Development of kelp habitat banks for the British Columbia forestry sector

林业是温哥华岛重要的经济产业，养活着成千上万的家庭。 现代伐木实践力求最大限度地减少对环境的影响；然而，陆地和海洋生境 伐木造成的退化仍然是不列颠哥伦比亚省 (BC) 的一个挑战。人居银行是一个重要的工具 林业部门用来补偿这些环境影响。在这个项目中，NSERC 将支持 北岛学院 (NIC) 和 M.C. Wright and Associates (MCWA) 与 BC Timber Sales 合作 (BCTS)，为林业部门开发一种创新类型的栖息地库——种植海带床。海带天然 为许多不同物种提供食物和栖息地，同时改善水质，因此具有重要意义 恢复退化海洋栖息地的潜力。以 NSERC Engage 中完成的工作为基础 该 ARD 项目将在周围地点测试三种不同海带种植技术的功效 温哥华岛及邻近的BC大陆：1）水平延绳钓，常见于海带养殖 工业； 2) 垂直落线，也可充当碎片帘； 3) 外植的种子岩石 海底，这是挪威最近开发的一项技术。将试验三种海带品种，全部 具有商业价值且原产于不列颠哥伦比亚省，并且将比较它们的生产力 未种植（自然播种）对照。现场条件将通过潜水调查和数据记录器进行评估。 该项目将为海带栖息地库的发展提供种植技术方面的实用见解， 海带种类以及成功或不成功的场地条件。结果将立即出炉 由行业合作伙伴和可能的其他林业公司实施，以建立新的海带栖息地银行 沿着海岸。

Forestry is an economically important industry on Vancouver Island that supports thousands of families. Modern logging practices seek to minimize environmental impacts; however, terrestrial and marine habitat degradation from logging remains a challenge in British Columbia (BC). Habitat banks are an important tool used by the forestry sector to compensate for these environmental impacts. In this project, NSERC will support North Island College (NIC) and M.C. Wright and Associates (MCWA), in collaboration with BC Timber Sales (BCTS), to develop an innovative type of habitat bank for the forestry sector - planted kelp beds. Kelp naturally provides food and habitat for many different species while improving water quality, and thus holds significant potential to rehabilitate degraded marine habitat. Building on the work completed in an NSERC Engage project, this ARD project will test the efficacy of three different kelp planting techniques at sites around Vancouver Island and the adjacent BC mainland: 1) horizontal longlines, common in the kelp aquaculture industry; 2) vertical drop lines, which may also act as a debris curtain; and 3) seeded rock that is out-planted on the ocean floor, a technique that was recently developed in Norway. Three kelp species will be trialed, all of which are commercially valuable and indigenous to British Columbia, and their productivity will be compared to unplanted (naturally seeded) controls. Site conditions will be assessed through dive surveys and data loggers. This project will provide practical insights for kelp habitat bank development in terms of planting techniques, kelp species, and site conditions that were successful or unsuccessful. Results will be immediately implemented by the industry partners and possibly other forestry companies to build new kelp habitat banks along the coast.