News from MLSSBC


September 16, 2022 

We received a disappointing response from the Ministry of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard (DFO) regarding our May 23rd letter ‘MLSSBC Letter of Concern Regarding Howe Sound Marine Refuge Infractions’ to the Honourable Joyce Murray. Sadly, the sponge reefs destruction continue despite finely worded responses from DFO. We will continue to urge the Canadian government to protect the sponge reefs. 

Click here to view a copy of the letter from The Honourable Joyce Murrey, P.C., M.P.

 


May 25, 2022

MLSSBC Letter of Concern Regarding Howe Sound Marine Refuge Infractions to Honourable Minister Joyce Murray

Marine Life Sanctuaries Society of BC‘s Letter of Concern addressed to the Honourable Minister Joyce Murray imploring immediate attention and action regarding the on-going infractions and violations due to bottom-contact fishery activities in the Marine Refuge Glass Sponge Reefs of Átl’ka7tsem / Howe Sound.

 
Glen Dennison, President
Sheila Byers, Vice-President
Adam Taylor, Director Citizen Science
Lora Tryon, Director Secretary
 

Reef damage comparison 2020 vs 2021 Adam Taylor John Kaay

 
 

Are Marine Refuges Protecting Sensitive Glass Sponges or Are Better Management Tools Required?

Presentation by Sheila Byers (MLSS BC) at the 2022 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. 


Exciting news received on July 13, 2021!! 

The MLSS publication – Invertebrate settlement and diversity on a glass sponge reef – was recently chosen by the Canadian Field-Naturalist journal as the runner-up for the Fletcher Award. The Fletcher Award highlights the best paper in the journal for the year. We are thrilled with this acknowledgement by the CFN!Invertebrate settlement and diversity on a glass sponge reef  by Stephanie K. Archer, Glen Dennison, Lora Tryon, Sheila Byers and Anya Dunham. Canadian Field-Naturalist 134(1): 1-15

 


They outlived dinosaurs, but can glass sponge reefs survive man-made warming?

They outlived dinosaurs, but can glass sponge reefs survive man-made warming?


 

OPP and NOTH 2021 Conferences

Transport Canada – OPP Conference

 

Nature on the Hill

Mid-February was a busy week for the MLSS President and Vice-President who attended two virtual conferences that ran simultaneously: The Ocean Protection Plan (OPP) Dialogue Forum Winter 2021 was the 7th Forum organized by Transport Canada, and Nature on the Hill 2021 (NOTH) was the 3rd annual event organized by Nature Vancouver. Glen and Sheila split our time to cover as much of the conferences as we could.  Read more here: OPP and NOTH 2021 Conferences by Sheila Byers


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