An integrative framework to predict the presence of aquatic species-at-risk.

预测濒危水生物种存在的综合框架。

• 批准号: 561349-2020
• 负责人: Gray, MichelleMA
• 金额: $ 2.95万
• 依托单位: University of New Brunswick
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=753608
• 关键词: integrative; framework; predict; presence; aquatic

When any human activity that may alter an aquatic environment is proposed, e.g. bridge construction, pipeline crossings, dredging, culvert installations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada requires the proponent to minimize and mitigate impacts for all fish and molluscs, with added emphasis for the care of any species at risk (SAR) animals within the zone of potential impact, e.g., the area within the construction footprint. The New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DTI) is partnering with researchers from the Canadian Rivers Institute (CRI) at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) to develop a science-based risk assessment framework to establish the presence/absence of SAR aquatic species. The expected research outputs include using environmental DNA (eDNA) as a tool to map the spatial extent of SAR individuals, developing effective freshwater mussel survey methodologies at the microhabitat scale, mapping the connectivity of freshwater systems in NB using LiDAR, and a probabilistic model for the determination of risk to SAR across NB. This framework would allow for rapid confirmation of the presence of SAR within any proposed project's freshwater habitat, and could streamline the permitting process, concentrating the focus on conserving and protecting areas where SAR biota require the most attention, rather than defaulting to protection and unnecessary effort when SAR are absent. Beyond the regulatory and operational application, the outputs have significant implications for conservation and restoration as mapping of suitable SAR habitat will directly aid in prioritizing SAR habitat restoration, i.e., informing where to invest habitat restoration efforts with new unrealized restoration areas can be prioritized. This innovative research approach will have broad applications arising from an operational need (via NB DTI), while increasing the science-based decision making capacity within NB DTI and advancing current approaches to SAR freshwater surveys.

当提出任何可能改变水生环境的人类活动时，例如桥梁建设、管道穿越、疏浚、涵洞安装，加拿大渔业和海洋部要求提议者尽量减少和减轻对所有鱼类和软体动物的影响，并特别强调对潜在影响区内任何处于危险中的物种（SAR）动物的照顾，例如，建筑占地面积内。新玩法交通和基础设施部（DTI）正在与新玩法大学加拿大河流研究所（CRI）的研究人员合作，制定一个以科学为基础的风险评估框架，以确定SAR水生物种的存在/不存在。预期的研究成果包括使用环境DNA（eDNA）作为一种工具，以映射SAR个人的空间范围，开发有效的淡水贻贝调查方法在微生境规模，映射淡水系统的连接在NB使用激光雷达，和概率模型确定的风险，以SAR在NB。这一框架将允许迅速确认任何拟议项目的淡水生境中是否存在搜救，并可简化许可程序，将重点集中于养护和保护搜救生物群最需要关注的地区，而不是在搜救不存在时默认保护和不必要的努力。除了监管和业务应用外，这些产出对保护和恢复具有重要意义，因为绘制合适的SAR栖息地将直接有助于优先考虑SAR栖息地恢复，即，可以优先告知在哪里对新的未实现的恢复区域进行生境恢复工作。这种创新的研究方法将有广泛的应用所产生的业务需求（通过NB DTI），同时提高NB DTI内的科学决策能力，并推进目前的方法，以SAR淡水调查。