For up-to-date information about BoFEP meetings and other events visit: www.bofep.org/calendar.htm

BoFEP Secretariat
ACER
Acadia University
23 Westwood Avenue
PO Box 115, Wolfville, NS 
B4P 2R6
Tel  (1) 902-585-1113
Fax (1) 902-585-1054
secretariat@bofep.org

BoFEP Communications
communications@bofep.org

~ FUNDY TIDINGS ~
The Quarterly Newsletter of the
Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership (BoFEP)

April 2010 ~ Spring Issue

HEADLINES:

A.   BoFEP and its activities:
 

1. BoFEP 2009 AGM - Report of Chair
2. Time to renew (or start) your BoFEP Membership

3. Stress and Cumulative Effects  Working Group Workshop

4. Corophium & Mudflat Ecology WG Meeting

5. EC Funding for 2010-2011
6. BoFEP Participation in GOMC Meeting

B.   Partners and other organizations:
 

1. Support  the Bay of Fundy in the New7Wonders Competition

2. ESIP Fact Sheet Available

3. SMU Researcher to Study Effects of Turbine on Fundy Sediments

4. ACCESS 2010 Annual Meeting Fast Approaching

5. Coastal Zone Canada 2010 Conference

6. Nova Scotia Energy Research and Development Forum 2010

7. Overview of Coastal Activities in Atlantic Canada

8. On-line Fisheries Forum Launched

9. Fundy Geological Museum receives $1M funding

10. New Web Portal for the EC Funding Program
11. Bay of Fundy Discovery Centre Association Newsletter

C.   Fundy/GOM and other News:
 

1. The fascinating Fossils of Joggins

2. Tidal and Wave Energy Technologies Assessment Report

3. Video on Tidal Turbines in Fundy

4. Eelgrass document available

5. Videos about the Bay of Fundy

6. Meteorite Crater Near Bridgetown NS focus of study

7. Concerns about Coastal Access in Nova Scotia

8. Report on The State of Nova Scotia's Coast

9. Outlook for Red Tide Outbreak in GOM and BoF in 2010

10. Handbook on Sustainable Coastal Tourism

11. Join the Not-Since-Moses Run on Fundy's Seafloor

D. Administrivia - [Subscribing, unsubscribing and submitting material]

A. BoFEP and its activities:

1. BoFEP 2009 AGM - Report of Chair

The 2009 BoFEP Annual General Meeting was held on November 4, 2009 at the Joggins Fossil Cliffs Centre in Joggins, NS. In addition to the regular business meeting there was a special presentation on "The Joggins Fossil Cliffs Centre - Activities and Significance in Darwin's Special Year" by Dr. Melissa Grey,  Science and Education Coordinator at the Centre. The Report of the BoFEP Chair , summarizing the activities of 2009, presented at the meeting is available.

 

2. Time to renew (or start) your BoFEP Membership

Recently a letter from the Chair was circulated to all current and prospective BoFEP members inviting them to renew  or start their membership for 2010. In it, the Chair and Vice Chair noted that:  "We must broaden our sources of support to keep running the primary programs.  To augment the financial situation, BoFEP has initiated  an Ambassador Program.  The BoFEP Ambassadors are approaching businesses in the Fundy region to make them aware of BoFEP’s work  and value, and to ask for direct support.  We are also applying for non-profit status to improve our ability to apply for grants.  By this second appeal to members (April 2010),  BoFEP is asking for your tangible support for 2010. A membership form is available online.  Please renew your membership, or join BoFEP as a new supporting member.  Support us individually or corporately.  Please give generously.  Membership is for the 2010 Calendar year.  Dues should be received by April 30th.  Receipts will be issued. If you have already joined,  thank-you very much. " 

 

3. Stress and Cumulative Effects  Working Group Workshop

A workshop on "Threats to the health of the Bay of Fundy: (Potential problems posed by pollutants)"  will be held on Friday, April 30th, 10 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Algonquin Hotel in St. Andrews, NB. The workshop is organized by BoFEP's Cumulative Effects of Stress Working Group, and is sponsored by the Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and New Brunswick Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. A Workshop Proceedings will be produced. For more information see: Workshop program . If interested in participating contact:  mburt@unb.ca  .

 

4. Corophium & Mudflat Ecology WG Meeting

The Corophium and Mudflat Ecology Working Group will be meeting on Thursday, May 20th, 2010 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Room 108 in the Dunn Building at Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB. [ A campus map is available at: http://www.mta.ca/map/map_legend.html ]. The morning and early afternoon will be devoted to student presentations on results to date and modelling work carried out, followed by discussions of partners' expectations, the 2010 field season and other issues of general interest.  A more detailed agenda will be available in May. Light refreshments will be available. If you have any questions or are interested in attending please contact Myriam Barbeau as soon as possible at:  mbarbeau@unb.ca or  Tel: (506) 447-3213

 

5. EC Funding for 2010-2011
After a period of some uncertainty, organizations participating in the Atlantic Ecosystems Initiative AEI/ACAP, including BoFEP, have learned that funding will be forthcoming from Environment Canada for the new fiscal year. Daniel Lebel, EC's Regional Director General, Atlantic Region,  announced in a recent letter to the BoFEP Chair that: "Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership will receive funding for the 2010-2011 fiscal year as part of the Atlantic Coastal Action Program under the Atlantic Ecosystem Initiative to transition to an ecosystem-based approach. This approach will see more efforts concentrated in three vulnerable ecosystems: the Bay of Fundy/Gulf of Maine, the Northumberland Strait and the coastal zone of Halifax. In addition, work will focus on the three priority environmental issues: habitat and biodiversity loss, water quality and the impacts of climate change. The Sustainable Communities and Ecosystems Division, Environment Canada will send out a call for proposals for projects carried out during the 2010-2011 fiscal year within the next week. Project proposals must address at least one of the three environmental issues identified above. Proposals will undergo peer and technical reviews before recommendations are submitted for approval."

 

6. BoFEP Participation in GOMC Meeting

BoFEP was represented by Chair Peter Wells at the Portsmouth meeting of the Working Group of the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment, March 24-25th.  At this meeting, association with other governmental and NGO groups around the GOM and BoF was discussed.  A discussion was started on the regional priorities for the Council's next action plan.  Wells also was in discussions about Gulfwatch, the Council's long term chemical contaminants monitoring program, as well as on the status of the GOM state of the environment report, as BoFEP is involved in both of these programs. The next meeting of GOMC will be in Portland, ME., June 7-9th, 2010, celebrating the Council's 21st anniversary. More information is available on the Council's web site at www.gulfofmaine.org.  

B. Partners and other organizations:

1. Support  the Bay of Fundy in the New7Wonders Competition

The Bay of Fundy Tourism Partnership announced recently that M. Jean-Paul de la Fuente, the Director of the New7Wonders Foundation, toured the Bay of Fundy region from April 14 through 16. While here, Jean-Paul he participated in site visits to the Bay of Fundy’s most popular attractions and also met with regional & national tourism reps to discuss strategies and identity opportunities for the BoF region in this international campaign. This marks the first visit to Canada by the New7Wonders organization since the Bay of Fundy was announced as a global finalist in the New7Wonders of Nature Campaign.  The final New7Wonders of Nature winner will be announced on November 11, 2011. Make sure to vote for the Bay of Fundy as your favourite New7Wonders of Nature location...it's Canada's only entry into this contest and will make the area a destination for people from around the planet for years to come.

 

2. ESIP Fact Sheet Available

The ESIP (Ecosytem Indicators Partnership) Steering Committee has released the first ESIP fact sheet that contains information about ESIP,  the selected indicators, and two webtools: an indicators reporting tool and a map of monitoring programs. The fact sheet can be viewed online at: http://www.gulfofmaine.org/esip/factsheet-01.php, or downloaded in pdf format from: http://www.gulfofmaine.org/esip/docs/ESIPFactSheetversionJan2010.pdf

 

3. Saint Mary's University Researcher to Study Effects of Turbine on Fundy Sediments

Danika van Proosdij, a geomorphologist at Saint Mary's University has received $65,000 from the Offshore Energy Environmental Research (OEER) Association for a two year study of how tidal power projects in the Bay of Fundy are likely to influence sedimentation processes. Her research team will  assess how the dynamics of sedimentation change when energy is extracted from a macrotidal system by turbines. [Halifax Chronicle Herald, March 24, 2010]

 

4. ACCESS 2010 Annual Meeting Fast Approaching

The Atlantic Canada Coastal and Estuarine Science Society (ACCESS) 2010 meeting will be held jointly with the New England Estuarine Research Society (NEERS) in St. Andrews, NB on May 13-16th. The overall theme of this conference is “Trans-boundary issues”. Registration information, accommodation recommendations, and other relevant details can be found on the ACCESS website:

www.cerf-access.ca 

 

5. Coastal Zone Canada 2010 Conference

The international conference Coastal Zone Canada 2010 will be held 25-29 July 2010 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The theme is 'Healthy Oceans - Strong Coastal Communities'. Sub-themes include: the challenges of coastal management in Canada; linking land and ocean planning and management; strengthening coastal communities; planning for the impacts of climate change; coastal policy planning for PEI. For program and registration details visit: http://www.gov.pe.ca/czc2010.

 

6. Nova Scotia Energy Research and Development Forum 2010

The fourth Nova Scotia Energy Research and Development Forum will be held May 26 - 27, 2010. at the World Trade and Convention Centre, Halifax, NS. Hosted by the Nova Scotia Department of Energy, the OETR Association, and the OEER Association, the Forum will focus on the results of ground-breaking research in offshore geoscience, renewable energy, tidal energy in the Bay of Fundy, impacts of energy extraction on the marine environment, seismic data reprocessing and marginal field development. For more information and to register visit: NS R&D Forum.

 

7. Overview of Coastal Activities in Atlantic Canada

A summary of the presentations and roundtable discussions at the Atlantic Coastal Zone Information Steering Committee (ACZISC) Meeting #59 on  20-21 January 2010 at the Maritime College of Forest Technology, Hugh John Flemming Forestry Centre, Fredericton, NB. Visit: http://aczisc.dal.ca/59cz.pdf .

 

8. On-line Fisheries Forum Launched

Nova Scotia's Coastal Communities Network (CCN) has launched a new on-line forum with funding from the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries. Over the last 16 years, CCN has played an important role in helping fishing organizations work together to look for solutions. Topics for the forum may include upcoming meetings, consultations and events, lobster and general fisheries issues, conservation, enforcement and sustainability, marketing, co-ops, direct sales, canneries and government Policies.  You can register to join the forum at: http://www.database.coastalcommunities.ns.ca/forum.aspx

 

9. Fundy Geological Museum receives $1M funding

Knowledge of the Bay of Fundy's rich geological heritage will be enhanced thanks to funding announced by the provincial and federal governments to support upgrades to exhibit space at the Fundy Geological Museum in Parrsboro. This comprises a $550,000 investment from the province to help the museum revitalize its exhibit space by incorporating new material contained in the permanent collection as well as $450,000 from the Federal Government's Innovative Communities Fund.  More details.  Information about the Fundy Geological Museum .

 

10. New Web Portal for Community Action Program for the Environment Funding

 Environment Canada has announced the launch of a new Community Action Programs for the Environment (CAPE) web portal, which brings together, for the first time, Environment Canada's 10 community funding programs on a single website. Canadians now have easy access to information about all EC community funding programs, including each programs’ goals, eligibility criteria, funding deadlines, geographic range, available funding, and website.  Visit the new portal.

 

11. Bay of Fundy Discovery Centre Association Newsletter

The March issue of the e-newsletter "In with the Tide" produced by The Bay of Fundy Discovery Centre Association  containing a variety of articles of interest to the Fundy community is now available online. To join the organization  contact the Chair Roger Outhouse at:  routhouse@cwswireless.ca.

C. Fundy/GOM and other News:

1. The fascinating Fossils of Joggins

Given the recent focus of international interest on the Joggins Fossil Cliffs, BoFEP members may be interested to know that a facsimile copy of Sir William Dawson's 1878 book "Acadian Geology: The Geological Structure, Organic Remains and Mineral Resources of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island" is available online. This is the volume that details " one of the most famous fossil discoveries in paleontology" ; namely,  the finding the fossil remains of what was at that point the oldest known reptile, Hylonomus lyelli ("Lyell's forest wanderer") inside a fossilized tree trunk  at Joggins. The chapters dealing mainly with the Joggins area are #s 11-13. The book can be found at:  http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/57493#1.  For even more information about these and many other fossils visit the excellent website of the Joggins Fossil Cliffs Centre at:  

http://www.jogginsfossilcliffs.net/.

 

2. Tidal and Wave Energy Technologies Assessment Report

Fisheries and Oceans Canada hosted a National Science Advisory Process meeting on 21-22 April 2009 to determine the current state of knowledge on the environmental impacts of tidal and wave energy conversion technologies and their application in the Canadian context based on published reports. The objectives of the meeting included identifying potential mitigation measures and determining the feasibility of developing a relevant Canadian Statement of Practice. An 11 page summary [DFO. 2009. Assessment of Tidal and Wave Energy Conversion Technologies in Canada. DFO

Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2009/064.] is available at

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/CSAS/Csas/Publications/SAR-AS/2009/2009_064_E.pdf.

 

3. Video on Tidal Turbines in Fundy

The CBC program Land and Sea aired a program on December 20, 2009 about the tidal turbines being installed in the Bay of Fundy. It can be viewed at:

 http://www.cbc.ca/landandsea/2009/12/tidal-turbines.html

 

4. Eelgrass document available

The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries has recently published "Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Restoration and Monitoring Technical Guidelines". The document is intended to be used as a guide in the design and review of eelgrass restoration and mitigation projects . It can be downloaded from:

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf/programsandprojects/eelgrass_mitigation_guidelines.pdf.

 

5. Videos about the Bay of Fundy

The following two early videos about the Bay of Fundy  are available online from the National Film Board of Canada:

a. Where The Sea Becomes The Bay  (1985) - A half hour film made by Haligonian John Brett almost 25 years ago, but much of the information is still relevant. This is a documentary about the fragile and complex marine ecosystem in the Bay of Fundy. The film traces relationships within the food chain - from tiny plankton to birds and seals and finally to whales and humans. The film is a plea for careful management of our ocean resource and was first telecast as part of CBC's Nature of Things series.  Can be viewed online at: http://www.nfb.ca/film/Where_the_Bay_Becomes_the_Sea/

 

b. Rivers To The Sea (1989) - A 46 minute film by John Brett  about the rivers around the Bay.

This documentary looks at the beauty and the pollution of tidal Atlantic rivers. The rivers' closeness to the sea makes them ideal spawning grounds for many kinds of marine fish that require fresh water to complete some part of their life cycle.

Can be viewed online at: http://www.nfb.ca/film/Rivers_to_the_Sea/

 

6. Meteorite Crater Near Bridgetown NS focus of study

Acadia University scientists are studying a meteorite crater south of Bridgetown. The group of researchers led by Ian Spooner, an environmental geo-scientist in the earth and environmental science department, published a paper in the journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science in September, 2009.  It outlines details of the elliptical impact crater about one km in circumference at Bloody Creek reservoir, a small lake on Nova Scotia Power land on South Mountain, about 20 km from Bridgetown. The crater was discovered in the late 1980s by former Acadia professor George Stevens. Called the Bloody Creek structure, the 10-metre deep crater is formed in granite, making it all the more important because, unlike in other rock, only an impact could have produced such elliptical features. More details.

 

7. Concerns about Coastal Access in Nova Scotia

The September 2009 Issue of  Marine Affairs Policy Forum (produced by the Marine Affairs Program (MAP) at Dalhousie University) presents a discussion "Addressing Coastal Access as a Priority Coastal Issue in Nova Scotia". The Forum provides perspectives on current and emerging issues of concern to the coastal and ocean policy community in the Atlantic Region. Many of the issues MAP researches through its students and staff are directly relevant to the Bay of Fundy and its watersheds.  View document
 

8. Report on The State of Nova Scotia's Coast

The report released on December 9, 2009 by the NS  department of Fisheries & Aquaculture gives an overview of the condition of Nova Scotia's coastal areas and resources. It serves as a baseline to determine future trends. It describes physical, ecological, and socio-economic characteristics of the

coast, and examines six priority coastal issues in more detail. The government will use the information in the report and feedback from coastal stakeholders to develop a Sustainable Coastal Development Strategy. To view the report and related information visit:

http://www.gov.ns.ca/coast/state-of-the-coast.htm.

 

9. Outlook for Red Tide Outbreak in GOM and BoF in 2010

Scientists from the NOAA-funded Gulf of Maine Toxicity project have issued an 'outlook' for a significant regional bloom of a toxic alga that causes 'red tides' in the spring and summer of 2010. They feel that "Seed Population on Seafloor Points to a large ‘Red Tide’; [but] Impacts will Depend on Ocean Conditions and Weather". View report.

 

10. Handbook on Sustainable Coastal Tourism

A new United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) handbook  "Sustainable Coastal Tourism"  explains how the tourism sector can coordinate effectively in the overall development of coastal zones and contribute to the long-term sustainability of these areas. The 154 page document provides an introduction to the key tools to be used in different stages of the planning process and identifies the stakeholders that are critical in the successful delivery of the various stages of the process. View document .

 

11. Join the Not-Since-Moses Run on Fundy's Seafloor

The 4th annual Not-Since-Moses fun run will take place on Saturday August 14th at Five Islands Provincial Park near Lower Economy, NS.  Come out and race, run or walk along the floor of the Minas Basin in one of Nova Scotia's most unique and weird events. After the 15 meter sea leaves during  low tide and before it returns, on the bottom of the ocean, where flounder and bass grazed a couple of hours before, you will run or walk courses of 5k or 10k.  For more details and to register visit:  www.notsincemoses.com

D. ADMINISTRIVIA

Fundy Tidings is circulated Quarterly to all registered members of BoFEP and others who have expressed an interest in BoFEP and its activities. If you know someone  who might like to receive Fundy Tidings or if you would like to be removed from the Fundy Tidings mailing list, simply e-mail a request to communications@bofep.org .

For more news items about BoFEP, its partners and the Bay of Fundy periodically check the BoFEP "What's New" page at: http://www.bofep.org/whatnew.htm.

You can also find the back issues of Fundy Tidings archived at:
http://www.bofep.org/tidings.htm

Fundy Tidings
If you would like to post an item in Fundy Tidings pertaining to BoFEP, its partners or the Bay of Fundy send it along to:
communications@bofep.org

submission deadlines
January 1st
April 1st
July 1st
October 1st