Eelgrass Engagement Event a Great Success!
August, 2019 
Over the Natal Day weekend, Friends and partners hosted an Eelgrass Engagement Event for the public at Carter's Beach, NS.
Eelgrass Engagement Event Partners
Eelgrass engagement event partners at Carters Beach, August 2019. (Organization from Left to Right) OceanCanada Partnership (OCP)/ Friends of Port Mouton Bay (FPMB), Harrison Lewis Centre (OCP), Ecology Action Centre (EAC), OCP/FPMB, Parks Canada, Parks Canada, HLC, Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Coalition on Sustainability (Coalition-SGSL)
Monitoring eelgrass in Port Mouton Bay was the driver for an engagement event at Carters Beach hosted by the Friends of Port Mouton Bay (FPMB) and OceanCanada Partnership (OCP), the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Coalition on Sustainability (Coalition-SGSL), Ecology Action Centre (EAC), the Harrison Lewis Centre (HLC) and Parks Canada!
Partners engaged close to 150 beachgoers on the importance of monitoring and conserving eelgrass, an ecologically significant species, as well as the impacts of human activities on sensitive coastal ecosystems like Carters Beach.
A Fun and Educational Event for Everyone
An eelgrass ecosystem service game, and peer reviewed-plain language literature were offered through OceanCanada Partnership and Friends of Port Mouton Bay.
The event was prompted by this year's eelgrass monitoring by the Coalition-SGSL using a BioSonics MX aquatic habitat echosounder under the Atlantic Eelgrass Monitoring Consortium. Their 2019 data is additional to their 2017 data collection which also included SeagrassNet dive surveys in 2017 near Carters Beach, and a 2016 and 2015 SeagrassNet survey at Jones Cove, as well as 2015 data collected by a Dalhousie University team near Spectacle Island and Carters Beach.
Surveying the Eelgrass in Port Mouton Bay
Eelgrass survey (shaded areas) using BioSonics MX near Port Mouton Island with the Coalition-SGSL
Damaged Sand Dunes
Evidence of footprints trailing through the dunes. This can permanently destroy sensitive dune ecology and create significant dune loss.
Gathering baseline and comparative data on eelgrass presence and condition is vital for understanding larger-scale environmental trends, such as those brought on by the restocking of fin-fish aquaculture in coastal waters. A potential reality for the communities of Port Mouton Bay if the Spectacle Island aquaculture site is restocked.
To promote awareness and environmental citizenry around this highly sensitive ecosystem, six varied groups joined forces to empower community resilience by sharing their knowledge on the impacts of human activities and climate change occurring in familiar and special places like Carters Beach.
Interactive tabling included a BioSonics monitoring demo, an ecosystem service game, peer-reviewed community science literature on the impacts of aquaculture in plain language, an invasive species touch tank, a sea-themed photo booth, a vision net and board, sand dollar citizen science, a beach waste audit, informative post cards featuring Nick Hawkins photography, and so much more!
Onlookers were interested and engaged to learn their role in protecting these fragile and vital ecosystems and were quick to understand the value of monitoring for conserving such ecologically unique areas.
Despite efforts, footprints still trailed through the sensitive dunes? Events like these are ever important to promote and maintain the balance between enjoyment and stewardship. This messaging could not have been effectively delivered without the outstanding energy, passion, and commitment by the partner groups.
* To respect the carrying capacity of Carters Beach, this event was not promoted prior to event day.
Thank you to our event partners, and everyone who stopped by to learn about eelgrass, and protecting our coastal ecosystems!