Resources
Useful information for and about the Gulf of Maine

Coastal monitoring

Science-Based Restoration Monitoring of Coastal Habitats, is a two-volume manual that offers a means to determine if the restoration is on track, to gauge how well a restoration site is functioning and to coordinate projects and efforts for consistent and successful restoration. The manual helps users evaluate the ecological health of specific coastal habitats before and after a project is completed, provides technical assistance, outlines necessary steps and provides useful tools to develop and carry out sound scientific monitoring of coastal restoration projects. Published by The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, the
manual is available at http://coastalscience.noaa.gov.

Ocean management report

Waves of Change: The Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force Report and Recommendations was released in March by the Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force. The report contains recommendations for improving the management and protection of the Commonwealth’s ocean resources. It urges the Massachusetts Secretary of Environmental Affairs to develop a comprehensive plan for managing development in coastal waters and defending the unique and sensitive marine environment. It also calls for a broad strategy to coordinate the increasingly varied demands on Massachusetts ocean resources, from fishing, boating and commercial shipping to hosting fiber optic cables, natural gas pipelines, wind energy farms and offshore aquaculture. The Task Force also recommends creating a formal process for selecting marine protected areas, like marine wildlife sanctuaries. This report, along with the accompanying Technical Report, is available at www.mass.gov/czm/MOMI/finalrpts.htm.

Wetlands stewardship

A report from the Conference on Canadian Wetlands Stewardship held in February 2003 provides strategies and actions to encourage planning for wetlands stewardship. Among the topics covered: Changing the Policy Framework; Integrated Watershed Management; National Wetland Inventory; Governance and Mechanisms; Enhancing Capacity; Promoting Wetland Education and Communication; and Fostering a Sustainable Wetland Industry. Also available is the National Watershed Stewardship Report, which captures the collective knowledge of watershed stewards across Canada. The report was produced in November and describes how governments and communities can work together to advance watershed stewardship. Both reports are available at www.stewardshipcanada.ca.

Marine biology courses

Based in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea in southwestern New Brunswick, the Huntsman Marine Science Centre offers summer courses with topics ranging from Introductory Marine Biology to the study of Marine Mammals and Seabirds. Opportunities and facilities for researchers are also available. For a complete course list go to www.huntsmanmarine.ca, or contact the Centre’s University Programs Coordinator at (506)529-8246.

Consumers guide

The Guide to Ocean Friendly Seafood is produced by the Blue Ocean Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to ocean conservation. The ranking of seafood is based on the analysis of five criteria. Wild species are evaluated for their life history characteristics, current level of abundance, habitat quality, management effectiveness and bycatch. Farming systems are evaluated for their on-site operations, feed composition, water quality, biological effects and ecological effects. The Guide is available at www.blueoceaninstitute.org/seafood.

Fishes of Atlantic Canada!

Fishes of Atlantic Canada! is a Web site dedicated to providing photographs and basic biological and ecological information on fishes of the Canadian Atlantic. Users can search for a particular fish using the search function or through the classification function. Both common and Latin names can be used in the search. The site also contains a reference section and glossary. The collection was compiled and archived by a team of biologists and computer scientists from the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in St. Andrews, New Brunswick. Copyright details are listed with the photographs. Go to http://collections.ic.gc.ca/compendium.

 © 2004 The Gulf of Maine Times