Terms of Reference

Regional Advisory Meeting

Gully Marine Protected Area (MPA) Contaminant Monitoring Framework: Part II

July 2, 2008

Dartmouth, NS

Chairperson: Tana Worcester

Context

The Gully is the largest marine canyon in eastern North America. Located offshore Nova Scotia near Sable Island, the Gully contains a rich diversity of marine habitats and species, including deep-sea corals and northern bottlenose whales. The area is nationally and globally acknowledged as a unique and important marine habitat. The Gully ecosystem has long been important for fishing, and more recently, the surrounding waters have witnessed growth in oil and gas exploration and development. The health of the Gully is closely linked to that of the surrounding area. Large scale currents and smaller scale water movements carry suspended particles into the canyon. Oceanographic processes and retention within the Gully may make it susceptible to accumulation of contaminants.

The Gully became a Marine Protected Area (MPA) under the Oceans Act in 2004, with accompanying regulations. A Management Plan is currently under review, which includes consideration of contaminants.

The proposed meeting would be the second in a series of meetings to develop a framework for contaminant monitoring in the Gully. It is expected that this framework would inform management decisions in the coming years.

Objectives

Data Inputs (11 December 2007)

• Review existing sources of contaminant data that has been collected to date by DFO and others in the Gully MPA and surrounding waters, and discuss methods that have been used or could be used for analysis.

• Identify sources of information on biological effects of contaminants that may be relevant to the Gully MPA and surrounding waters, and discuss methods of analysis and application to the Gully MPA.

• Review studies and techniques that have been conducted or used elsewhere, such as in other deep-sea canyons or MPAs, that may inform the development of a contaminant monitoring framework for the Gully MPA.

• Identify data gaps that may be relevant to the development of a contaminant monitoring framework for the Gully MPA.

Data Analysis and Framework Development (2 July 2008)

• Review contaminant data that has been collected to date by DFO and others in the Gully MPA and surrounding waters.

• Review information on biological effects of contaminants that may be relevant to the Gully MPA and surrounding waters.

• Identify potential components of a contaminant monitoring program for the Gully MPA in the Maritimes Region, including:

Sampling Design (including frequency and duration)

o Data Management

o Reporting

o Linkages to other monitoring programs

Outputs

CSAS Science Advisory Report

CSAS Proceedings

CSAS Research Document

Participation

DFO Science

DFO Oceans and Habitat

Environment Canada

Universities

Offshore Oil & Gas Industry (SOEI)

Non-Government Organizations

Fishing Industry

Nova Scotia Provincial Representatives

Aboriginal communities / Organizations