1. BoFEP's
9th Bay of Fundy Science Workshop - Call for Papers and Posters
BoFEP's 9th Bay of Fundy Science Workshop with the
theme:
“Protecting the Watersheds
and Estuaries of the Bay of Fundy: Issues, Science and Management”
will take place on September 27 - 30, 2011 at
the Delta Brunswick Hotel, Saint John, New Brunswick and will be hosted
by ACAP Saint John.
Papers and posters are invited dealing with any of
the following session topics:
-
Advances in understanding macro-tidal estuaries
-
Conservation of estuarine fishes
-
Coordinating monitoring programs - from the watershed to the coast
-
Cross-border issues and cooperation watershed issues
-
Estuarine issues - education and public awareness
-
Estuarine restoration
-
Freshwater-saltwater ecotoxicology
-
Fundy watersheds - research case studies
-
Information and knowledge - use and influence
-
Species at risk in Fundy watersheds and estuaries
-
Strengthening estuarine protection for Fundy watersheds
-
Tidal power development in macro-tidal estuaries - Fundy and beyond
Suggestions for other session topics are welcomed and encouraged.
Once again there will be awards for best student papers and posters.
Deadline for abstracts: June 30th, 2011 -
Submit abstracts to:
workshop@bofep.org
Please
format and submit abstracts
as outlined in the
Guide for Abstracts
Visit the
workshop website
for more details as they become available.
2.
BoFEP Pollution Workshop Proceedings Published
The
Proceedings of a workshop entitled,
"Threats to the Health of the Bay of Fundy: Potential Problems Posed by
Pollutants" was published in December 2010. The Workshop was
organized under the auspices of BoFEP's Working Group on Stress and
Cumulative Effects and held at the Fairmont Algonquin Hotel, St.
Andrews, New Brunswick on 30th April 2010.The 72 page proceedings was
edited by M.D.B. Burt and P.G.
Wells and published as BoFEP Technical Report No.
5. The presentations included ones on monitoring contaminants,
pollutants in river run-off from forest spraying as well as from
agricultural practices, mercury and organic pollutants and their
effects, and the effects of Azamthiphos and pyrethroid pesticides on
aquatic organisms. The workshop concluded with a panel discussion. A
CD copy of the proceedings, which includes all the PowerPoint
Presentations, is available from the
BoFEP Secretariat. The
72 page
PDF version of the Proceedings is also available online.
3.
BoFEP Fundy Issue on Fossils Published
The latest
release (#31) of The Fundy Issues Series has now been published. The 16
page publication is entitled "Fundy's
Fascinating Fossils: The Unique Palaeontology of the Bay of Fundy"
and explores the rich trove of scientifically important fossils
found all around the Bay of Fundy and the geological circumstances
surrounding their formation and subsequent exposure. It includes the
Precambrian Stromatolites around Saint John NB and the rich
Carboniferous remains found at nearby Fern Ledges, as well as the
world-renowned Late carboniferous fossil Cliffs at Joggins, the early
carboniferous dinosaurs from Parsborro and the early tetrapod track
ways and fossils from Blue Beach ,NS. It concludes that,
"Without question,
the eroding sedimentary cliffs rimming much of Fundy contain a unique,
truly remarkable and scientifically valuable record of great geological
changes and biological evolution from a number of particularly important
periods in the history of the Earth’s development."
and that "the Fundy region will continue to be an important and exciting
arena for palaeontological research, discovery and education".
Copies can be obtained from the
BoFEP Secretariat and also Fundy
Issue #31 is available online.
4.
Successful Workshops held for Municipal Planners Around Bay
A total of 29
regional and Municipal planners from around the Bay of Fundy attended a
series of one day workshops held in Digby, NS, Saint John, NB and
Sackville NB between March 16 and 24th, 2011. This initiative, funded by
Environment Canada through its Atlantic Ecosystems Initiative, is part
of a broader two part BoFEP led project entitled "Protecting the Bay of
Fundy from Pollution from Land-based activities". Part one involving
"Assessing Ecological Risks of Chemical Contamination" is ongoing and
will be reported on later. This second part, entitled "Working with
Municipal Planners to Reduce Chemical Risks from the Urban Environment"
is a joint effort of BoFEP and the Ecology Action Centre.
The United Nations Environmental Program concluded that, worldwide,
about 80% of all marine pollution results from the activities of humans
on land. The bulk of the chemical contaminants present in the coastal
water of the Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy are also derived from
land-based sources. Municipalities play a critical role in the planning
and management of land-use activities in the coastal zone and adjacent
watersheds. Cities, towns and villages located on the coast, or in
watershed areas draining into the Bay of Fundy, can have a major
influence on the health and well-being of coastal marine ecosystems,
including coastal wetlands.
The workshops entitled "Tools for Healthy Watersheds" were designed to
increase municipal and regional planners' awareness of the many complex
linkages between land-based activities within their municipalities and
the health of coastal habitats and watersheds. Healthy watersheds are
essential for coastal communities to preserve the environment, protect
the local water supply, prepare for climate change and save money.
The workshops also sought to assess knowledge gaps and information
requirements in order to determine what future resources the planning
community might benefit from and ways that groups such as BoFEP can work
to develop tools and resources to better meet the needs of planners.
A full report on the results of these workshops is currently in
preparation and will be posted on the BoFEP website .
