Applied Research Type: Forestry & Fisheries

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A big problem for Little Harbour

In picturesque Little Harbour, Nova Scotia, the livelihoods and pastimes of residents are inextricably linked to the water. More than 650 permanent and seasonal homes, along with six commercial shellfish harvesting areas, lie along Little Harbour’s 31.5 kilometres of shoreline.

But the beauty and prosperity of the area is being undermined by water contamination levels in the harbor, which have been on the rise for some years. The main contaminant is fecal coliform—the bacteria found in feces, and one that can accumulate in shellfish tissue. The presence of fecal coliform and the disease-causing pathogens it can contain has had an impact on both recreational and aquaculture sites around Little Harbour — two of Little Harbour’s six shellfish-growing areas are under restrictions that require costly additional steps to ensure the product is safe for consumption.

It’s believed two factors are to blame for the degradation of Little Harbour’s water — more houses that rely on residential septic fields are being built in the area, and precipitation patterns that are changing. The combination has increased the number of land-based contaminants being flushed into the water.

In August of 2016, Nova Scotia Community College’s Applied Geomatics Research Group partnered with AquaDelights Seafood Inc. and the Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia to investigate the sources and circulation patterns of the bacterial contamination.

They began by modelling water circulation patterns; results showed that many bacteria particles released into Little Harbour were transported only a few meters from their points of origin. They also discovered the changing tide left low concentrations of contaminates settling along the shorelines and increasing the mean fecal coliform count.

The work included a spatial and statistical analysis of 25 years of water quality data and gathered integrated underwater mapping data and aerial photographs of Little Harbour.

Once the work was completed, the information was shared with the community to influence future actions and encourage remediation of sources of contamination. Most Little Harbour residents were aware of the environmental impact of septic runoff in general, but many believed the tide cycle carried contaminants out to sea, and only learned that was not true from this project. As a result, this research stimulated interest in remediating sources of contamination, and increased local understanding that deteriorating water quality is a hindrance to both environmental and economic health.

Since the conclusion of NSCC’s research in November 2016, the community of Little Harbour has formed the Community Watershed Management Group to spearhead necessary changes and improve water quality in the area.

“The Little Harbour water monitoring project is an important first step in understanding and communicating the need to work with coastal communities to provide the research that will pave the way forward for a brighter future,” said Tom Smith, executive director of the Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia.

Funded by: College and Community Innovation Program, Engage Grant, NSERC

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A voyage to the bottom of the sea — by sonar

Understanding the ocean, its creatures and possibilities requires understanding where it ends: the ocean floor. But mapping that remote territory is by no means easy. A team from Nova Scotia Community College recently worked with industry partners to evaluate a new approach to imaging the bottom of the sea.

The partners were evaluating R2Sonic multibeam echosounders, an improved method of sonar backscatter imaging that greatly increases the information returned by sonar surveys of the ocean floor. Types of data that can be derived from a multibeam echosounder survey include water depth, which can be used to show the elevation of the sea floor, its reflectivity, or backscatter, which indicates how hard and rough the bottom is, and water column data including the size and strength of reflectors such as bubbles, fish and plankton in the water.

According to project partner R2Sonic, their new technology allows systems to collect backscatter data at multiple frequencies in a single pass, with one vessel and one sonar system — which results in considerable savings in time and cost.

“The capability to image the seafloor simultaneously with widely separated acoustic frequencies will allow for improved classification and characterization capabilities in addition to a host of other applications that are yet to be discovered,” R2Sonic’s website says.

Leading the evaluation was Dr. Jonathan Beaudoin, chief scientist at QPS evaluation services, who worked with Dr. Craig Brown of Nova Scotia Community College and with Mike Brissette of R2Sonic. The trials were conducted in Halifax’s Bedford Basin in August of 2016. During two sets of field trials, QPS provided software support for acquiring and processing data.

This project will save industries (such as fisheries) considerable cost because it will allow them to map larger areas of the ocean floor using fewer resources, including less vessel time. Industry partners have incorporated this technology into their operations and use the results in their decision making processes. Students were hired as research assistants to work on the project.

Partner(s): QPS, R2Sonic
Funded by: Community and College Social Innovation Fund, NSERC

About Nova Scotia Community College

Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) is committed to building Nova Scotia’s economy and quality of life through education and innovation, transforming Nova Scotia one learner... Learn more
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Students add flare to a foodie favorite

Longshore Fisheries is a family-owned lobster fishery that employs most of the residents in Sonora, Nova Scotia — but it is just one of over 400 seafood processing companies in the Maritimes. The company experienced steady and gradual growth and over time expanded its building and added equipment, new products and services.

“The lobster industry is very competitive,” says Krysta Hanley, whose family set up the company in a shuttered clam plant. “We realized very quickly we need to have something that nobody else has.” The family-owned business realized it needed help to be innovative, so they approached the New Brunswick Community College’s applied research and innovation office looking for technical advice on how they could improve their product line.

Longshore Fisheries’ challenge first became an applied research assignment for culinary arts students doing an advanced food production course. As a lobster fishery, the company had plenty of lobster by-product and they believed that, with some innovative help, it could create value for the company. The culinary arts students investigated and tested value-added recipes to create new products for Longshore Fisheries using the lobster by-product. Then it was up to marketing students in business administration to develop marketing plans to set Longshore Fisheries’ new products apart.

The culinary arts students created eleven new products for Longshore Fisheries. The marketing students then developed and presented marketing plans based on the new value-added food products created by the culinary arts students. Now, the company has tangible new products they can bring to the marketplace and plans for how to do it, while the NBCC students have grown their skill sets through practical and applied learning with industry.

Funded by: National Research Council - Industrial Research Assistant Program

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With over 90 regular programs and six campuses across New Brunswick, New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) is a collaborative, learner-centred college – creatively contributing to... Learn more
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Passive Treatment of Leachates from Forestry Waste

Wood waste from the Quebec forest industry is often stored in large piles that can degrade the soil under and around the stockpiles. Forestry researchers at the Centre technologique des résidus industriels (CTRI) at Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue are testing ways to decontaminate water that may be affected by leaching from these stockpiles.

The cégep’s researchers applied their knowledge about treatment of wastewater from mine tailings to the problem of leachates from bark heaps for a local forestry company, Coopérative forestière du NordOuest, Mabarex.

The research team is designing, installing and monitoring a pilot passive treatment of leachate waters in wood residue concentration areas. The system is being set up in two stages. First, the team will design and install hydraulic works upstream of the forest depot. This facility will serve as a reactive barrier. The phenolic compound leachates in the water will be absorbed in the multiple reactive columns in the barrier. Several inexpensive absorption materials will also be tested in this stage. The second stage is neutralizing the phenolic compounds concentrated in the absorption materials. Using the aerobic enzymes in mushrooms, this organic process will improve the biodegradability of phenolic compounds.

This process is a passive treatment technique requiring no pumping or injection system. The new system could provide an effective and low cost alternative to existing techniques that are complex and often ineffective for treating leachate waters in wood residue stocking areas.

“Thanks to this project, CTRI is now a major player in innovation in the region,” says Sylvain Blais, Director General of Cégep de l’AbitibiTémiscamingue. “This project also advances applied research on passive treatment of organic pollutants and develops expertise to meet the increased needs in depolluting effluents in tailing areas, which is currently a major environmental issue.”

Equipment recently purchased by Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue for CTRI make it possible to prepare samples, and identify and quantify microorganisms. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR), in which micro-organisms are used to treat a range of pollutants, is one of the potential processes being explored. This equipment will help address regional environmental problems and allow the cégep to offer additional expertise to local partners.

Funded by: Applied Research and Development (ARD) Grant

About Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue

La communauté du Cégep de l’AbitibiTémiscamingue est animée par la conviction profonde que la santé d’une société est intrinsèquement liée au développement global des individus... Learn more
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Planning for Sustainable Salmon Aquaculture

Fish farmers and fisheries experts are working together to monitor the effects of aquaculture on the ocean floor with the help of researchers from North Island College.

The BC Salmon Farming Association (BCSFA) and the local offices of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) identified a need to strengthen capacity in monitoring the ocean floor of hard bed substrates where some B.C. fish farms are located. North Island College was approached in 2012 to help research the issue for the North Vancouver Island salmon aquaculture industry with the aim to ensure environmental sustainability of aquaculture.

Dr. Aisling Brady, a biology instructor at the college, looked at two fundamental issues — the significant ecological changes likely to occur at hard bottom sites near salmon farm operations, and the habitat indicators and thresholds at which significant negative large scale seabed changes occur. The research team used remote controlled vehicles and video observations for invertebrate community surveys on the seabed as well as environmental monitoring and measuring interactions between invertebrates and salmon farm waste.

The investigation provided a solid foundation for future industry growth in hard bottom areas. It also helped stimulate a broader dialogue about environmental monitoring and supports decisions grounded in empirical evidence. The college’s industry partners are interested in continued research to develop strategies and solutions to monitor and better regulate hard bottom substrates.

Funded by: Innovation Enhancement (IE) Grant

About North Island College

NIC is honoured to acknowledge the traditional territories of the combined 35 First Nations of the Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka’wakw and Coast Salish traditions, on whose traditional... Learn more
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Wave Energy Research

College researchers in Burin, Newfoundland are experimenting with wave energy to develop a pump that could provide water for aquaculture operations inland.

The College of the North Atlantic team is in the fourth year of a research project on wave pump application, development and optimization. Over the course of the project, the team has developed a wave-powered device to pump water to shore for a land-based aquaculture pilot farm.

Along with the original project plan, this multiparty funding has supported the development of the Wave Energy Research Centre (WERC), a field station with significant infrastructure, for long term research and development work. WERC operates out of four buildings on the wharf in Lord’s Cove, in southeastern Newfoundland. The research centre has six mooring sites within 1.5 kilometres of the station permitted under the Canadian Navigable Waters Protection Act. In addition to a weather station, wave data collection and device mooring sites, WERC also houses the Multi-Trophic pilot aquaculture farm, a lab and workshop space. The site is equipped with an emergency back-up power supply sufficient to run the farm, data acquisition equipment and high speed data connections for onsite monitoring and control of equipment.

Wave energy researchers have measured waves as high as 11 metres at 25 metres depth; and six-to-eight-metre waves are not uncommon in winter. When scaled to the full depth, these conditions represent the extremes of environmental conditions experienced in offshore installations. The research team is currently discussing the potential for other projects at the site with a number of institutions and companies.

A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was purchased through a CCI Applied Research Tools Instruments grant and deployed to increase the ability, effectiveness and safety of performing underwater inspections of the equipment being tested and of the installed instrumentation. This system is small enough to be easily deployed from a local fishing vessel, while powerful enough to be able to operate during non-storm conditions at the site. Additional instrumentation will enhance researchers’ ability to collect data at the site.

Funded by: Applied Research Tools and Instruments (ARTI) Grant, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Research and Development Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador

About College of the North Atlantic (CNA)

College of the North Atlantic is Newfoundland and Labrador’s public college – one of the largest post-secondary educational and skills training centres in Atlantic Canada,... Learn more
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Agroforestry Extraction

The emerging bioeconomy is providing promising new opportunities for the development of new products from forestry and agriculture biomass. While significant progress has been made in the conversion of forestry residues to useable biomaterials, developments in the agroforestry sector require a better understanding of the chemical composition of forestry biomass from a variety of different sources and the availability of effective and reliable production technologies with a low environmental impact.

Collège de Maisonneuve’s Industrial Research Chair Dr. Yacine Boumghar, has considerable expertise in extraction and separation bioprocesses and in scaling-up pilot-scale processes. He is leading a research program on the conversion of agroforestry biomass to usable materials and the commercial scale-up of agroforestry extraction processes. Dr. Boumghar intends to make Collège de Maisonneuve a hub of knowledge on agroforestry extraction and an incubator for leading edge technology solutions to address community and industry needs. The research team will work to:

  • develop extraction, purification and separation bioprocesses;
  • develop analytical tools to determine the chemical composition of agroforestry extracts;
  • assess the biological activity of the extracts or fractions of extracts produced.
  • develop linkages between government, associations and industry to help pool efforts and coordinate innovative actions;
  • break down barriers between the forestry and agroforestry sectors approaches to scientific and economic issues and promote integrated technology solutions;

With the establishment of the Chair, a number of agroforestry cooperatives and companies have been able to launch innovative projects promoting both diversification and product development. This research is helping ease the transition from a linear economy to a circular one.

“As a representative of the international corporation DuPont de Nemours, I’ve had the opportunity to work with [the Centre d’études des procédés chimiques du Québec (CEPROCQ) at Collège de Maisonneuve] over the past several years to test new sources of extractables. I saw firsthand how effectively this organization was able to design research and quickly produce tangible results for industry,” said Simon Langlois, director of business development, DuPont Building Innovations.

About Collège de Maisonneuve

Si le Collège de Maisonneuve est aujourd’hui un cégep de grande qualité, dont la réputation d’excellence dépasse largement l’Île de Montréal, c’est grâce à la... Learn more
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Conversion of Marine Macroalgae

The industrial use of marine algae is a huge and growing market feeding large industries, mainly in Asia and Europe.

Canada has all the elements required to develop an industrial centre in this field, namely, relatively unpolluted coastal waters and large reserves of this natural resource. Québec’s coastal areas are no exception. Québec’s macroalgae has a high commercial potential, since this natural resource is used in a wide range of products, including fertilizers, foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Fast-growing cold-water algae are easily cultivated in marine farms, and could bring needed diversification to shellfish farmers. Despite the emergence of an algae cultivation, harvesting and processing industry made up of primarily small and medium-sized businesses, applied research in the field is unstructured and entrepreneurs have little documentation or technical support at their disposal.

The creation of an Industrial Research Chair in the Conversion of Marine Macroalgae at the École des pêches et de l’aquaculture du Québec (ÉPAQ), part of the Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles, will bring together available knowledge, resources and expertise to address current needs. The funding obtained or the industrial chair program has allowed research professor and Chairholder Éric Tamigneaux to set up a small work team, in partnership with the Centre d’innovation de l’aquaculture et des pêches du Québec (Merinov), which manages the Centre collégial de transfert de technologie en pêches (CCTT) at the Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles. Funds are being used to organize workshops and symposia, supplement student grants, operate the hatchery and the algoculture demonstration farm at the ÉPAQ, supplement project budgets and leverage further project funding.

The main objectives of Dr. Tamigneaux’s research are to encourage and coordinate applied research projects on macroalgae, provide industrial players with scientific and technical support, and offer training to companies and students. The applied research has three components: fisheries and natural resources, mariculture, and algal biomass conversion.

Research projects will be adapted to the needs of industry to enable entrepreneurs and users of the results to address the challenge of utilizing the resource sustainably and stimulating the local and regional economy.

One current project involves Algoa, a small firm in Forestville on Québec’s North Shore, which employs nine people who harvest and process 20 tons of algae every year. These large volumes are used in a fertilizer, but “that’s not the greatest gain,” says president Dany Sénéchal. Small quantities are also being sold to the cosmetics industry and Algoa is developing a food subsidiary in teas. Mr. Sénéchal is counting on Dr. Tamigneaux’s research team to identify the algae’s properties: “French research results don’t apply in Québec,” he says. “The Chair’s research will give me checked and checkable information that my algae is unique.”

Éric Tamigneaux is a research professor at ÉPAQ, one of the college’s campuses. An oceanographer by training, Mr. Tamigneaux has worked at the college for 12 years, both as a professor in the aquaculture technical diploma program and as senior project manager at the CCTT.

Over the past six years, Mr. Tamigneaux has developed unique expertise in Québec on growing macroalgae and has successfully stimulated companies’ and institutions’ interest in algae. Founder of the Centre d’étude et de valorisation des algues marines (CÉVAM), he has created a network of partners from universities and the CCTT network.

About Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles

Le Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles est situé dans un environnement grandeur nature, entouré de plages, du Parc national Forillon et du Parc... Learn more
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Sustainable Aquaculture

Dr. Stephen Cross, Research Chair in Sustainable Aquaculture at North Island College, has been involved with aquaculture development and research in Canada since 1985. He has worked with industry, government, and academia on all aspects of environmental management for coastal aquaculture. Dr. Cross has also assisted with regulatory development in Chile and Thailand, on academic curriculum development in Mozambique, and on projects in the U.S. and Australia.

With growing global demand for sustainable seafood, the major focus of research at North Island College will be to support sustainable aquaculture industry in Canada by assisting in efforts to diversify production through integrated systems, increasing efficiencies in short and long-term environmental management approaches, and increasing public awareness and acceptance of aquatic food production (“fish farming”) for Canada.

Dr. Cross, in partnership with local industry partners Marine Harvest Canada, Grieg Seafood, Cermaq Canada and Creative Salmon, will focus on four applied research and development themes: refining and testing new environmental monitoring protocols, introducing finfish aquaculture into B.C., developing an integrated coastal surveillance platform, and deepening understanding of B.C. aquaculture.

Research in new environmental monitoring protocols will design, refine and test new approaches for environmental management of the waste discharge from farms in an effort to address many of the technical challenges associated with current methods. It aims to provide technical options that are rigorous and scientifically-defensible as well as cost-effective and efficient.

Inorganic nutrient release from fish farms offers an opportunity for the development of partial Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) in existing farm operations. North Island research explores this approach and the design of a system and economic modeling for a fish-kelp component for the industry as a whole.

Coastal surveillance researchers are designing and testing a standardized, water quality monitoring station for farm site installation which requires minimal maintenance. The design includes web-based telemetry and a network for industry-wide data acquisition, relay, consolidation, analysis, and access for multi-stakeholder use. Industry will benefit through linkages to a fish heath database that will allow local or regional assessments of performance.

As most aquaculture in B.C. takes place in remote coastal locations, the general public has little opportunity to visit “fish farming” facilities. In an effort to make aquaculture accessible, a web-based viewing platform will be developed situated in several locations both above and below water and will allow user control of remote cameras. Researchers will pilot these systems for use in the classroom and in long-term aquaculture displays in the Comox Valley Visitor Centre, the Campbell River Discovery Passage Aquarium, and the Vancouver Public Aquarium.

About North Island College

NIC is honoured to acknowledge the traditional territories of the combined 35 First Nations of the Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka’wakw and Coast Salish traditions, on whose traditional... Learn more
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Using Wood Ash as Fertilizer

For decades, the forestry industry has operated under difficult financial conditions, and little attention has been given to potential innovations and research opportunities. This has created opportunities for collaboration with post-secondary institutions, because research and innovation are an essential part of the industry’s long-term sustainability. A 2014 study, undertaken by Collège Boréal and a timber company near Sudbury, has demonstrated the value gained from a college-industry research partnership.

A forestry company with a mill in Nairn Centre, 50 kilometres east of Sudbury, uses wooden biomass to heat and provide electricity for its operations. The waste produced is wood ash, which could be used to promote plant growth by enhancing or retaining soil nutrients. However, the company currently discards the ash at landfill sites creating additional costs for landfill fees and transportation to the dump.

Collège Boréal was asked by the company to determine the efficacy of using wood ash from the mill on foliage and soil in the Greater Sudbury area. The college’s forestry researchers and students set up a six-month plot sample with a variety of soil conditions in the college’s greenhouse. The results of soil and foliage analysis showed that the wood ash improved the soil conditions and generated greater plant growth than control conditions without ash added. This initiative provided empirical evidence to support the idea of wood ash as the company’s new co-product.

Through the study, the company has identified a new co-product that is available to its customers, and will lead to higher sales for the company. They have also lowered their operational costs because the wood ash is no longer deposited at landfill sites so the company has eliminated transportation and landfill fees.

About Collège Boréal

Créé en 1995, le Collège Boréal est un établissement de formation et d’enseignement postsecondaire de langue française qui œuvre au développement et à l’épanouissement des... Learn more