Habitat banks are an important tool used by the forestry sector to compensate for environmental impacts. The goal of this project is to develop an innovative type of habitat bank using planted kelp beds that can be used by the forestry sector to reduce the environmental impact of logging on marine habitat. Kelp beds are also highly effective at sequestering carbon, the levels of carbon sequestered in the habitat banks will be measured in order to assess their contribution to mitigating the effects of climate change.
Project Dates: December 2019 – January 3, 2024
Funding Amount: $286,250
Students Hired: 7
Project Summary
Kelp naturally provides food and habitat for many different species while improving water quality. Planted kelp beds, therefore, have the potential to create marine habitat and/or rehabilitate degraded marine habitat. This project seeks to fill in knowledge gaps regarding kelp as a habitat banking tool for the forestry sector. The growth and quality of kelp was compared at several marine sites used for log handling/storage. In addition to kelp measurements, water quality was monitored and qualitative observations from underwater photos/video were recorded at each site. The results will help the industry partners, and potentially other companies, make informed decisions about future marine habitat banks by examining what site conditions and kelp cultivation techniques were or were not successful during this project.
Research Team
Allison Byrne
Researcher
Logan Zeinert
Researcher
Sally Enns
Student Research Assistant and NIC Aquaculture Technician program alum
Maria Griffith
Student Research Assistant
Sabrina Jordan
Student Research Assistant
Aube Degroot
Student Research Assistant
Melissa Roberts
Student Research Assistant
Michael C. Wright
Owner and Senior Biologist, M.C. Wright and Associates Ltd.
Cosmo Roemer
Biologist, M.C. Wright and Associates Ltd.
Karl Smith
Guardian Manager, Wei Wai Kum First Nation
Michael Gelz
Engineering Technologist, BC Timber Sales
Roland Doering
Engineering Officer, BC Timber Sales
Amber Urbshas
Student Researcher
Abby Walker
Student Researcher
Project Outcomes
- Kelp was planted at four sites. Kelp yield, length, and width were measured, along with water current, temperature, and salinity at the experimental sites. Underwater video footage from dive surveys was collected before kelp planting and on a follow-up trip near peak kelp production.
- Optimal kelp culture depth, grow-out infrastructure, and sites were identified.
- NIC, MCWA, and BC Timber Sales are working together on a larger 3-year kelp project that will build on the results of this collaboration and test a novel kelp planting technique.
Partners
News Stories and Coverage
- Allison Byrne on CBC
- NIC News: NIC researching kelp habitat banks for the forestry sector
- My Comox Valley Now: NIC part of kelp-planting efforts on Vancouver Island
- Campbell River Mirror: North Island College helping research kelp habitat improvements for forestry sector