Working with the K’ómoks Nation towards Q’waq’wala7owkw on their unceded territory.

Working with the K’ómoks Nation towards Q’waq’wala7owkw on their unceded territory.

Our Projects
Forage Fish Symposium

Forage Fish Symposium

The forage fish team has been busy planning the Coastal Forage Fish Network Symposium. Hosted on Zoom, this event brings together researchers, experts and community citizen science volunteers to share research highlights from across Vancouver Island and beyond.

read more
Eelgrass Expansion in Baynes Sound

Eelgrass Expansion in Baynes Sound

This summer, Project Watershed staff and volunteers will be getting their feet wet to increase habitat connectivity in Baynes Sound. As part of our multi-year Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund project, we will be conducting an eelgrass transplant off the coast of Gartley Point near Royston.

read more
Coastal Forage Fish Network

Coastal Forage Fish Network

The Coastal Forage Fish Network (CFFN) is a network of environmental NGOs, Community groups, and First Nations working across our coast to document forage fish presence and better understand their populations and habitat in the region.

read more
Project Watershed receives $1.4 million to support forage fish research!

Project Watershed receives $1.4 million to support forage fish research!

Project Watershed is very excited to announce the award of $1.4 million dollars of funding from the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund to support our forage fish research, monitoring and restoration! This funding, provided over 3 years (2023-2026), will support our intertidal and pelagic forage fish research as well as that of the Coastal Forage Fish Network, which brings together stewardship groups and First Nations partners across coastal British Columbia.

read more
Winter works at Kus-kus-sum 

Winter works at Kus-kus-sum 

Project work at Kus-kus-sum isn’t taking a holiday break. In early January, you may have seen some large machines near the wall – we got some excited phone calls about this! However, they were not there to start removing the wall, they were there to take important soil cores to analyse a patch of soil near the wall.

read more
Wanted: Herring Observations

Wanted: Herring Observations

As you may know, Project Watershed has been researching forage fish and their habitats for many years now. To date our work has focused on beach spawning forage fish, specifically Pacific sand lance and surf smelt.

read more
Pacific Sand Lance Day Success

Pacific Sand Lance Day Success

December 8th was the first annual Pacific Sand Lance Day!

These skinny forage fish are understudied and important to our coastal ecosystem. Sand lance have over 100 known predators, and are particularly important to nesting sea birds. This eclectic fish buries into sandy sea beds, hibernates all winter, and spawns on beaches!

read more
The Spawn is On!

The Spawn is On!

Pacific sandlance eggs ~ Aaron SchmidtBeach survery ~ Tom GrimmerSand sample under microscope ~ Aaron Schmidt Our winter Pacific sand lance season was kicked off with eggs being found on Cortes Island on November 6! Later in the month eggs were found at Shingle Spit...

read more
Forage Fish Lecture in Tofino

Forage Fish Lecture in Tofino

Project Watershed’s Forage Fish team is coming to Tofino to share our research. Join us for a lecture on the importance of forage fish, their biology, ecology, and our west coast project plans to map this ecologically important habitat.

read more