Forage Fish
feed the marine food chain
The work involves collecting sediment samples from beaches and looking for the tiny eggs under microscopes. Volunteers and Citizen Scientists have spent many hours on beaches and behind microscopes to help us with this important work and we are excited to share some results from our first sampling season!
Forage Fish
“Big Story for a Small Fish” – Tales From the Sand
Here in the Comox Valley, our local beaches have a story to tell about a small fish that is so much more. Maybe you’ve seen Project Watershed out on local beaches, with measuring tapes and high visibility vests, trying to learn more about this small fish with a big impact!
Surf Smelt Sampling Has Arrived
Summer is almost here and Project Watershed is gearing up for another round of surf smelt sampling on beaches around the Comox Valley.
Forage Fish Spring 2021 Update and eDNA information
With the crocuses and daffodils in bloom and herring in the news I think we can say it is spring. Spring means another season of intertidal forage fish field validation is complete.
How can you help?
- Fill in the Local Ecological Knowledge Questionnaire – online using google forms or using this pdf
- Send photos of beaches where you have seen forage fish in the past
- Share local knowledge over casual conversation and send the stories to Project Watershed (student.projectwatershed@gmail.com)
- Call Virginia East – Project Watershed’s Forage Fish Field and Research Assistant: 250-703-2871
Who can help us?
- Community members and elders from First Nations communities across Vancouver Island
- Local persons involved with the fishing industry (past or present)
- Local residents – are there beaches you like to walk where you notice particular activities at various times of the year (i.e. bird sightings)?
- Anyone interested in sharing knowledge on forage fish is welcome to contribute to our ongoing collection of local forage fish knowledge!
Funders
This work is funded by the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund and with support from the Pacific Salmon Foundation
