Wildlife
The otter, the urchin and the Haida
As the sea otter begins its long-overdue return to Haida Gwaii, careful plans are being laid to welcome them — and to preserve a prosperous shellfish harvest
- 3015 words
- 13 minutes
This article is over 5 years old and may contain outdated information.
This article is over 5 years old and may contain outdated information.
Places
A colourful look at the marine biodiversity of Canada’s west coast
Beneath the waves of Canada’s three oceans and inland bodies of water lies a world of spectacular biodiversity that few people ever get to see, but which is just as vital to the health of the planet as terrestrial ecosystems. Coral and sponge reefs and kelp forests support an amazing array of life, making them important feeding grounds for seabirds, marine mammals, and commercially important fish species.
As science reveals the interconnectedness of all Earth’s natural systems, countries around the world are beginning to take action to protect their special marine places. In the November/December 2018 issue of Canadian Geographic, Boris Worm, a marine ecologist and professor in the department of biology at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, looks at Canada’s ongoing efforts to protect 10 per cent of its marine and coastal areas by 2020.
Worm highlights several “Areas of Interest” on Canada’s East Coast that have been identified as candidates for federal protection, including the outer Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore Islands, and the Banc-des-Américains (American Bank) off the eastern tip of Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula. Where once Marine Protected Areas were designated to protect endangered species on a case-by-case basis, Fisheries and Oceans Canada now considers the broad panoply of life in a marine ecosystem to create comprehensive plans that will conserve species richness while sustaining resource industries.
The photos below, by Vancouver-based architect and dive enthusiast Eli Wolpin, offer a glimpse at the delicate beauty of federally- and provincially-protected marine parks on the west coast, including Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver, Canada’s first Marine Protected Area.
Wildlife
As the sea otter begins its long-overdue return to Haida Gwaii, careful plans are being laid to welcome them — and to preserve a prosperous shellfish harvest
Wildlife
Wildlife photographers on the thrill of the chase — and the importance of setting ethical guidelines
Places
In Banff National Park, Alberta, as in protected areas across the country, managers find it difficult to balance the desire of people to experience wilderness with an imperative to conserve it
Environment
In February, the 5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress was hosted in Vancouver on Musqueam, Squamish and Tseil-Waututh territory. Here are seven highlights for the seven seas.