Development of kelp habitat banks for the British Columbia forestry sector

林业是温哥华岛上重要的经济产业，养活着成千上万的家庭。现代伐木做法力求将对环境的影响降至最低；然而，在不列颠哥伦比亚省(BC)，陆地和海洋生境因伐木而退化仍然是一个挑战。生境银行是林业部门用来补偿这些环境影响的重要工具。在这个项目中，NSERC将支持北岛学院(NIC)和M.C.Wright and Associates(MCWA)与不列颠哥伦比亚木材销售公司(BCTS)合作，为林业部门种植的海带床开发一种创新的栖息地银行。海带自然地为许多不同物种提供食物和栖息地，同时改善水质，因此具有恢复退化的海洋栖息地的巨大潜力。在NSERC Engage项目已完成工作的基础上，该ARD项目将在温哥华岛和邻近的不列颠哥伦比亚省大陆周围的地点测试三种不同海带种植技术的有效性：1)水平延绳，这在海带水产养殖业中很常见；2)垂直落线，也可用作碎屑幕；3)在海底种植种子岩石，这是挪威最近开发的一种技术。将对三种海带进行试验，所有这些海带都具有商业价值，都是不列颠哥伦比亚省的土生土长的品种，它们的生产力将与未种植(自然播种)的对照进行比较。该项目将通过潜水调查和数据记录器来评估场地条件。该项目将在种植技术、海带种类和成功或不成功的场地条件方面为海带栖息地银行的发展提供实用的见解。结果将立即由行业合作伙伴和可能的其他林业公司实施，以在沿海地区建立新的海藻栖息地。

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 habitatdegradation from logging remains a challenge in British Columbia (BC). Habitat banks are an important toolused by the forestry sector to compensate for these environmental impacts. In this project, NSERC will supportNorth 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 naturallyprovides food and habitat for many different species while improving water quality, and thus holds significantpotential to rehabilitate degraded marine habitat. Building on the work completed in an NSERC Engageproject, this ARD project will test the efficacy of three different kelp planting techniques at sites aroundVancouver Island and the adjacent BC mainland: 1) horizontal longlines, common in the kelp aquacultureindustry; 2) vertical drop lines, which may also act as a debris curtain; and 3) seeded rock that is out-planted onthe ocean floor, a technique that was recently developed in Norway. Three kelp species will be trialed, all ofwhich are commercially valuable and indigenous to British Columbia, and their productivity will be comparedto 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 immediatelyimplemented by the industry partners and possibly other forestry companies to build new kelp habitat banksalong the coast.