitats in intertidal and freshwater habitats. While ESAs do not directly regulate fishing activities, the study emphasizes the need to assess the alignment of existing fisheries management practices with the draft conservation and protection objectives (CPOs) of ESAs. Information was gathered from diverse sources, including expert knowledge, peer-reviewed papers, official government documents, grey literature, and websites. The project draws insights from the Recovery Potential Assessment (RPA) conducted in 2013 by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) for the Southern Upland Atlantic salmon population and the DFO's guidance on assessing threats and ecological impacts for species at risk published in 2014 was used a guide for conducting a threat assessment. Overall, the low-risk assessment of fishing in the St. Mary's River presents an opportunity for proactive regulation, ensuring the long-term health of Atlantic salmon populations.
Open Access
Freshwater Climate Risk Index for Biodiversity (FW-CRIB): Using Climate Change Vulnerability and Risk Assessments (CCVA/CCRA) to Guide Freshwater Management in Canada’s Maritime Provinces
(2023-11) Shin, Megan
Climate change is occurring globally, impacting the distribution and fitness of organisms and the potential for ecosystems to provide vital services to human societies. In freshwater ecosystems across the globe, increasing variability and frequency of extremes in precipitation and subsequent water flows, as well as rising trends in water temperature are being observed. To effectively manage freshwater populations, policy measures must be implemented with climate projections in mind. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has recently committed and invested in, in alignment with United Nations Sustainable Goal 13, to combat climate change and its impacts on aquatic ecosystems to ensure climate-resilient aquatic ecosystem management. An essential step in this process is to identify the species and ecosystems that are most vulnerable to climate change to support decision-making for conservation and/or restoration. The Freshwater Climate Risk Index for Biodiversity (FW-CRIB), composed of climate change vulnerability (CCVAs) and risk (CCRAs) assessments can support climate adaptation efforts by helping to understand how climate risk manifests and what actions could help mitigate it. These assessments look at 12 indices across three components (adapting methods from Boyce et al.’s (2022) marine CRIB): exposure of a species in a watershed to future threats, current sensitivities faced by the species in a watershed, and the species’ presence, or lack of, adaptive traits. Results included generally higher risk levels in New Brunswick watersheds, with most species only showing high risk levels under RCP 8.5. Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) exhibited the highest overall vulnerabilities in the Saint John River Basin watershed under RCP 8.5. Using the open-access and reproducible framework developed through the FW-CRIB as applied in this study can be used to inform provincial and federal policy, and community-level decisions, providing meaningful guidance for predictive management tools.
Open Access
Multiaxial Shark Conservation: How vertical distribution can inform marine management
(2023-12) Sutherland, Taylor Reid
Understanding how sharks are spatially and temporally distributed is critical to formulating effective conservation and management strategies. Many shark species are threatened around the world, and knowledge on diving behaviours and vertical habitat use remains limited, hindering the development of contemporary, multiaxial management strategies. The recent advent of satellite technology facilitates the investigation of vertical habitat use by pelagic sharks through the analysis of diving behaviours. Comparing temperature profiles and track analyses between shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus), white (Carcharodon carcharias), and porbeagle (Lamna nasus) sharks tagged with pop-off satellite archival tags (PSATs) in Atlantic Canada indicates potential seasonal and species-specific characteristics of the local shark community. The explicit comparison of interspecific shark species distribution to understand the extent of their overlap on the vertical plane is novel, and vertical habitat characteristics such as preferred temperature and depth are rarely incorporated into vertical distribution and range using species distribution models (SDMs). Through developing an understanding of species-specific vertical habitat characteristics, depth-specific fisheries gear and bycatch mitigation regulations can be formulated to reduce the incidental capture of individual species instead of targeting sharks more broadly. In addition, periodically updating the Policy on Managing Bycatch to reflect contemporary data availability and establishing a centralized document outlining bycatch management for sharks beyond the implementation of recommendations by ICCAT are recommended paths to progress in the context shark conservation, bycatch mitigation, and species at risk recovery objectives in Canada.
Open Access
Adaptive capacity of marine other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) in an era of global climate change: a case study analysis of Canada and the Scotian Shelf
(2023-12) Watts, Taylor
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are often designed and managed with limited consideration of climate change and its impacts, potentially undermining their long-term efficacy. Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) are a relatively new conservation tool that can acknowledge areas with conservation benefits that otherwise do not qualify as MPAs. OECMs have potentially greater adaptive capacity than MPAs, because they can be implemented using faster and more flexible regulations. As Canada advances toward protecting 30% of its marine and coastal areas by 2030 through both MPAs and OECMs, OECMs likely have an important role in ensuring effective conservation through adaptation in a changing climate This study redefines five domains of adaptation described in the literature (assets, flexibility, organization, learning, and agency) in the context of protected areas. Using case study analysis, this research assesses how each of these adaptation domains are reflected in Canada’s marine OECM environment and OECM management in Canada’s Scotian Shelf-Bay of Fundy (SS-BOF) Bioregion. Results highlight that adaptive capacity of Canada’s marine OECMs is substantially lacking at present, and progress to advance all five adaptation domains is crucial to ensuring that Canada’s marine conservation system continues to deliver long-term conservation benefits. This research provides guidance to researchers, planners, and decision-makers for developing truly adaptive conservation measures in this era of global climate change.
Open Access
Examining the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program in Nova Scotia Through a Food Security Lens: Management for Subsistence Shellfish Harvest
(2023-12) Williamson, Adam
Defined as molluscan bivalves, shellfish are an important source of protein for subsistence harvesters in Canada. Due to health risks associated with consuming contaminated shellfish, routine monitoring of the coast is required. This responsibility falls to a federal program called the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program (CSSP). Although the CSSP is the sole authority for shellfish safety, its core mandate prioritizes delivery for commercial shellfish producers and its resources have not increased proportionately with costs, prompting program downsizing in Nova Scotia (NS). The purpose of this project is to analyze the CSSP from a food security lens. It aims to determine the impacts of CSSP on subsistence food security in NS, and whether the federal CSSP model is structured to meet food security needs. This project used thematic coding to analyze semi-structured interviews with federal and provincial government staff, resulting in the identification of four main themes and 13 sub-themes. Findings show that the CSSP decreases access for subsistence harvesters and increases health risks as it struggles to deliver testing, leaving large stretches of coastline unavailable for food and limiting Indigenous harvest rights. The program’s mandate is not structured to meet the needs of subsistence harvesters, and governance inefficiencies combined with resource shortages prevent adaptation. A commitment to drastic institutional change to address the underlying governance challenges of the CSSP is recommended. A federal program efficiency exercise and a comprehensive engagement project in NS should be conducted to determine how the program can deliver better outcomes for Canadians in the interim.
Open Access
Enhancing sustainability through aesthetic values: Exploring the role of aesthetic values in the management and planning of marine social-ecological systems in Nova Scotia
(2023-12) Wilson, Therese
Marine and coastal areas offer crucial Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) like enjoyment, inspiration, and aesthetic experiences, which are essential for human well-being. Recognizing and evaluating these CES is vital for identifying potential conflicts and enhancing social sustainability within holistic marine management frameworks such as Marine Spatial Planning (MSP). Despite the growing acknowledgment of social factors in modern sustainability frameworks, gaps remain in understanding CES of complex marine Social-Ecological Systems (SES), particularly in assessing people’s aesthetic values and preferences. Using Nova Scotia as a case study, this research employed a multi-method approach to explore the role of aesthetic values in the sustainable management and planning of marine SES. It involved both a content analysis to explore how the language around CES and aesthetics are integrated into MSP documents and a public survey to understand the factors that influence Nova Scotians’ visual preferences towards marine seascapes. This research found wide recognition of CES terminology in marine spatial plans, although its inclusion is uneven and inconsistent, with often superficial integration of aesthetics. The analysis identified enabling conditions for effectively integrating aesthetic values, including smaller-scale plans, bottom-up engagement, and top-down directives. The survey findings show that the ocean’s aesthetic value was generally considered important but visual appeal differed across seascape types. Furthermore, visual appeal preferences were found to be intertwined with values related to place attachment as well as moral judgements about the impacts of developments. The study’s synthesis proposes a framework that combines institutional and research pathways to effectively integrate aesthetics into marine spatial planning, thereby supporting more comprehensive and socially sustainable management of marine environments.
Open Access
Limited Options in Canada’s Regulatory Tools for Addressing Underwater Noise
(2023-05-30) Green, Carly
Over the last two decades, underwater noise has been recognized as a significant threat to marine ecosystems. With an accelerating blue economy and industrial expansion, human-generated noise continues to increase, deepening this threat and its impacts. Such noise is produced by various human activities that span industries such as tourism, shipping, fishing, and energy. In Canada, these industries fall under a variety of jurisdictions and regulatory authorities, creating silos across noise-producing activities. Holistic management and planning approaches such as Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) could assist decision-makers in minimizing the negative impacts of underwater noise; however, an understanding of how noise might be addressed through existing regulatory tools remains limited. This study provides an assessment of Canada's ocean regulatory tools and their potential to address noise. A deductive document analysis was used to uncover current strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the legislation. Results indicate minimal noise-related language in legislation and regulations, with explicit mentions being exceedingly rare. Most relevant terminology was found within the Canada Shipping Act and the annexed Interim Order for the Protection of the Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) in the Waters of Southern British Columbia. While this study highlights a finite capacity for Canada’s regulatory tools to address noise directly, it also highlights how the interpretation of these tools, alongside developing programs, initiatives, and management plans, can help to bridge current gaps. As the ocean becomes increasingly busy and noisy, it will be important to embed this threat into marine species and ecosystems in planning and management by first capturing the full potential of existing legislations and regulations. Keywords: Underwater noise, ocean noise, marine spatial planning, marine regulatory tools
Open Access
Coastal Adaptation and Vulnerability Assessment (CAVA) on the Tourism Industry for Sea-Level Rise in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
(2023-05-30) Genge, Laurel Eleanor Maud
Climate change and associated Sea-Level Rise (SLR) are impeding threats to the future of small coastal tourism communities. Although the perception of vulnerability to climate change within the tourism industry is becoming better understood, community resilience and adaptability remain inconsistencies in the scientific literature (Dube et al., 2021; Rangel-Buitrago et al., 2020). To assess the resilience of Lunenburg, this research identifies perceived risks and the level of preparedness of the tourism industry via a mixed methods approach. Integrating key informant interviews (26), business (36) and organization (18) surveys the understanding of potential impacts and existing mitigation strategies are assessed. Therefore, studying the perceived risks of climate change on the community of Lunenburg and their capacity to adapt is essential for decision-making processes within small coastal communities of similar geographic and economic breakdowns. Results highlight that key informant interviews prioritize mitigation strategies for pandemic-related public health restrictions (15.1%), operational capacity (12.9%), and increasing cost of operations (9.7%) represented by the relative frequency of mentioned themes. Most notably, the operational capacity to host a growing tourist population was an immediate concern for the accommodation and restaurant sector (12.9%). As such, this study addresses an important gap in scientific knowledge regarding how perceptions of climate change influence perceived risk and adaptation within tourism-dependent sectors in small coastal communities. More specifically, exploring the local tourism stakeholders’ knowledge of the expected effects of SLR and identifying perceived barriers to adaptation will aid in developing future SLR mitigation strategies. Keywords: Risk perceptions, sea-level rise, climate change, tourism stakeholders, mitigation strategies
Open Access
Determining effectiveness of Ecologically Significant Areas (ESAs) for protecting Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) spawning habitat in the Stewiacke River, NS
(2023-05-30) Martinez, Samanta
Canada’s Fisheries Act was modernized in 2019 and included added protections to all fish and fish habitat. To implement some of the new provisions in the Fisheries Act, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is working on a National Framework for Identifying, Establishing, and Managing Ecologically Significant Areas (ESA). An ESA is a spatial regulatory tool for the protection and conservation of fish and fish habitat and can apply to freshwater (including riparian habitat), estuarine, and marine waters. ESAs are areas of fish habitat that are sensitive, highly productive, rare, or unique. As there are currently no ESAs in Canada, DFO is working on case studies to better understand how ESA provisions could apply in practice and to inform the development of the National ESA Framework. In DFO’s Maritimes region, one case study being explored is the Stewiacke River, as it is home to the last spawning ground for the Bay of Fundy Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) population. Striped Bass is an important species in the region. It holds cultural importance to Mi’kmaq and is an important recreational fishery. The DFO Guidance on Assessing Threats, Ecological Risk and Ecological Impacts for Species at Risk was used as a guide for completing a risk assessment and adapted for the application to the ESA case study. The risk assessment was used to identify and analyze the human threats to Striped Bass spawning. Recommendations around applicability of the risk assessment for analysis of ESA case studies were made, and next steps for the Stewiacke River ESA case study were identified. Keywords: Striped Bass; Ecologically Significant Areas; fish habitat; spawning; human impacts