Media Releases and Opportunities

Thursday, August 22, 2024 (Millbrook, NS) _ A new conservation project will bring together Nova Scotia community members, Mi'kmaq leaders and Dalhousie University scientists to replant eelgrass and regenerate these important meadows throughout the province for the long-term.

The Community Eelgrass Restoration Initiative (CERI), a collaboration led by the Future of Marine Ecosystems (FOME) research group at Dalhousie and the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq (CMM), was announced today in Millbrook. The goal of the initiative is to rehabilitate and replenish this critical plant species in areas that have seen a steady decline in recent years. The project received $ 2.7 million in funding from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Fund.

"Eelgrass meadows are an amazing ecosystem that few know about. They provide many benefits, but are under threat," says Dr. Kristina Boerder, scientific lead for the project and FOME research scientist.

Eelgrass, a seagrass species, provides key habitat for many regionally important marine organisms, such as lobsters and eels, while also contributing to coastal protection and the fight against climate change by storing carbon.

"Our team at the Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq is both excited and proud to partner on this project," says Tyler Sack of CMM. "The restorative efforts are especially significant because we are including Mi’kmaq ecological knowledge in the research design and community engagement pieces, so it is informing the findings as well as building capacity for all who are involved at each phase."

About 30 per cent of seagrasses have been lost globally over the past century -- a worrisome trend that has also been seen in local waters.

Dr. Derek Tittensor, head of the FOME lab and a professor of biology at Dalhousie, says collaborating with various groups will help foster a united approach, while informing people of the role these meadows play in the marine environment.

"By working as a true partnership between scientists and communities, and by combining Indigenous and local knowledge with scientific research using a two-eyed seeing approach, we will work together towards restoring these important marine ecosystems," he says.

By integrating climate-smart methods and local and Indigenous knowledge, the four-year project will help foster a connection to eelgrass and the many species it shelters.

"Education, outreach and public engagement surrounding eelgrass is just as important, if not more so, than the scientific research we are conducting," says Taylor Seed of the FOME.

"The more people learn about eelgrass and it’s ecological, economic and cultural benefits, the more likely they are to protect it."

The confederacy was instrumental in linking the CERI project to Mi'kmaw communities based on the two-eyed seeing principle of learning and working together towards a common goal of healthy eelgrass ecosystems.

"By following the guiding principle Etuaptmumk (two-eyed seeing), we will gain a stronger understanding of this significant species," says Kelly Ferrier of CMM. "Eelgrass is home to many culturally significant species, such as Katew (American eel) and Jakej (American lobster). The decline or loss of this ecosystem could negatively impact access to food, social and ceremonial resources, creating barriers in connections and knowledge for future generations of Mi'kmaq peoples."

CERI is looking for support from the public to locate and study eelgrass meadows around the province. If you have seen eelgrass or know of the location of eelgrass meadows, please get in touch either through the form on the website (https://eelgrass.ca/contact/) or report it through the iNaturalist portal (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/eac-and-ceri-eelgrass-mapping-project). CERI is also asking coastal property owners with eelgrass off their property who want to support research to get in touch (https://eelgrass.ca/contact/) or through info@eelgrass.ca

Project contacts:

Kristina Boerder, CERI Scientific Lead, Future of Marine Ecosystems Research Group, Dalhousie University, kristina.boerder@dal.ca

Taylor Seed, CERI project co-ordinator, Future of Marine Ecosystems Research Group, Dalhousie University, Taylor.Seed@dal.ca

Media contacts:

Alison Auld
Senior Research Reporter
Communications, Marketing and Creative Services
Dalhousie University
Cell: 1-902-220-0491
Email: alison.auld@dal.ca

CMM Manager of Communications
Phone: 1-902-895-6385
Email: Rebecca.page-macdonald@cmmns.com