Eelgrass monitoring
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
Parks Canada studies eelgrass, to look for trends and changes to the plant over time. We observe fish communities, and we track different factors that influence the growth of the plants.
Learn more about our research. Download the Eelgrass Monitoring Factsheet (PDF, 643 KB)
Our research: a photo story
Click through the gallery below and get a closer look at our research process.
1. A fish nursery
Eelgrass grows in shallow bays. Young fish hide in the eelgrass to avoid getting eaten.
2. Baby's first check-up
Each summer, park staff goes to the same bays in the park reserve. Once there, we cast our net three times to catch young fish.
3. Catch and release
We immediately put the fish into buckets of cold water. Our goal is to give them a quick check-up and then return them safely to the ocean.
4. Who are you?
We identify and count each fish, up to 6,000 in a season. Shiner perch like these ones are the most common fish we catch.
5. Long or short?
We measure and weigh types of fish that we don’t have enough information on yet. Here’s a young salmon.
6. Our commitment: to protect
Pacific Rim and Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserves also monitor eelgrass fish. Over many years, our combined data reveals trends in the ocean’s health and guides management decisions.
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