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)

June 2010 ~ Summer Issue

HEADLINES:

A.   BoFEP News:

1. BoFEP Pollution Workshop Report

2. BoFEP Ambassadors Project

3. BoFEP Funding from Environment Canada

4. Corophium and Mudflat Ecology Working Group Meeting

5. BoFEP to Present Conservation Workshop at CZC2010

B.   Fundy Partner News: 

1. Fishermen and Scientists Research Society Newsletter

2. Report on Possible Effects of Tidal Power  on Sedimentation in Minas Basin

3. Coastal Zone Canada 2010 July 25-29 - Conference Program

4. Proceedings of Conference on Marine Protected Areas Available

5. Vote Now for the Bay of Fundy as One of 7 Natural Wonders of the World!

6. State of the Gulf of Maine Report Available Online

7. New Fundy Whale Car Needs a Name

8. Discovery Centre Newsletter Available

C.   Fundy and Gulf of Maine News:  

1. News Article on Multibeam Surveys of Fundy

2. Beluga Whale Spotted in Bay of Fundy

3. Tidal Power Shorts

4. Restoring the Flow of the Petitcodiac River

5.  Tool for Viewing Maps and Aerial Photos of NB - New Flooding Feature

6. Georges Bank Drilling Moratorium Extended

7.  Pesticides in Bay of Fundy  - a Growing Concern

D. Administrivia - [Subscribing - unsubscribing - submitting]

A. BoFEP News:

1. BoFEP Pollution Workshop Report

A one day workshop on "Threats to the Health of the Bay of Fundy" was held April 30th, 2010 in St. Andrews NB.  It was organized by Dr. Michael Burt of UNB Fredericton and Chair of the Stress and Cumulative Effects Working Group, and was supported by BoFEP, DFO, NSERC and NBFA.   Participants included about 40-50 persons representing the fishing community, community organizations, local labs and the Marine  Biological Station.  The following seven papers were presented: 

 

  • Monitoring the health of the Bay of Fundy (PG Wells, BoFEP, Dalhousie U.)
  • Pollutants in river run-off from forest spraying and effects on Atlantic salmon (W Fairchild , DFO)
  • Impacts of mixtures of pollutants in river run-off from agricultural practices (AC  Alexander, UNB Fred)
  • The mercury flux in the Bay of Fundy, GOM, and its bioaccumulation in the pelagic, demersal, and benthic food webs (GCH Harding, DFO-BIO)
  • Some organic pollutants and their potential effects (V Zitko DFO retired)
  • Azamethiphos toxicity to marine aquatic organisms ( P Jackman, EC, Moncton)
  • Pyrethroid pesticides: use and potential effects on marine organisms (LE Burridge, DFO, St Andrews.)

 

A lively panel discussion followed and covered many questions about pesticide pollution in the lower bay and the effects on lobsters/risks to lobsters of the illegally used formulation of cypermethrin, used against sea lice. A Proceedings is in preparation and will be published by BoFEP in its technical reports series.

 

The Working Group is considering organizing a second workshop on the same theme in Fall 2010, as there is a lot of interest by the local fisherman on water quality and the effects of runoff of land-based pollutants, as well as continuing concerns about the chemicals associated with salmon aquaculture.                                                        (Submitted by Peter Wells on behalf of Mick Burt)

 

2. BoFEP Ambassadors Project

Earlier this year the BoFEP Outreach Working Group launched a new BoFEP Ambassadors Project. The intent of the project is to increase the profile of BoFEP in the Fundy region and to build partnerships with businesses, industry and organizations. The "BOFEP DIRECTORY OF BUSINESS AND ACTIVITIES IN THE FUNDY REGION" will be the tool used to identify the specific organizational entities to be approached. Up to four ambassadors in different regions around the bay will be recruited to make personal contact with these  selected organizations and encourage them to become members of BoFEP, provide support to specific working groups, or become a participant in BoFEP as a volunteer (in-kind contributions) or member of a Working Group.  A project coordinator is developing a package of information to be used by the ambassadors,  and will oversee their activities and prepare a final report describing the outcome of the project.  The detailed terms of reference for the project coordinator and the ambassadors is available on the BoFEP Website.

 

3. BoFEP Funding from Environment Canada

  • BoFEP submitted its year end Report for the fiscal year 2009-2010 to Environment Canada's Atlantic Coastal Action/Atlantic Ecosystem Initiative Program on April 31, 2010. It summarized the results of two projects carried out during the year, comprising 1)  Creating and Using Knowledge about the Bay of Fundy Ecosystem and 2) Using Knowledge on the Bay of Fundy Coastal Ecosystem - a Multi-year, Multi-partner Approach to Current Issue. A copy of the report is available online.
  • On June 9th, 2010 BoFEP submitted a proposal to Environment Canada's Atlantic Ecosystem Initiative Program for the fiscal year 2010-2011. The proposal consists of two sub-projects and is entitled "Protecting the Bay of Fundy from Pollution from Land-Based Activities: a) Assessing Ecological Risks of Chemical Contamination; b) Working with Municipal Planners to Reduce Chemical Risks from the Urban Environment." It is anticipated that a decision on the proposal will be made sometime in July. A copy of the proposal is available online.

 

4. Corophium and Mudflat Ecology Working Group Meeting

A meeting of the Corophium Working Group was held jointly with researchers working on an NSERC Strategic project :Modeling the environmental interactions involving a key species in the Bay of Fundy ecosystem in relation to local and global change scenarios” at Mount Allison University on May 20, 2010. Approximately 35 people attended, including everyone involved in the research project, as well as representatives from the Nature Conservancy of Canada, NB Department of Natural Resources, interested BoFEP members, and other academics and researchers with expertise in some aspects of this system. The meeting was chaired by Myriam Barbeau, UNB. The majority of the meeting consisted of a series of presentations on work being conducted in association with this project. Topics included broad-scale sampling of Corophium, interactions between Corophium and sediment properties, winter ecology of Corophium, interactions between mud snails and Corophium, effects of parasites of Corophium and snails on the system, modeling Corophium-snail-diatom interactions, interactions between shorebirds and the mudflat community, factors affecting vertical distribution of Corophium within the sediment, population genetics of Corophium, and population modeling. At the end of the formal presentations, Peter Wells led a brief discussion of the planned Corophium monograph. There is strong interest in completing this work, but it was decided that the Strategic project, which is likely to uncover considerable new information, should be completed first.  Diana Hamilton also presented the Corophium Bibliography, which is a compilation of published work on Corophium. It is currently in the final stages of being updated and will be posted on the BoFEP website as soon as possible. Finally, there was a broad-ranging discussion about the current research program and the type of information that it can provide to partners in the project. For those interested, all presentations from the meeting are posted at the following link: http://www.unb.ca/fredericton/science/biology/Faculty/mudflatecology.html

                                                                                                       (Submitted by Diana Hamilton)

 

5. BoFEP to Present Conservation Workshop at CZC2010

BoFEP's Outreach Working Group will be organizing a workshop on conservation and talking circles at the upcoming Coastal Zone Canada 2010 Conference in Charlottetown, PEI. The workshop taking place from

1330 - 1500 hrs, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 is entitled:  "Linking Cultures To Protect Mother Earth: Governance For Conservation". The Convenor will be Marianne Janowicz, Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership (BoFEP).

The Workshop will explore the evolution of the Western concepts of Conservation. It will also explore the foundations of Aboriginal culture (traditional governance structures and oral traditions), seeking ways of reforging the relationship among cultures to protect Mother Earth. Presenters will include:

  • Dr. Peter Wells, Chair of BoFEP
  • Gkisedtanamoogk, Wampanoag elder
  •  Alma Brooks, Maliseet elder

Further details about the CZC2010 Conference can be found below in item B3.

B. Fundy Partner News:

1. Fishermen and Scientists Research Society Newsletter

The most recent issue of Hook, Line and Thinker  is now available. Articles include: Local Ecological Knowledge, the Sambro Harbour Artificial Reef Project, Monitoring the Impact of the Petitcodiac River Causeway Gates Opening on the Commercial Lobster Fishery, reports on various issues from a recent conference and other interesting information. Visit http://www.fsrs.ns.ca/ for information abut the Society and back issues of the  newsletter.

 

2. Report on Possible Effects of Tidal Power  on Sedimentation in Minas Basin

Shawn Meredyk a student at UNB has prepared a 34 page report entitled :"Sedimentation Changes Due To In-Stream Tidal Power Generating Turbines In The Minas Passage" as a  Fall 2009 Term  Project for a course EASC 4302 - Adv. Mar. Geol. In it he suggests that "The current three turbine pilot project will not significantly reduce the tidal energy flow (reduction of 0.013%) and therefore only small-scale local sedimentation in the near-field in relation to the turbines is expected. In the future when a commercial-scale turbine array is installed the operators of the power extraction process should not reduce the flow rate by more than 5% as negative system-wide effects are expected with greater tidal power extraction. Sustainable power extraction from the Minas Passage is possible with proper monitoring and continual research into the biological, ecological and oceanographic impacts." The full report in pdf format is available online.

 

3. Coastal Zone Canada 2010 July 25-29 - Conference Program

  • Are you concerned about the future of Canada's oceans and coasts? Do you believe that Canada's rich ocean and coastal resources are critical to its ability to build a sustainable and prosperous future in the 21st century? Do you worry that our inability to manage the resources and natural environments in our vast coastal zones reduces our ability to plan for a sustainable and prosperous future? Do you believe that we need to raise the awareness and understanding of the importance of the world's oceans and coasts in global sustainability? Do you want to do something about it? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need to attend CZC 2010.

 

  • The "9th Coastal Zone Canada International Conference" is scheduled for 25-29 July 2010 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The Program focuses on the challenges and opportunities of coastal management in Canada; linking land and ocean planning and management; strengthening coastal communities; planning for the impacts of climate change; planning a coastal policy for PEI; and the culinary advantages of managing Canada's coasts. The Conference Program is now online at http://www.gov.pe.ca/czc2010.

 

  • There will also be a workshop session entitled "Information Management For Integrated Coastal And Ocean Management" held during the  conference on the afternoon of July 27th. You are invited to get involved in an on-line discussion leading up to the workshop by using facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=27661087534&topic=14871.

 

4. Proceedings of Conference on Marine Protected Areas Available

The 6th International Conference on Science and Management of Protected Areas "Ecosystem Based Management: Beyond Boundaries", organized by The Science & Management of Protected Areas Association (SAMPAA) was  held in May 2007 in Wolfville, NS. The Proceedings of the Conference are now available online.

 

5. Vote now for the Bay of Fundy as one of 7 Natural Wonders of the world!

Just a reminder that if you haven't already done so you should register your vote for the Bay of Fundy. The Bay of Fundy has won the prestigious nomination to represent Canada in the final stage of the global Official New7Wonders of Nature contest. Starting in 2007, the Bay of Fundy was one of 440 participants representing over 220 countries worldwide and today is proud to be one of the 28 Official Finalists worldwide. The final 7, chosen by popular vote, will be declared in 2011. A colourful fact sheet produced by Bay of Fundy Tourism provides details about the contest and describes why the Bay should clearly be a frontrunner in this contest.  Apparently, votes for the Bay have been slow coming in in recent weeks, so it is time to pick up the pace and keep us in contention. Vote now while it is still fresh in your mind.

 

6. State of the Gulf of Maine Report Available Online

The State of the Gulf of Maine Report is a modular, living document that consists of several parts, including this context document and a series of theme or issue papers. The Gulf of Maine in Context is intended to provide an introduction to the natural and socio-economic environment of the Gulf of Maine. The aim is to provide the information in a form that is easily accessible and readable, and that immerses the reader in the region. It is complementary to the theme papers, which provide a more in-depth look at important issues within the Gulf, based on the six priority areas recognised by the Council under ESIP. The intention is that the theme papers will be developed incrementally and can be regularly updated at a time interval appropriate to each issue. Check it out at:  http://www.gulfofmaine.org/state-of-the-gulf/

 

7. New Fundy Whale Car Needs a Name

On Oceans Day, June 7th, the Bay of Fundy Tourism Partnership BoFTP launched its innovative "Whale Car" to raise awareness of the Bay of Fundy's tides and vibrant habitat for marine mammal habitat.  "The transformed VW Beetle is the size of the heart of a blue whale, the biggest mammal on the planet", said Terri McCulloch of BoFTP, so "When we developed the concept of the Bay of Fundy Whale Car it just seemed logical that this fuel-efficient vehicle become our roving ambassador." The whale car, painted and modified to represent a small Humpback whale, will be traveling around the Bay of Fundy through 2010. Specifically, the car will be on location at 10 different spots during the filming of Bay of Fundy Travel Show episodes for YouTube. The car's adventures can be tracked online and through social media via its official website.

 

However, unlike most of the other whales visiting the Bay, the Whale Car doesn't yet have a name! So, Bay of Fundy Tourism is holding a  contest to find a suitable name for its Whale Car. The  contest is taking place on it's facebook fan page,  accessible through the car's  official website.   All entries submitted will be judged to create a shortlist, from which the public  will then vote for the final name . The winner, to be announced by mid- July, will receive a guest appearance of the whale car at the event of his or her choice (in NB or NS) anytime within the next year. So, put on your thinking caps and send in your ideas!

 

8. Discovery Centre Newsletter Available

The June issue of "In With the Tide", the e-newsletter of the Bay of Fundy Discovery Centre Association is now available online. This issue includes articles on: the Gulf of Maine Institute (GOMI) activities, a local girl's experiences on the tall ship Oriole, Can Digby County Become an Energy Giant?, Creature of the Cove - The Horse Mussel, Environmental Warriors Band Together and much more. Congratulations to Association Chair Roger Outhouse and his team for  putting together such a colourful and informative little publication and for keeping the dream of creating a Bay of Fundy Discovery Centre alive and moving ahead. Download a copy now (pdf format).

 

C. Fundy and Gulf of Maine News:

1. News Article on Multibeam Surveys of Fundy

A recent article in the Kings County Register in Nova Scotia features an interview with

Marine geophysicist Russell Parrott about the extensive multibeam surveys that have been carried out in the Bay of Fundy over the years. He states that " In four years, with close to 700 ship days on the water, close to 13,000 square kilometres have been covered by the multibeam bathymetry survey, starting around Grand Manaan and working up into the inner bay. The Minas Channel - where tidal power generators are now being tested - is done; the Minas Basin itself is not." The full article is available online.

 

2. Beluga Whale Spotted in Bay of Fundy

In one of her May blog posts Terri McCulloch, with the Bay of Fundy Tourism Partnership, reports the sighting of a beluga whale near St. Martins, New Brunswick.

 

3. Tidal Power Shorts

  • Data Link Fails in OpenHydro Turbine - a wireless data communication system failed just over a week after it was deployed in the fast currents of the Bay of Fundy, Canada last November.  Full article.
  •  Premier Daryll Dexter speaks on Business News Network about tidal power and the long-term benefits to Nova Scotians. Nova Scotia aims to derive 40 percent of its electric power from renewable sources by 2020 - and the province is banking on tidal power to do so. Listen to the 9 minute and 30 second video clip.
  • Nova Scotia Power CEO Rob Bennett speaks on Business News Network  about Turning Tidal Power into a Reality. Tidal power sounds good in theory, but just how feasible and affordable is it to use this alternative energy to power an entire province? Are current turbine projects actually working? Listen to the7 minute and 50 second video clip.
  • Anna Redden, Director of the Acadia Centre for Estuarine Research at Acadia University and co-chair of the Environmental Advisory Committee for Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE), speaks on Business News Network  about  Tidal Power and the Environment. Do turbines and fish mix? Nova Scotia is stocking up on tidal power turbines, but how much of a risk could they present to the environment? Listen to the5 minute and 28 second video clip.
  • Popular Science reports  that a new underwater sea kite  called Deep Green is being developed in Sweden and could be a low-cost, low-impact method for harnessing ocean energy. Is this something that should be considered for the Bay of Fundy?  Full article.
  • Interested groups are invited to comment on Nova Scotia's draft renewable energy  regulations,  designed to guide the implementation of the province’s new renewable electricity plan, before they are finalized later this summer. Copies of the plan and the draft regulations are available online at  www.gov.ns.ca/energy or by calling 902-424-8802. Submissions can be made by e-mail to renewableregs@gov.ns.ca   or in writing to, Department of Energy, Renewable Regulations, 400-5151 George St., P.O. Box 2664, Halifax, N.S., B3J 3P7. The deadline for submissions is July 23.

 

4. Restoring the Flow of the Petitcodiac River

  • "On April 14, 2010 residents of Greater Moncton gathered to commemorate the opening of the gates on the Petitcodiac causeway as the restoration of the tidal estuary of the Petitcodiac River begins its next phase". Thus states a New Brunswick Government press release.  However, as a CBC news report entitled "Petitcodiac River causeway opening still divisive" indicates, the project is not being universally applauded and will certainly be challenged in court. "Now that the river is flowing again, it will be studied for the next two years. The gates can be closed if necessary in the future".

 

  • An article entitled "Envisioning the future of a restored Petitcodiac River" by  retired Petitcodiac River Keeper Daniel Leblanc  was published in the March 2, 2010 issue of the Moncton Times & Transcript newspaper. In it he states that "The months and years ahead will …  be exciting times for all residents of the Petitcodiac River Valley, who will witness the rebirth of a great river". He also outlines his vision of what the restored river might be like in the year 2019. The complete article is available online.

 

5.  Tool for Viewing Maps and Aerial Photos of NB - New Flooding Feature

 GeoNB is a collaborative project led by Service New Brunswick’s Land Information Secretariat, with participation from several provincial and municipal government departments, aimed at promoting and increasing the use of geographic information and maps.  The free internet-based application, designed for viewing maps and aerial photos of New Brunswick, has launched a new flood information tool. The

application allows users to search for historical data on flooding, capture the data, and print them.

 

6. Georges Bank Drilling Moratorium Extended

 The Governments of Nova Scotia and Canada have announced the extension of the moratorium on oil and gas exploration and drilling on Georges Bank to 31 December 2015. They also agreed to gather and develop information on the Georges Bank ecosystem. In the Government of NS Press Release Energy Minister Bill Estabrooks tellingly noted that  "there may be important lessons to learn from the Gulf of Mexico drilling disaster".

 

7.  Pesticides in Bay of Fundy a Growing Concern

A number of news reports in New Brunswick media indicate that there is growing concern, particularly among fishermen, about the impacts of pesticides in the Bay's coastal waters. An article in the Telegraph Journal is entitled "Measures needed to keep pesticide out of bay, says fishing industry official", while a CBC report  is headlined "Fundy lobster deaths blamed on pesticide - Environment Canada investigating after pesticide found in bay".

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