The development of video monitoring methods and management thresholds to characterize the fish farm impacts on hard-bottom substrates

Description

Previous work has recommended benthic monitoring tools and management thresholds to minimize benthic impacts originating from fish farms. Although these tools were cost-effective, practical, accepted by the scientific community, and readily available in Canada, they were largely applicable to soft-sediment substrates. This project identifies and tests benthic sampling methods to monitor, quantify, and evaluate potential impacts to hard-bottom substrates in British Columbia and Newfoundland. A classification system will be developed to identify the effects of farm waste deposition on hard-bottom substrates. Another goal is to update a sampling decision tree to provide a comprehensive framework integrating both hard- and mixed-bottom monitoring techniques. This will avoid duplication of effort and decrease costs to industry and regulatory agencies when conducting environmental assessments.

Findings

N/A

Publications

N/A

Program Name

Program for Aquaculture Regulatory Research (PARR)

Year(s)

2010 to 2013

Ecoregion(s)

National

Principal Investigator(s)

Terri Sutherland
DFO, 4160 Marine Dr, West Vancouver, BC V7V 1N6
Tel.: (604) 666-8537
Email: Terri.sutherland@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Team Member(s)

Gehan Mabrouk, DFO-Newfoundland region

Danny Ings, DFO-Newfoundland region

March Klaver, DFO-Pacific region

Carol Grant, DFO-Newfoundland region

Lisa Noble, DFO-Newfoundland region