IMIS | Lifewatch regional portal

You are here

IMIS

[ report an error in this record ] Print this page

DFO Pacific Shorekeepers Intertidal Survey - a community based project
Citation
DFO (2013). DFO Pacific Shorekeepers Intertidal Survey - a community based project. Version 1 In OBIS Canada Collections. Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, NS, Canada. Published by OBIS. Http://www.iobis.org/. (consulted on [date]). https://marineinfo.org/id/dataset/4760

Access data
Archived data
Availability: Creative Commons License This dataset is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Description
The Shorekeepers survey is a citizen science protocol based project that enables community groups to collect scientifically defensible information about the intertidal and sub-tidal habitats and their biota in British Columbia. Shorekeepers is a rigorous monitoring methodology. The key to getting reliable scientific data is to use standard survey methods so that everyone is collecting data in the same way over time at all sites. A monitoring guide developed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada presents an intertidal surveying methodology. The method is presented in a logical step-by-step manner starting from selecting a study area through each type of measurement to entering the field data into the database, and finally, reporting the results. After a few days of training in habitat mapping and species identification, community members can use these step-by-step protocols to routinely monitor their site of interest or concern. more

The challenge is to distinguish natural changes from human-induced ones over time. Nevertheless, the resulting data will help us all to gain a better understanding of these dynamic ecosystems, and to make wiser decisions about coastal development and marine conservation. To detect gradual changes to habitats and local biodiversity, we need long-term data sets. Shorekeepers is about collecting detailed data annually at the same site(s) for three or more years. As our population grows in coastal areas, so may our impacts on marine habitats. Protection of this fragile environment requires active participation and monitoring by local people and communities. Does there appear to be less marine life on a particular beach in recent years? Do you suspect that a nearby activity or industry is affecting the plants and animals of a particular shoreline? Shorekeepers is stewardship of coastal marine habitats by people who live near them. It is a monitoring methodology designed specifically for community groups and for people who may not have a strong science background to be able to contribute to scientific data collection. Having local community groups and individuals take an active role in looking after their coastline fosters "local ownership" and interest. DFO maintains the central database with the complete dataset from all shorekeeper surveys on the BC coast. The OBIS dataset is a subset of this larger collection and includes the date, location and percentage coverage of the intertidal area by various taxa. Quantitative abundance and biomass values are not included in this dataset. Information on the tidal cycle and the slope of the intertidal area is included in the notes. The OBIS dataset is a subset of the Shorekeepers collection and contains presence information for intertidal zone taxa. For the full dataset users should contact DFO

Scope
Themes:
Biology
Keywords:
Marine/Coastal, Canada, British Columbia, Animalia, Plantae

Geographical coverage
Canada, British Columbia [Marine Regions]

Temporal coverage
30 June 1997 - 2 July 2008

Taxonomic coverage
Animalia [WoRMS]
Plantae [WoRMS]

Parameter
Occurrence of biota

Contributor
Government of Canada; Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), more

Related datasets
Published in:
OBIS-Canada: Canadian Ocean Biodiversity Information System, more

Dataset status: Completed
Data type: Data
Data origin: Monitoring: field survey
Metadatarecord created: 2015-03-10
Information last updated: 2015-03-10
All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy