Integrating the ocean environment into benthic habitat mapping

The proposed research is part of a project from the Nova Scotia Community College Applied Ocean Research Group (led by my proposed supervisor Dr. Craig Brown), the University of New Brunswick Ocean Mapping Group and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The overall objective of my research is to develop approaches to integrate the ocean environment (temperature, salinity, oxygen, currents) into benthic habitat maps. Benthic habitat mapping stemmed from national seabed mapping programs, and typically relies heavily on the composition of the sediment and the shape of the seafloor to build multi-purpose thematic maps, i.e. discrete regions with similar characteristics. Integrating the ocean environment in this framework is meant to assess the ecological role of the ocean in shaping the distribution of sea floor habitats, and determine risks associated with a changing ocean environment for specific benthic resources (e.g. fisheries). The proposed research focuses on the Bay of Fundy (Atlantic Canada).The targeted user population of this research is the fishing industry, as well as marine regulators (Fisheries and Oceans Canada). The expected value of the research is to produce accessible maps to the targeted user populations meant to assess 1) the current distribution of benthic habitats and associated influence of the ocean in driving this distribution, and 2) preliminary evaluation of risk associated with current and potential environmental change. Potential applications of the research include 1) development of mapping approaches that can be used elsewhere around the world to aid marine spatial planning, 2) guidance to harvest strategies, and 3) guidance to conservation strategies for vulnerable marine ecosystems