Collaborative nearshore monitoring to inform cumulative effects assessment and management on the North Coast of B.C.

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Graphic recording of session by Savanna Young.

Thank you for attending our session! If you didn't get the chance to do so, the summary is below and the recording of that session is HERE.

To address the cumulative effects of current and potential future development in the North Coast of BC on ecosystems and human well-being, First Nations Partners and the Province of BC, through two different but collaborative government-to-government initiatives, the Environmental Stewardship Initiative (ESI) and the Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP), are working to monitor, assess, and manage cumulative effects on key coastal and marine ecological and cultural values in this area, including: estuarine habitats, salmon, and First Nations’ food security and access to resources. In the Skeena River Estuary, key habitats include eelgrass, tidal marsh, canopy kelps, and soft sediments. We describe the development and implementation of monitoring in these habitats and provide lessons learned about collaborative long-term monitoring in support of ecosystem-based management, particularly how the data will be used to inform management of cumulative effects in the Skeena River Estuary and the North Coast of BC.