The Mayne Island Conservancy has been conducting eelgrass mapping since 2009 around the shores of SḴŦAḴ | Mayne Island.
Eelgrass plays a vital role in coastal ecosystems. Its meadows offer foraging grounds and shelter for juvenile fish and invertebrates, provide food for migratory waterfowl, and serve as spawning site for species like pacific herring. By trapping sediment, stabilizing the seafloor, and softening wave energy, eelgrass beds also help protect shorelines from erosion. They form the foundation of an exceptionally productive marine food web.
This unique habitat generates food and oxygen, improves water quality by filtering polluted runoff, absorbs excess nutrients, and stores greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.
In 2025 the Mayne Conservancy completed our 17th year of eelgrass extent monitoring. Around the shores of SḴŦAḴ | Mayne Island we monitor 15 sites, with an additional monitoring site in Grimmer Bay, S’DÁYES | North Pender Island. In 2025, we completed surveys at seven locations: Dinner Bay, Village Bay, Read more
The Mayne Island Conservancy’s 2025 eelgrass monitoring season is officially underway! My name is Eden, and I am one of the Ecosystem Technicians this field season. One of the exciting projects I am a part of is mapping eelgrass beds around the shores of SḴŦAḴ | Mayne Island. I never Read more
The Mayne Island Conservancy has been conducting eelgrass mapping since 2009 around the shores of SḴŦAḴ | Mayne Island. In 2019 and 2020, we also mapped 20 select locations throughout the Southern Gulf Islands around the shorelines of Valdes, Galiano, Parker, Samuel, and S’DÁYES | North Pender Islands. Most of Read more
From October 15th-18th, 2024 I had the opportunity to attend a gathering of professionals working towards restoration and conservation of eelgrass meadows. The symposium was held in Campbell River and organized by the Pacific Salmon Foundation. Over 40 representatives from 30 organizations were present, and I was pleased to see Read more
Being underwater during our annual eelgrass monitoring surveys is one of my favorite parts of my job as a biologist with the Mayne Island Conservancy. The nearshore marine environment is rich in energy and nutrients, so everywhere you look is teeming with life, nowhere more so than amongst the waving Read more
2022 marked the 13th year of eelgrass monitoring by the Mayne Island Conservancy. One year ago, in December of 2021, we reported a shocking decrease of 26% in the area covered by eelgrass since 2009. Through the spring and summer of 2022 our staff selected nine eelgrass beds to monitor, Read more
Mayne Island eelgrass declined 26% between 2009 and 2021 My most memorable marine experience this past year was snorkeling in the middle of a big ball of herring, a real National Geographic moment. I found if I avoided sudden movements, I could ease myself into the middle of the herring Read more
A short video talking about the work done on Mayne Island and the importance of eelgrass to our local ecosystems,