The Eastern Shore Islands is a unique archipelago, east of Halifax. These islands create a real diversity of habitats, and associated with this variety of habitats is a diversity of organisms.
Continue reading “Eastern Shore Islands: A Coastal Gem”Dalhousie marine biologist calls sensitive eel grass at Owls Head ‘treasure’
Kristina Boerder says development would likely cause negative consequences on surrounding aquatic vegetation and marine life
Kristina Boerder completed work in the area last summer and says the rare eel grass beds at Owls Head are more effective at trapping carbon than forests on land. She says about one acre of eel grass can store about 330 kilograms of carbon per year.
“This is about as much as a car travelling from Halifax to Vancouver would emit in carbon,” she says. “The function of eel grass beds trapping carbon is incredibly important if we talk about climate change and a warming planet.”
She says it also benefits humans and the environment by protecting the coast from erosion and improving water quality.
“It’s one of the most productive ecosystems in the world,” she says. “A square metre produces about 10 litres of oxygen per day, and really benefits everybody.”
Continue reading “Dalhousie marine biologist calls sensitive eel grass at Owls Head ‘treasure’”Dr. Kristina Boerder on News 95.7
Marine biologist Dr. Kristina Boerder of Dalhousie University speaks with host Todd Veinotte about the incredible ecosystem services that eelgrass meadows provide.
How might this important ecosystem be adversely affected by golf course & residential developments? Listen to the interview to find out.
Continue reading “Dr. Kristina Boerder on News 95.7”Wetlands, eel grass and golf courses don’t mix, scientists say in Owls Head debate
“This is just more evidence that leaving protected areas to provide these ecosystems services is important for our province,” Kendall said.
Continue reading “Wetlands, eel grass and golf courses don’t mix, scientists say in Owls Head debate”Species Spotlight: Piping Plover
Piping Plover (Charadrius Melodus Melodus)
The piping plover is a beloved – but critically endangered – shorebird. The Nature Conservancy of Canada reports that there are fewer than 40 breeding pairs of piping plovers in our province. The piping plover population in Nova Scotia has suffered an alarming decline of more than 25% since 2001, largely due to anthropogenic (human-caused) disturbances.
“Piping Plovers depend on dynamic, healthy coastal ecosystems. Key challenges to the recovery of this small shorebird include habitat loss from coastal development, disturbances from recreation and motorized vehicles, predator pressures, and climate change.”
Continue reading “Species Spotlight: Piping Plover”Avian Diversity at Owls Head Provincial Park
A photo gallery of bird species recorded through e-bird
As a 268-hectare coastal landscape on the Atlantic Flyway, Owls Head Provincial Park is an important habitat for native bird species and a refuge for migratory birds.
The coastal headland supports a variety of habitats, including a beach, estuaries, bogs, and salt marshes. Last summer, CPAWS NS and a team of biodiversity experts set out “to identify bird species across these habitats and document the ecological significance of this unique region.”
Continue reading “Avian Diversity at Owls Head Provincial Park”Species Spotlight: Broom Crowberry
“Vegetation on the bedrock ridges of Owls Head [Provincial Park] is dominated by a shrub called Broom Crowberry (Corema Conradii),” explain biologists Caitlin Porter and Dr. Jeremey Lundholm. Broom Crowberry (Corema conradii) is a flowering heathland plant that is “endemic to eastern North America, meaning it can be found nowhere else in the world.” (Porter and Lundholm).
Continue reading “Species Spotlight: Broom Crowberry”Seagrass—secret weapon in the fight against global heating
One of the most threatened yet overlooked ecosystems on Earth, seagrass could have a promising future thanks to its ability to absorb carbon.
Seagrass accounts for 10 per cent of the ocean’s capacity to store carbon—so-called “blue carbon”—despite occupying only 0.2 per cent of the sea floor, and it can capture carbon from the atmosphere up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests.
Continue reading “Seagrass—secret weapon in the fight against global heating”