Ecologically Sensitive Areas of Coastal Metchosin

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ecoareas

This list does not necessarily include all ecologically sensitive areas. Arguments could be made for the complete coastline being ecologically sensitive.
1.Lagoon with shorebird habitat, Sensitive dune vegetation
on sand shore.2.Coastal Islands with harbour seal haulouts

3.Harbourseal haulout

4.Coastal lagoon, migratory and resident seabird habitat.

5.Eel grass beds offshore. Sensitive dune vegetation on sand shore.

6. High current invertebrate community

7. Estuary, mudflat habitat for overwintering shorebirds.

8. Cormorant winter roosting colony.

9. Kelp bed for fish spawning and seabird habitat. Great blue herons often feed from the kelp

10. High current channel with harbour seal haulouts and winter feeding grounds for seabirds, some migratory. Western Grebes and Buffleheads frequent the area in winter.

11. High current area, with significant invertebrate colonies,
kelp beds, a rockfish protection area, marine mammal haulout and seabird nesting and overwintering habitat.

12. Island ecosystems, swept with strong currents bearing significant invertebrate colonies.

13. Island ecosystems with significant invertebrate and kelp beds.

 

SECTOR 4 BEECHER BAY

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Beecher Bay with marina from the north end at east Sooke Road. (Click for large panorama image)

 

Aerial Map Courtesy of the CRD NATURAL AREAS ATLAS

AREA1: Swordfish Island to Bedford Island.

 

 

 

AREA 2: North West corner of Beecher Bay

 

 

 

 

AREA 3: Islands in Beecher Bay

 

 

 

 

AREA 4: East Side of Beecher Bay and IR#2

 

 

 

 

AREA 5: North East Corner of Beecher Bay

 

 

 

See this file for the Anthropogenic effects of habitat modification

 

SECTOR 3: Whirl Bay –Christopher Point to Church Island

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Aerial Map Courtesy of the CRD NATURAL AREAS ATLAS

Other aerial Images by helicopter, courtesy of GEOBC

Christopher Point:

Christopher Point is off limits, being managed by the DND. Visible from the water are bunkers used in the early part of the last century for a coastal defence system. The point was also the site of an “Egg-beater style” windmill which was a research site for BC Hydro in the 1980s and 90’s. The tower has now removed.

Shelter Island and Cove

 

 

 

 

 

Swordfish Island

 

 

 

 

 

Church Island

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whirl Bay : From Swordfish Island to Shelter Island- Click to enlarge..

The helicopter side view pictures on this page were derived from the
British Columbia Ministry of the Environment; GEOBC Spatial Analysis Branch Ocean Resources.

The MetchosinMarine website has been created to represent the contiguous ecosystems of the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve/Marine Protected Area and for the use of the Green Blue Spaces sub committee of the Metchosin Environmental Advisory Select Committee (MEASC). Copyright: G.Fletcher 2013 ( garryf ( use at) gmaill.com)

 

 

 

Climate Change, Coastal Erosion and Seawalls

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These links to external sources on this post are focused on the interactions with Humans in Coastal Areas.

waterfront_cottage CRD– Limit the Impacts of Shoreline and Streamside Development
KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA CRD–Protecting Shorelines and Streamsides
rockyshores CRD –Rocky Shorelines
structures Shoreline Structures Environmental Design ( pdf file) –
A Guide for Structures along Estuaries and Large Rivers
greenshore From Green Shores–The Green Shores program promotes sustainable use of coastal ecosystems through planning and design that recognizes the ecological features and functions of coastal systems.
coastalsediment Coastal Sediment Processes
climchange Climate Change and Coastal Shores In British Columbia
CoastErosionTH Center for Ocean Solutions:
Coastal Erosion and Climate Change
olympia Climate Change : Pacific NW of USA
Impacts on Coastal Areas
seawallclimchange

Coastal Jurisdiction in BC : History

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In Metchosin when issues of development or cleanup of our coastal areas come along, we are often left wondering about which level of government has jurisdiction over marine issues. This file provides some of the background of those issues. It often determines who has responsibility for permitting development along shorelines, or even who cleans up when there is a coastal problem.

In 1979 this issue came to light when we were involved in having the ecological reserve created to a depth of 20 fathoms at Race Rocks. An ecological reserve created by the province, could only involve provincial territory, so the B.C. Attorney General’s Office was consulted by the then “Ministry of Lands Parks and Housing” for clarification. The reserve was created in 1980, but it took a Supreme Court of Canada decision in 1982 to make it official that the province really did have jurisdiction over the seabed that far out in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

I have taken a quote from the admiraltylaw.com website which describes in Part 1-Who Controls the Offshore?, Some of the interesting history around this case in law. Note that the concern at the time for the upcoming importance of seabed resources such as oil, contributed to the urgency of this decision.

  • “How British Columbia is Different: In 1967, British Columbia posed much the same question to the Supreme Court of Canada. The Court found that the seabed and its resources, from the mean low water mark to the outer limit of the Territorial Sea (12 nautical miles), was within the exclusive control of the Federal Government.However, like Newfoundland, British Columbia wasn’t satisfied with this answer. In 1981, the Province declared the entire coast an “Inland Marine Zone” (figure #1), in an attempt to assert its jurisdiction over the area. This declaration was political at best, and had little, if any, legal significance.In 1982, BC returned to the Supreme Court to ask the Court if the seabed resources between Vancouver Island and the mainland, particularly the seabed of Queen Charlotte Straight, Johnstone Straight, Georgia Straight and Juan de Fuca Straight, were within the jurisdiction of the Province.In deciding for the Province, the Court looked to the unique history of British Columbia. The Court found that when the Province was originally created as a colony by the British Parliament in 1866, its borders were defined with the most western outer limit of the Province being the “Pacific Ocean”. The court contemplated the meaning of “Pacific Ocean” and found that the water and seabed between Vancouver Island and the mainland were not commonly considered part of the Pacific Ocean and were therefore within the jurisdiction of the province.

    Importantly, we know from the Geological Survey of 1998 that the hydrocarbon reserves under these areas of Provincial control, particularly the Georgia Basin, contain minimal oil, but do contain modest natural gas reserves (6.5 trillion cubic feet). We further know from the 1998 Survey that the majority of BC’s offshore oil (9.8 billion barrels) and gas (26 trillion cubic feet) lies under the Queen Charlotte Basin in the Queen Charlotte Sound and Hecate Strait.Unfortunately for the BC government, the question posed to the Supreme Court in 1982 did not include a question as to who controls the bulk of the resources, those being under Queen Charlotte Sound and Hecate Straight. As a result, there is no binding authority that states specifically that those areas are under the control of the Federal Government. Indeed, if the Supreme Court were to find that Hecate Straight and Queen Charlotte Sound were not part of the “Pacific Ocean” proper, than the seabed resources would fall within the boundaries and the control of the Province. However, politicians may wish to settle this question themselves.Present Status of JurisdictionsAs it stands now, the province clearly has jurisdiction over the resources under the Queen Charlotte Straight, Johnstone Straight, Georgia Strait and Juan de Fuca Strait. The Federal Government, arguably, has jurisdiction over the vast majority resources under Queen Charlotte Sound and Hecate Strait. Whether the province will attempt to capitalize on its self-pronounced “Inland Marine Zone” and assert jurisdiction over the reserves under Hecate Straight is questionable as it would likely mean a long and drawn out legal battle. In the following article I will discuss how a similar battle was settled on the Atlantic coast, and why the approach taken there is likely the best approach for B.C.Before closing, it is interesting to note that the B.C. government could avoid a dispute over jurisdiction in Hecate Straight and still explore and develop a portion of the Queen Charlotte Basin. Maps forming part of the 1998 Geological Survey Canada show that a portion of this massive petroleum reserve lies under Graham Island. This oil can be accessed from Graham Island without the jurisdictional complications and the added complexity of drilling in the marine environment. The reserves directly under Hecate Straight might also be reached by drilling from land using directional and horizontal drilling. Although such ideas may successfully avoid a conflict of jurisdictions with the Federal Government, they still contain serious social, economic and political issues with respect to drilling on Haida Gwai.”

From this BC government page for Oil spills:

  • “Guiding Principle
    The Province of British Columbia is committed to protecting British Columbia’s coastal environmental resources from harmful oil spills emanating from marine vessels, industrial facilities or inland sources.
    Because of its responsibility to protect and manage Crown lands, the Province is a major stakeholder in any marine oil spill. Its jurisdiction includes all land between the high and low water mark, the seabed of the Strait of Georgia, Juan de Fuca and Queen Charlotte Sound-Johnstone Strait, and the coastal seabed between major headlands unless responsibility has been transferred specifically to a federal jurisdiction or is in private ownership.
    Residing in or on these foreshore and seabed areas are provincial resources that include archaeological, recreational, heritage, wildlife and aquatic resources. Responsibility to protect and manage marine resources, such as waterfowl and fisheries, is often shared with federal agencies.
    It is these provincial and shared resources of the foreshore, offshore and seabed that are at risk from a spill and that are vital to many coastal communities for their livelihood.
    Since the federal government is also responsible for shipping and for certain other marine resources, responsibility to protect and manage marine resources is a joint effort between provincial and federal agencies.
  • Provincial Role
    The Province will take an active leadership and participatory role in coastal resource identification and, in the event of an oil spill, the protection and cleanup of the intertidal shoreline and seabed, which are under the jurisdiction of the Province.
    The Province’s response efforts will focus on the identification and mapping of provincial Crown resources, which include, but are not limited to, intertidal marine habitats, wildlife habitats and populations, archaeological, cultural, aquatic, park and ecological reserves.
    The Province will set priorities for resource protection and will establish oil spill protection and cleanup measures for shorelines. As well, it will ensure the availability of equipment and trained personnel to manage spill response safely and effectively.
    The Province will work in concert with federal agencies wherever both federal and provincial resources are to be protected.
    The level of response capability of the Province will also recognize the particular expertise and resources of the Canadian Coast Guard, Environment Canada, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada to undertake emergency response. Opportunities will be established for contractors to provide skilled assistance and resources in the event of a major spill.”

The Management Plan for the Race Rocks Ecological reserve also refers to jursisdictions:

  • “Cooperation with the Federal Government
    Jurisdictional responsibilities for the management of the marine environment and marine values are shared between the federal and provincial governments. For example, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is responsible for the regulations of fisheries and the lead responsibility for navigation and marine mammal protection. The Coast Guard, an agency within DFO, is
    responsible for the automated lightstation on Great Race Rock. The Department of National Defence uses explosives in the area, which may also have impacts on the Reserve.
    The province, on the other hand, is responsible for the terrestrial areas, the seabed, and the natural values on those lands. The Province is working with federal agencies, including DFO, Parks Canada and Environment Canada, to develop and implement a marine protected areas strategy, and with Parks Canada to implement the Pacific Marine Heritage Legacy (PMHL)
    program.
    The highest level of protection for the Race Rocks area can only be achieved through the cooperative application of both federal and provincial authorities. “

Further Information about jurisdiction concerning coastal development can be found in  Coastal Jurisdiction in British Columbia (Green Shores) This is an excellent resource, summarizing the issues of coastal jurisdiction. It describes the limits of landowner, BC Crown and Federal jurisdiction along the coastal areas.

 

3.3 Ecosystem Services and Natural Capital

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BACKGROUND: A highlight of the sustainability theme is the potential to transmit to an audience a new way to look on and value the physical and living parts of a marine ecosystem which supplies a benefit directly or indirectly to humans. This is one area which provides potential for take away materials and ideas as well as action items.

Services Comments and Examples

  • Provisioning
    Food : production of fish,crustaceans, shellfish, edible marine algae, seabirds and seabird eggs,
    Salt water: a storage and retention of water for industrial use
    Oxygen production
    Biomass : Macroalgae for energy conversion .
    Biochemical: extraction of medicines and other materials from biota
    Industrial products such as marine algal products.
    Aggregate mining.
  • Regulating 
    Climate regulation sink for greenhouse gases; influence local and regional temperature,
    precipitation, and other climatic processes
    Habitat for local and migratory birds.
    Water regulation (hydrological flows)provides precipitation for groundwater recharge/
    Water purification and waste treatment retention, recovery, and removal of excess nutrients and other pollutants
    Retention of soils and sediments
    Natural hazard regulation flood control, storm protection.
  • Cultural
    Vibrant Coastal Communities
    Spiritual and inspirational source of inspiration; First Nations Cultures of the Pacific were nourished by the sea.
    Recreational opportunities for tourism and recreational activities
    Aesthetic many people find beauty or aesthetic value in aspects of marine ecosystems
    Educational and research opportunities for formal and informal education and training
  • Supporting 
    Sediment transfer, beach building.
    Nutrient cycling storage, recycling, processing, and acquisition of nutrients
    Transport of goods and services
    Waste treatment and detoxification,.
    Ocean Energy from Currents and Waves.

References:

1. From Marine Ecosystem Services :
From http://www.compassonline.org/” : Humans derive benefits (or ecosystem services) from ecological systems. These services are produced by plants, animals, microbes and people interacting with one another and the physical environment. Scientists recognize four categories of ecosystem services: provisioning services such as food, fuelwood, fiber, and water; regulating services such as the regulation of climate, floods, coastal erosion, drought and disease; cultural services including recreational, spiritual, religious and other nonmaterial benefits; and supporting services such as nutrient cycling and photosynthesis. Some key benefits provided by the ecosystem services of functioning marine systems include healthy seafood, clean beaches, stable fisheries, abundant wildlife, and vibrant coastal communities.

Value of biodiversity and ecosystem services

The supply of ecosystem services depends on many attributes of biodiversity. The variety, quantity, quality, dynamics and distribution of biodiversity that is required to enable ecosystems to function, and the supplying benefits to people, vary between services. The roles of biodiversity in the supply of ecosystem services can be categorized as provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting, and biodiversity may play multiple roles in the supply of these types of services.

  • For example, in agriculture, biodiversity is the basis for a provisioning service (food, fuel or fibre is the end product),
  • a supporting service (such as micro-organisms cycling nutrients and soil formation),
  • a regulatory service (such as through pollination), and potentially,
  • a cultural service in terms of spiritual or aesthetic benefits, or cultural identity.

The contributions of biodiversity-dependent ecosystem services to national economies are substantial. The science of valuation of ecosystem services is new, and still developing basic conceptual and methodological rigour and agreement, but it has already been very instructive, since the value of such services is generally ignored or underestimated at decision and policy making levels. Identifying economic values of ecosystem services, together with the notions of intrinsic value and other factors, will assist significantly in future decisions relating to trade-offs in ecosystem management.

  • Value of: Annual world fish catch – US$58 billion (provisioning service).
  • Anti-cancer agents from marine organisms – up to US$1 billion/year (provisioning service).
  • Global herbal medicine market – roughly US$43 billion in 2001 (provisioning service).
  • Honeybees as pollinators for agriculture crops – US$2–8 billion/year (regulating service).
  • Coral reefs for fisheries and tourism – US$30 billion/year (see Box 5.5) (cultural service).
  • Cost of: Mangrove degradation in Pakistan – US$20 million in fishing losses, US$500 000 in timber losses, US$1.5 million in feed and pasture losses (regulating provisioning services). Newfoundland cod fishery collapse – US$2 billion and tens of thousands of jobs (provisioning service).

Of those ecosystem services that have been assessed, about 60 per cent are degraded or used unsustainably, including fisheries, waste treatment and detoxification, water purification, natural hazard protection, regulation of air quality, regulation of regional and local climate, and erosion control Most have been directly affected by an increase in demand for specific provisioning services, such as fisheries, wildmeat, water, timber, fibre and fuel. “

Aquatic ecosystems provide many services contributing to human well-being .Maintenance of the integrity and the restoration of these ecosystems are vital for services such as water replenishment and purification, flood and drought control.

1. Ecosystem Services : Benefits Supplied to Human Societies by Natural Ecosystems
http://www.ecosystemservices.org.uk/

2. Assessing the Non-Market Values of Ecosystem Services provided by Coastal and Marine Systems; http://www.eartheconomics.org/FileLibrary/file/Reports/Assessing_NonMarket_Values.pdf

3. Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Services
http://www.ecosystemvaluation.org/1-02.htm

  • “It is most important to raise consciousness of the general public and of public officials and managers of the value of ecosystem services. Here are some ways that individual friends might choose.
    1)    Educate ourselves about ecosystem services.
    2)    Monitor local news for issues that impact ecosystem services to point out areas of public concern when ecosystem services are destroyed or disregarded.
    3)    Speak truth to power — communicate with local officials and congressional representatives about the implications of their decisions on ecosystem services.
    4)      Hold agencies to the environmental and public input requirements of the laws.
    5)       Make certain that preservation of ecosystem services is among the options presented.
    6)    Write letters to the editor to educate the public about ecosystem services”

4: Ecosystems and Human Wellbeing
http://www.who.int/globalchange/ecosystems/ecosys.pdf

5. Amory Lovins lecturing on Natural Capital in a lecture at Berkley8. 

6.   Ecosystem Services: The Role of Natural Capital

A assignment that defines the ecosystem services of Race Rocks
This page with curricular ideas is based on the original found at:
http://www.racerocks.ca/ecology/ecosystemservices/
Although it is targeted as an exercise for Race Rocks, It could be used similarly in any other ecosystem.

See below for a preview:

In recent years, we have started to acknowledge that “Ecosystem services ” are something to which we must start paying attention as to fail to do so leads to a rapid decline in our quality of life: This file explores that idea further and invites you to contribute to a new project :
DEFINING THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES of RACE ROCKS.
It is our hope that while you are helping us to assemble the values of these Ecosystem services for Race Rocks, you may be motivated to look in your own back yard and start placing a more realistic value on your own Ecosystems’ Services. ” Even today’s technology and knowledge can reduce considerably the human impact on ecosystems. They are unlikely to be deployed fully, however, until ecosystem services cease to be perceived as free and limitless, and their full value is taken into account.”

OBJECTIVES: After doing this assignment,students will beableto:

1. Define what is meant by the terms ecosystem services.

2. Define what is meant by the term Natural Capital.

3. Enumerate the Ecosystem services of Race Rocks.

PROCEDURES:

1. Using the references below, investigate what is meant by Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services. Make a table where you can list the ecosystem services which you think are provided by an area like Race Rocks. In the table make a dollar estimation of the value of that service per year.

2. Using the area where you live, make a list of the ecosysterm services provided by your local ecosystems, and rate which you think are the most important.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • You will observe commercial whale/marine mammal/bird/-watching boats in the area.. how many passengers do they carry and what is the value generated per trip.
  • You may see tankers and others vessels going by which you can also record . Race Rocks has a lighthouse and foghorn.. What is the value to ships of this set of islands for navigation?
  • Research is done at Race Rocks by students of schools, colleges and universities? What is the value of this location for research and education?
  • An Integrated Energy System was developed at Race Rocks. What is the value of this to BC Parks, to the BC government, to Pearson College?
  • A number of viewers around the world use Race Rocks as a location for bird and animal viewing. See the examples from England which are linked to the Daily Log
  • The role of marine protected areas in conservation is a world wide goal. How does the Management Plan for Race Rocks reflect ecosystem services provided by the area. http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/planning/mgmtplns/race_rocks/racerock.html
BACKGROUND REFERENCE: From:
http://www.oceansatlas.org/servlet/CDSServlet?status=ND0xOTAwMS4xO
TAwNiY2PWVuJjMzPWRvY3VtZW50cyYzNz1pbmZvUNEP – WCMC  Ecosystem services‘Ecosystem goods’, such as food, and ‘services’, such as waste assimilation, represent the benefits humans obtain from a properly functioning ecosystem and are usually referred together as ‘ecosystem services’. Unsurprisingly a large number of ecosystem services have been identified, especially for the oceans which cover the majority of the planet and the coastal zone where the majority of humans live.The red high-lighted topics below might have a relevance for RaceRocks:These include: gas regulation (e.g. maintaining a balanced chemical composition in the atmosphere),
climate regulation  (e.g. control of global temperature, precipitation, greenhouse gas regulation, cloud formation)
disturbance regulation (e.g. storm protection, flood control, drought recovery),
water regulation (e.g. regulation of global, regional and local scale hydrology through currents and tides),
water supply (e.g. storage of water returned to land as precipitation),
erosion and sediment transport/deposition (e.g. moving sediments from source areas and replenishing depositional areas),
nutrient cycling e.g. the storage, internal cycling, processing and acquisition of nutrients, nitrogen fixation, phosphorus cycles),
waste treatment (e.g. the breakdown of excess xenic and toxic compounds),
biological control (e.g. the trophic-dynamic regulation of populations),
refugia  (e.g. feeding and nursery habitats for resident and transient populations of harvested species),
food production (e.g. the portion of gross primary production which is extracted as food for humans),
raw materials (e.g. the portion of gross primary production which is extracted as fuel or building material),
genetic resources (e.g. sources of unique biological materials for medicines),
recreation (e.g. opportunities for tourism, sport and other outdoor pastimes) and cultural (e.g. opportunities for aesthetic, artistic, educational, spiritual activities).The value (the theoretical cost of artificially replacing the services were they not to be provided by nature) to humanity of these ecosystem services has been estimated at $8400 billion per year for the open oceans and 1.5 times this for coastal ecosystems. Consumptive use (production of food and raw materials) is a minor (<5%) component and therefore the true value of marine ecosystems is in non- consumptive use. However quantifying such use is notoriously hard.Adapted from the reference:
The structure and function of ecological systems in relation to property right regimes. In: Hanna, S., Folke, C., Maler, K.G. (Eds.), Rights to Nature. Island Press, Washington, DC, pp. 13 34. Authority. Research Publication No. 35, Townsville, Australia, pp. 83.   ( DOCUMENT ) Author(s) / Editor(s) Costanza, R., Folke, C., 1997.OTHER REFERENCES ON THIS TOPIC:
Patterns of a Conservation Economy: True Cost Pricing
http://www.conservationeconomy.net/natural_capital.htmlEcosystem Services:
http://www.conservationeconomy.net/ecosystem_services.htmlEcosystem Services: Benefits Supplied to Human Societies by Natural Ecosystems
http://www.ecology.org/biod/value/EcosystemServices.htmlMillennium Ecosystem Assessments of the world Health organization
http://www.millenniumassessment.org//en/index.aspxSecuring Canada’s Natural Capital:
http://nrt-trn.ca/biodiversity/securing-canadas-national-capital

4.0 The Physical Story

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9.0 Take-Aways for the student from a Sustainability Approach

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When students have had the experience of studying about ocean sustainability they should have something they can take with them in terms of information and or commitment to join the movement to create sustainable oceans. The goal is to make an educated and aware public who can participate in solving the problems of humans living sustainably in the marine area.
These are things they can do immediately.

Published Information to take with them

  • The Implications for individual responsibility can be an integral part of many parts of education. They could be presented with a list of areas where they can take on roles of responsibility. Backgrounder sheets on marine issues that they can take with them with clear directions for how to get involved in the issues..
  • There is a responsibility of people who recreate and use the sensitive areas of our coastal ecosystems in these areas, stay on paths, no dune buggies, nesting habitats should be off limits to recreational vehicles and water craft, bird islands– importance of no disruption of coastal margins should be presented.
  • Tools to lobby for action..a set of addresses.. e-mails of who is in charge of the issues at various political levels.
  • A take away recipe book for responsible marine eating could be developed.(see the Sierra Club’s example–only make it more informative..i.e. why certain fish species are at risk.)
  • Advertise the local restaurants which serve sustainably harvested marine food.
  • A good index of web resources that promote marine sustainability
  • Information on alternatives in life styles/residences/forms of transportation, even green roofs to catch runoffs, holding ponds to enhance on land habitat that prevent runoff and stop coastal siltation .

Actions for the public to follow up

  • Passive ecotourism is not an option!!
    Students can be encouraged to make a follow-up pledge The goal is to get 100% involvement in some form of follow-up action, perhaps with a monitoring scale which gives feedback on how successful this is? Highlight right up front in the goals, the important role of public participation in marine issues.
  • A commitment from students to help in a role in building the Southern Vancouver Islands Sustainable Ecosystems Map and the directions and the tools to do that.
  • There is a need for large areas to be set aside for habitat now while it is available, later it may diminish. Everyone should leave with a commitment to lobby for better marine protection in the form of Marine parks and protected areas.. Present a map where students can mark off the areas they think should be used as conservation-related marine reserves.
  • Follow up on the RAMSAR enigma.. of why there are no Ramsar sites on any of Canada’s marine Coasts
  • Encouragement for individuals to be involved in “Adopting a Marine Ecosystem” could be done in the form of a range of suggestions from doing regular beach clean-ups to being a guardian of an island.
  • Responsible sports and commercial fisheries are desperately needed. Anyone who lives near the oceans can be considered a stakeholder in committees and public hearings.Students could build a website which will keep people informed of upcoming opportunities for involvement in their area. Backgrounders could be linked to the website in order to provide individual citizens with the information necessary to make a statement about their concern for marine sustainability.
  • Responsible eating of marine food will help to conserve some rare species and habitats. Use a check list where people can do an evaluation of their sustainability index in their diet. Often threatened species in other countries and on the high seas are not protected from unsustainable fisheries. Develop case studies of mariculture which does not harm environment yet which supplies our needs for marine food production.
  • See the references available already on this topic in the Ocean food file:
  • Goal to get 100% involvement in some form of follow-up action, how about a monitoring scale which gives feedback on how successful this is?

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8.0 Types of Curriculum Activities which could Complement the Sustainability theme.

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In order to emphasize the over-arching principles of marine environmental sustainability the following are a few suggestions for educators:

  • Forensics Stations:
    What is wrong here? Present a problem, provide the tools for investigating the crime scene, solutions and recommendations. Call it “CSI is all wet”. The crime scene could be beach closure results from the dept. of public health, along with locations of sewer fields and outfalls or storm sewers and agriculture runoff.. information on patterns of rainfall and runoff could be part of the evidence.
  • Energy budget of a disturbed seabird or mammal escaping from boats and human activity:
    • total food taken from our waters.
      effluents added
      traffic in waters
      disruption to nesting areas
      boat traffic..speed kills.
      Mariculture facility locations and indications of the level of their sustainability
      Worst-case scenario collision pictures of boats with marine mammals etc… for example.. something like this video: http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/archives/vidinjureseal.htm
  • The roles and obligations of foreign tourists: connections with activities of specific countries with the sustainability of ocean resources. Disclose which countries have the best and worst records for marine resource sustainable practises. Who has better laws, rules for protection, also some positive examples of how some marine food dependent countries — Japan, Taiwan, HK have or have not met the responsibilities. Full disclosure on “scientific whaling” would be appropriate for instance.
  • A three pronged diagram.. Social, environmental economic .. How does southern Vancouver Island rate ?
  • A Google map type of pop-up where dive spots are represented and related back to the ecosystems that they represent.
  • Commercial diving and sustainability of resources.
  • Economic benefits of diving enterprize. This can be one of the subsets of what the ocean provides as a service emphasis for no take to keep it sustainable.
  • A large flowchart showing (clickable) the spinoffs for our economic activities from such things as diving The marine industries of the Georgia strait.. the positive things that are happening
  • .How marine industry can be sustainable.
    Environmental Impact
  • First Nations. What are their traditional and current methods of interacting with marine resources.
    How does the mythology relate to the sea? statements.. examples .. case studies, their value for sustainability..
  • An interactive way of accessing all the current marine sustainability research projects going on in the British Columbia Coastal and open ocean area.
  • Highlight case studies of how we restore eel grass beds: why is eel-grass important as habitat, how we can lessen destruction, how we can lobby for its preservation, beauty of the sea grasses… as the only monocots in the sea.. ecosystem roles..
  • Energy budget of the ocean shores.. how kelp contributes energy and materials through the decomposer food web,
  • Ecosystem Integrity : define an ecosystem in terms of its structure and function. Have what if scenarios developed so that students can see how manipulating/changing/impacting on an ecosystem can have wide reaching implications.

8.1 The Southern Vancouver Island Marine Ecosystem Map.

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7.2 Educational Rational –Pan Canadian Perspective

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For a Canada-wide perspective, we have only to refer to the Councils of Ministers of Education . Over the past few years they have produced several publications which emphasize environmental sustainability and the role of science in education and which can provide us with direction into the types of learning objectives to be linked to the educational processes in the NMC.

index.en

 

1. Report to UNECE and UNESCO on Indicators of Education for Sustainable Development

2. The Common Framework of Science Learning Outcomes K to 12

The following are the PAN-Canadian Objectives for different grade levels.. Links from these objectives to our program at NMC can be created.

Grade: K to 3, Grade 4-6, Grade 7 to 9, Grade 10 to12

3. A Vision for scientific literacy in Canada

The framework is guided by the vision that all Canadian students, regardless of gender or cultural background, will have an opportunity to develop scientific literacy. Scientific literacy is an evolving combination of the science-related attitudes, skills, and knowledge students need to develop inquiry, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities, to become lifelong learners, and to maintain a sense of wonder about the world around them. Diverse learning experiences based on the framework will provide students with many opportunities to explore, analyse, evaluate, synthesize, appreciate, and understand the interrelationships among science, technology, society, and the environment that will affect their personal lives, their careers, and their future.

3.The scientific literacy needs of Canadian students and society

Canadian society is experiencing rapid and fundamental economic, social, and cultural changes that affect the way we live. Canadians are also becoming aware of an increasing global interdependence and the need for a sustainable environment, economy, and society. The emergence of a highly competitive and integrated international economy, rapid technological innovation, and a growing knowledge base will continue to have a profound impact on our lives. Advancements in science and technology play an increasingly significant role in everyday life. Science education will be a key element in developing scientific literacy and in building a strong future for Canada’s young people. Consistent with views expressed in a variety of national and international science education documents, the following goals for Canadian science education have been established for the purposes of this framework.

4. Foundation statements for scientific literacy in Canada

Scientific literacy should remain the abstract image that leads science education reform. Eisenhart, M. et al. (1996)
In light of the vision for scientific literacy and the need to develop scientific literacy in Canada, four foundation statements were established for this framework. Curriculum developers should note that these foundation statements delineate the four critical aspects of students’ scientific literacy. They reflect the wholeness and interconnectedness of learning and should be considered as interrelated and mutually supportive. The learning outcomes in this framework are stated in relation to these foundation statements.
Foundation 1:
Science, technology, society, and the environment (STSE) ?
Students will develop an understanding of the nature of science and technology, of the relationships between science and technology, and of the social and environmental contexts of science and technology.
Foundation 2:
Skills
Students will develop the skills required for scientific and technological inquiry, for solving problems, for communicating scientific ideas and results, for working collaboratively, and for making informed decisions.
Foundation 3:
Knowledge
Students will construct knowledge and understandings of concepts in life science, physical science, and Earth and space science, and apply these understandings to interpret, integrate, and extend their knowledge.
Foundation 4:
Attitudes
Students will be encouraged to develop attitudes that support the responsible acquisition and application of scientific and technological knowledge to the mutual benefit of self, society, and the environment.

8.0 Types of Curriculum Activities which could Complement the Sustainability theme.

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