Basin Head Monitoring Activities

Budget: $25,000

Project Description: Monitoring and restoration initiatives being conducted at Basin Head Marine Protected Area will be continued through Irish moss (Chondrus crispus), eelgrass restoration and monitoring, as well as nutrient loading and Ulva monitoring. Six freshwater and three estuarine sites will be sampled for nutrient analysis, streamflow measurements (freshwater only), and water chemistry measurements (temperature, pH, and DO) taken by a multiparameter device. Using Irish moss supplied from the National Research Council Laboratory in Nova Scotia, and Blue Mussels (Mytilus edulis) provided by Confederation Cove Mussels Co., moss-mussel clumps will be produced and planted at pre-determined locations in the Northeast Arm of the Basin Head MPA. Wading and snorkeling surveys will be conducted to monitor and document survival and retention of existing and newly planted Irish moss. Previously planted eelgrass plots will be monitored to evaluate the density and documented through wading surveys. Finally, land-based photography will be used to analyze the development of Ulva throughout the season. This all will be completed with the aim to restore the Irish moss population in Basin Head to healthy, self-sustaining levels.