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
Donate
Choose “for Forage Fish” from the dropdown to donate directly to this initiative
Forage Fish Summer Summary
Our forage fish teams were well supported and very productive this summer. The teams performed 28 sampling events of potential forage fish spawning habitat between Cortes Island, Quadra Island, Hornby Island, Campbell River, and the Comox Valley.
Forage Fish Sampling Results 2020/2021
Project Watershed is excited to announce the results of our November 2020 to February 2021 forage fish beach habitat sampling surveys.
“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!
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 (Virginia. East@projectwatershed.ca)
- Call Virginia East – Project Watershed’s Citizen Science and Stewardship Coordinator: 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 & Partners
This work is funded by the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund and with support from the Pacific Salmon Foundation and the Comox Valley Regional District. Local partners in this initiative include K’ómoks First Nation and North Island College.
