Spatial-temporal resilience of kelp forests in the face of changing conditions in British Columbia, Canada (BCKelpR)

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Canopy-forming kelp forests are globally recognized as one of the most structurally complex foundational ecosystems, which play an important role in maintaining marine food webs, buffering shorelines against erosion and contributing to carbon and nitrogen cycling. In coastal British Columbia, kelp forests have cultural relevance as historical navigation routes and as habitats for important food sources, particularly for coastal First Nations. Today, the cumulative effects of a warming climate, coastal development and sedimentation, threaten marine species including kelps, which are recognized as ecologically significant species of priority in Canada. Loss of this critical habitat will greatly impact commercially valuable marine fisheries and at-risk or endangered species, resulting in large-scale ecological shifts and the loss of a way of life for many coastal communities. In BC, the current status of bull and giant kelp species, and their fate is unknown, due to insufficient research within the context of local environmental stressors and global-regional climate drivers of change. This NSERC Alliance Partnership is strategically aligned to increase the regional knowledge-generating capacity to tackle large-scale data analysis and knowledge mobilization. By employing historical data and remote sensing technologies with big data analytics, this project aims to determine the long-term distribution patterns of canopy-forming kelp forests and define spatial-temporal resilience to environmental and biotic drivers. Anticipated outcomes and advancements will result in social, economic and environmental benefits for Canadians. For example, the identification of critical habitats or "hots-spots" of kelp resilience, areas at high risk for kelp loss and areas of potential target for restoration, will be integrated into ecosystem-based management strategies to inform Marine Protected Areas, spatial marine planning, kelp harvesting, and fisheries habitat management. The framework developed by this Alliance can be expanded to the Canadian East and Arctic coasts and can fuel the design and development of a sustainable, ocean-based blue economy, as part of Canada's Blue Economy Strategy, as well as related Blue Carbon initiatives.