Comox Valley Project Watershed Society is working with partners to restore kelp forests using two methods: planting seeded kelp lines and reducing grazing pressure by sea urchins.
Kelp Forests
A kelp forest is a type of nearshore vegetative habitat, found along rocky coasts with wave action or strong currents in depths of 4 to 20 metres.
Project Watershed Plants Eelgrass off of Miracle Beach Park
If you were down at Miracle Beach Park on the weekend of June 22nd you might have noticed a dive boat and divers working just off shore. The divers were working on transplanting subtidal eelgrass in barren areas off of the park. The project is part of a larger...
Project Watershed’s Coastal Restoration Plan Now Available!
The plan identifies 70 potential nearshore habitat restoration projects along the east coast of Vancouver Island (between the Oyster River and Annie Creek near Qualicum Bay). Projects were identified by examining changes in the distribution of eelgrass, salt marsh and kelp habitat using historic and current aerial images and coupling this information with an extensive shore-zone assessment and literature review. The plan will guide future nearshore habitat restoration projects undertaken by Project Watershed and our partnering organizations.
Coastal Restoration Fund Update
After many long hours researching, mapping and writing Project Watershed's Coastal Restoration Team has produced the first draft of the Salish Sea North East Vancouver Island Salmon Highway (Nearshore Habitat) Coastal Restoration Plan. This foundational document will...
Kelp Restoration at Maude Reef
Here is a video of some of the kelp restoration work Project Watershed has been doing with Hornby Island Diving around Maude Reef off Hornby Island in British Columbia. You can see the lines we have seeded and how we have been excluding sea urchins to give the kelp a...
Coastal Restoration Project – Kelp Information
Project Watershed’s Coastal Survey Looking for Input
[av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' admin_preview_bg=''] Coastal habitats are important for many species to their life cycle, therefore habitat connectivity and quality are essential characteristics of any coastal ecosystem. Much of BC's coastline has...
Project Watershed Visits Lazo Road Shoreline Stabilization Project
Project Watershed followed up on the Lazo Road Shoreline stabilization project and on July 26th the Town of Comox staff toured our organization and Fisheries and Oceans Canada representatives through the site with their Project Team. One of Project Watershed’s main...
Project Watershed estuary restoration work continues
During the second and third week of July, Project Watershed carried out a sub-tidal eelgrass planting of approximately 1,000 square metres. “This makes our total restorations to nearly 6,000 square metres since 2013,” said Paul Horgen, board chair. Funding for this...
Royston Salt Marsh Restoration – getting Royston Elementary kids involved!
Teaches and students from Royston Elementary were invited to participate in a hands-on salt marsch restoration project initiated by Project Watershed Society. Many thanks to Kate Brown from Shaw TV for the short video story below. Please do consider subscribing to the...
Project Watershed’s Salt Marsh Project Featured in Stream Talk
Project Watershed's Salt Marsh Project at Royston was featured in the March 2015 Issue of StreamTalk. We encourage you to visit their website and read or download the entire issue there. For your convenience we have posted the article related to our project as...