bedford institute of oceanography 2001 in review - Région des ...

RETROSPECTIVE 2001winter. Initial results indicated the receivers detected more than50% of the cod during their annual migration, clearly showingwhere and when they moved.• The Strategic Science Fund Project, Comparative Dynamics ofExploited Ecosystems in the Northwest Atlantic (CDEENA), hascompleted its third full year. The first two years were largelyfocussed on obtaining the data required for constructing modelsof ecosystem structure and function in Atlantic Canadian watersfrom the 1970s to the present. During the most recent year, manyof these models approached completion, and the project is in thephase of comparing the various time periods and areas. The BIOcontribution to this zonal project includes mass balance models ofthe eastern and western Scotian Shelf areas in two different timeperiods, models of multi-species dynamics, and reconstruction ofcod-seal-fishery interactions on the eastern Scotian Shelf. Thecompletion of the project is expected to include a special session atthe American Fisheries Society meeting in Québec in 2004.• The division has maintained an active grey seal population-monitoringprogram at Sable Island, Nova Scotia since 1977, and jointproject research activities with Dalhousie University and theSmithsonian Institution have been in place since 1989. Theresearch has focussed on generating new knowledge on grey sealforaging ecology and reproduction that has direct application toresource management issues. Distribution, foraging, reproduction,lactation, and behaviour projects were conducted.• MFD is involved in the study of the threatened loggerhead andendangered leatherback turtle. The goal of the study is to identifywhen these animals arrive in Canadian waters, behaviour theyexhibit while here, and the threats they face during their stay. Ajoint research project has been established with DalhousieUniversity and members of the Nova Scotia Leatherback WorkingGroup whose researchers have successfully attached satellitelinkedtransmitters to 13 leatherback turtles in 2001. These turtleswere tracked while in Canadian waters and beyond, providingexciting new knowledge on their movements. A subset of theturtles were fitted with dive-recorders that provided data abouttheir foraging activities. This project will continue through 2002.• MFD played an integral role in the groundfish pilot project sponsoredunder the DFO Objective-Based Fisheries ManagementInitiative. This national initiative introduces risk management,including the precautionary approach, to fishery management andrequires that planning encompass general ecosystem considerations,socio-economic aspects of the fishery, and the conservationrequirements of the stocks that support the fishery.• Virtual Data Centre (VDC) presentations were made at a variety ofnational and international venues including: Canada-USAFisheries Science bilateral meeting and the North Atlantic FisheriesOrganization (NAFO) Scientific Council meeting. New data productssuch as online mapping continue to be produced on a regularbasis. The Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure Initiative(GeoConnections) is creating a strong interest in VDC-baseddatasets as a source for marine geospatial data. For additional informationon VDC, refer to the article in the Science Activities sectionof this report.Cup coral (Flabellum alabastrum) in an aquarium at BIO. The coral was collectedfrom the Scotian Slope at around 400 meters. – photo by Pål Mortensen.The Marine Environmental Sciences Division has been involved incoral research since 1997. Deep-sea corals (200-1500 m) are abundantoff Atlantic Canada, and concern has been raised about their vulnerabilityto human disturbance. In 2001, this program took a major stepforward when the Environmental Studies Research Fund approved atwo-year project to expand the current research effort. TwoNorwegian deep-sea coral experts, Pål and Lene Mortensen, areworking full time on coral studies. In addition to gathering informationon coral distribution, new data are being collected on coralabundance, habitat association, and associated species from researchcruises in 2001 to the Northeast Channel, the Verrill Canyon, theGully, and along the continental slope. Some live coral specimenswere transported to BIO and have been maintained in the FishLaboratory for behavioural studies. Results to date indicate that coralsare most diverse in the Gully (at least 10 species of soft, horny, andcup corals) but that their abundance is greatest in the NortheastChannel (two species of horny corals). The most common corals onthe continental slope are cup corals.In addition to the expanded coral research program, the MarineEnvironmental Science Division continued research on other habitatand contaminant issues. Some of the highlights for 2001 included:• Major advances were made in communicating advice on environmentalimpacts of finfish culture to Habitat Managementthrough the development of guidelines and a decision supportsystem for evaluating site applications.• A major research initiative to evaluate the factors affecting thesustainability of mussel culture was initiated.• The compatibility and utility of a suite of acoustic equipment andsoftware for sampling ocean sediments and associated marineorganisms was evaluated. The favourable results of this evaluationhave formed the basis for a new project to evaluate methodologyfor mapping essential fish habitat.• A comprehensive survey of the contaminants in the marine environmentof Sydney Harbour was completed.6 / BIO-2001 IN REVIEW