Salmon Steward is the official publication of the Pacific Salmon Foundation in British Columbia, Canada
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1182504
6 FALL/WINTER 2019 PSF.CA SALISH SEA Fortunately, Sarah Schroeder and Maycira Costa are doing their best to help us catch up, via an innovative study through the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project. "We're using high-resolution satellite images to see changes to kelp habitat over time," says Schroeder, a master's student at the University of Victoria. "Currently there is a lack of hard data, just anecdotal reports. Our studies will support ongoing efforts to identify where kelp is, where it used to be, how it's changing over time and how that could correlate to conditions in the area." Better understanding of kelp and its restoration will contribute to the bigger picture of helping salmon adapt to climate change. Schroeder's study will help identify populations of kelp that have persisted despite changing climate conditions. Two other initiatives through the Project will complement her efforts. Dr. Sherryl Bisgrove and her team at SFU have been studying kelp varieties that could be cultured for restoration use under climate change. The cultured seeds will then be stored in a "biodiversity seed bank," readily available for community groups working around the Strait of Georgia – groups such as: THE DEAD BOATS DISPOSAL SOCIETY "One 25-foot fibreglass boat, by weight, is the equivalent of 480,000 plastic straws dumped in the ocean. Not to mention that these boats are often full of garbage and leaking contaminants from toxic paint," explains John Roe. Roe and the Dead Boats Disposal Society use a crane to remove abandoned sea craft from where they wash up on shorelines, then work with Seachange Conservation Society – a community partner of PSF – to restore eelgrass beds. Adds Roe: "Garbage from boats can fragment and damage eelgrass beds, and prevent light from reaching the plants. We've monitored past clean-up sites, and with a little help the eelgrass will come back within three years." Do you own an abandoned boat, or have you seen one in your community? Contact the Dead Boats Disposal Society at reportdeadboats@gmail. com or 250.383.2086. THE TYEE CLUB Established in 1924, membership in the Tyee Club is restricted to those who land a Tyee salmon – a Chinook weighing more than 30 pounds. The Tyee Club has benefited from Community Salmon Program (CSP) grants since 1995. The CSP is the Pacific Salmon Foundation's flagship granting vehicle for investing in grassroots stewards who volunteer in communities across British Columbia – operating conservation hatcheries, delivering classroom education about salmon and restoring local habitat. In recent years, those grants have helped the Club remove more than 500 tires, large piles of other underwater garbage and locate three sunken boats in the Campbell River estuary. Such debris is preventing eelgrass from thriving. "To date, we've cleaned up and restored about one-third of the estuary. The support from the Pacific Salmon Foundation, other local funders and the immense volunteer participation of the community has been instrumental," says Roger Gage, vice-president of the Tyee Club. John Roe and his Dead Boats Disposal Society use a crane to clean up the waterways. EVERY $1 DONATED IS ACTUALLY $7 FOR COMMUNITY SALMON PROJECTS BECAUSE PSF GRANTS TRIGGER AN ADDITIONAL $6 IN MATCHING CONTRIBUTIONS AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL. PSF.CA $2,400 WILL BUY 400 PLANTS FOR AN EELGRASS RESTORATION PROJECT. EELGRASS PROVIDES SHELTER AND SUPPORTS VITAL FOOD SOURCES FOR SALMON IN ESTUARIES. DONATE ONLINE TODAY AND HAVE YOUR DONATION MATCHED! PSF.CA In between landing the big ones, the Tyee Club pull sunken tires from the Campbell River estuary.