Eelgrass Bed Mapping

Land use changes and developments have led to a loss of natural estuarine habitat in British Columbia. Agriculture, forestry, and dredging for commercial and residential development have all contributed to the loss. It is anticipated that the pressure to modify natural estuarine habitat for the development of commercial facilities and residential units within coastal areas will intensify in the near future. It is therefore necessary to identify, classify, quantify, and develop a scientifically defensible management strategy for estuarine habitat in order to protect and maintain these valuable areas. The Eelgrass Bed Mapping Atlas and data entry tools facilitate the management of eelgrass data.