This Volunteer Working Group’s specific objective is to assist the Coalition-SGSL in achieving its vision and implement its mandates in all aspects that concern science and research. Members of the group include scientists, local residents and research organizations. The group’s quarterly meetings are an opportunity to connect with like minded individuals from across the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. Here members can advise the Coalition-SGSL’s direction regarding research and science especially related to habitat health.
 
In the course of the last ten years, the group has developed a preliminary list of indicators for identifying the sustainability of the Southern Gulf of St.Lawrence. You can find more information and view reports from this work on the Sustainability Indicators webpage.  The group is now looking at ways to move forward with these indicators by working with provincial and municipal groups developing sustainability plans for communities.
 
The Science, Research and Habitat Group is also involved with spearheading the Community Aquatic Monitoring Program (CAMP). This program helps community groups with monitoring the health of estuaries in their watershed. The Coalition-SGSL is the coordinating body for CAMP. We hire several summer students every year that help the community groups of the Maritime Provinces with CAMP, ie. scheduling, sampling, transfer of equipment, entering data, quality control, volunteer training and education, etc.
 


A sunny summer day for doing CAMP.

The Science, Research and Habitat group also supervises various Coalition-SGSL projects that involve cross-province and cross-sector research. For example, the group oversaw the work of the Social Economic Cultural Overview Assessment in collaboration with eight researchers, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and several local groups. Currently, the group also provides advice for the implementation of the Coastal Communities Challenges — Community University Research Alliance (CCC-CURA). 
One of the key actions of the group members is to bring to the attention of the Coalition-SGSL research and science projects that can help further our vision. In this way, the Coalition-SGSL played an important role in helping create the Northumberland Strait Environmental Monitoring Partnerships which is focused on developing a regional monitoring framework for the Northumberland Strait to assess cumulative effects.
 
Being a member of the Science, Research and Habitat Volunteer Working Group is not only an opportunity to learn and exchange up to date information about science and research, it is also an opportunity to contribute actively to the sustainability of the Southern Gulf of St.Lawrence.
 
For more information about the Science, Research and Habitat Volunteer Working Group please contact:

Marie-Hélène Thériault (Chair)
Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Biologist
Marie-Helene.Theriault@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Interested in getting involved with a Volunteer Group, but aren’t sure where to apply your expertise? Contact us!