Science Response 2016/022
Review of Environmental Effects Monitoring Program for the Fundy Tidal Energy Project
Context
The Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) tidal energy project located in the Minas Passage of the Bay of Fundy is a research and development demonstration site for testing in-stream tidal power technologies in Nova Scotia. The facility consists of four subsea berths for tidal in-stream energy conversion (TISEC) devices, as well as subsea power cables connected to land-based infrastructure for integration into the local power distribution system. Research and monitoring of baseline environmental conditions in the Bay of Fundy in support of the development of in-stream tidal power in Nova Scotia has been on-going over the past decade (see DFO 2008). In 2012, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science undertook a Science Response Process (SRP) to review initial research and monitoring results (2009-2010) reported following deployment of a single TISEC device in 2009 (see DFO 2012). The SRP concluded that insufficient research and monitoring had been undertaken to evaluate the effects of the TISEC device on valued ecosystem components of the Bay of Fundy, and recommended that additional studies be completed, particularly impacts related to marine mammals and fish behavior. In 2015, FORCE submitted a follow-up baseline report summarizing research and monitoring results collected at the demonstration site from 2011-2013. Based on the baseline results, FORCE submitted a proposed five year (2015-2020) Environmental Effects Monitoring Program (EEMP), which has the objective of addressing mid field effects, for DFO review. Last, in 2015-2016, multiple TISEC devices are to be deployed by Cape Sharp Tidal at the FORCE demonstration site, and a near-field, TISEC-specific Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) report has been submitted to DFO for review.
The DFO Fisheries Protection Program (FPP), Maritimes Region, has requested DFO Science peer-review the FORCE Baseline Report (2011-2013), the proposed FORCE EEMP (2015-2020), and the Cape Sharp Tidal TISEC-specific EEMP. The questions posed to DFO Science were:
- Are results presented in the FORCE baseline report (2011-2013) adequate for use as baseline information in support of the proposed EEMP for monitoring TISEC devices to be deployed in the Minas Passage of the Bay of Fundy? Are there any other baseline studies that should be completed?
- Is the proposed FORCE EEMP (2015-2020) designed to detect effects on marine valued ecosystem components (VECs) from TISEC devices to be deployed in the Minas Passage of the Bay of Fundy? Are there any EEM components, sampling procedures, techniques or analyses missing from the proposed EEMP that are necessary to appropriately assess the effects on marine VECs from TISEC devices to be deployed in the Minas Passage of the Bay of Fundy?
- Is the proposed Cape Sharp Tidal TISEC-specific EEMP appropriately designed to detect effects on marine VECs from deployment of the TISEC device(s) in the Minas Passage of the Bay of Fundy? Are there any EEM components, sampling procedures, techniques or analyses missing from the proposed TISEC-specific EEMP which are necessary to appropriately assess the effects on marine VECs from the TISEC device(s) to be deployed in the Minas Passage of the Bay of Fundy?
In support of this Science Response Process (SRP), DFO Science drew upon in-house science expertise with knowledge of in-stream tidal power research and monitoring in the Bay of Fundy. In some instances, peer reviewers involved in the SRP were also involved in previous research studies of this nature, some of which have been reported upon in the FORCE baseline report.
Advice provided by DFO Science through this SRP will be used by DFO Fisheries Protection Program (FPP) to meet its regulatory requirements pursuant to the Fisheries Act and Species at Risk Act and may also be used to support provincial and federal environmental assessment requirements.
This Science Response Report results from the Science Response Process of September 21, 2015, on the Review of the Environmental Effects Monitoring Program for the Fundy Tidal Energy Project.
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