Ecological and conservation science research to build an integrated field research station - eco-tourism business

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Cassiar Cannery is the only ecotourism company and research station in the Skeena Estuary on British Columbia's beautiful north coast. The business is reliant upon healthy coastal eelgrass ecosystems and salmon runs, both of which appear to be threatened by currently proposed LNG projects in the area. Securing the long-term viability of Cassiar Cannery's ecotourism business requires that any such development projects be implemented using science-based decision making so as to minimize impacts to ecologically sensitive habitats and species. At present, however, the required scientific information is lacking. This new research partnership will give Cassiar Cannery access to the Baum lab's specialized marine ecology knowledge and expertise. We will generate fundamental new knowledge about the location, health, and ecological sensitivity of local eelgrass beds and the reliance of salmon and other fishes on these ecosystems. We will achieve this by mapping and surveying the eelgrass beds within the Skeena Estuary for fish and invertebrate biodiversity, food web structure, and environmental characteristics in summer and fall 2015. We will then transfer this new knowledge directly to the company through a research report and website materials. This research will be used directly by Cassiar Cannery to promote science-based decision making about proposed energy-sector developments within their local ecologically sensitive coastal ecosystems; to develop local coastal estuary maps and on-site displays to help strengthen their eco-tourism business; and as baseline data that will be openly available to inform future research at the company's fledgling field station. Benefits of this research to Canada include rigorous scientific evidence that can be broadly employed as the basis for understanding environmental impacts of proposed developments on B.C.'s northern coast; the promotion of sustainable tourism within B.C.; and high-quality training of two students.