This was a collaboration led by Jim Williams and his students Megan Fraser and Tyler Winsor. And it is the first ever botanical study RCW been part of. With our analysis and stats help, they showed that sediment from Boat Harbour that predates its conversion into an industrial waste treatment lagoon can effectively support the growth of both cord grass and eel grass. These are promising results for the planned restoration of Boat Harbour (or A’se’k to give its Mi’kmaq name) once the industrial sediment layer has been removed.

Megan R. Fraser, Tyler Winsor, Jim Williams, Russell C. Wyeth, and David J. Garbary. Assessing the viability of pre-industrial sediment prior to remediation using primary producer (Zostera marina and Spartina alterniflora) growth and survival. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. e-First doi: 10.1139/cjfas-2019-0415