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Lunenburg Bay Marine Environmental Prediction System (MEPS)
Project Summary
The Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation (BCAF) will continue their contribution to the Marine Environmental Prediction System (MEPS) project, which began last year. BCAF is involved with only a small portion of a large scale project that has been developed by Dalhousie University, Environment Canada, and a multitude of other government and private partners. These collaborators have established the Center for Marine Environmental Prediction (CMEP) to implement the MEPS project. The rationale is to provide a multi-institutional focus for innovative interdisciplinary research and education on the observation and prediction of physical, chemical, and biological changes in the marine environment. The goal of MEPS is to use environmental observation systems to predict changes in three distinct marine environments; ocean basins, shelf waters, and coastal inlets or bays.
BCAF is concerned with the Bay component of the MEPS project, which has been chosen to be located in Lunenburg Bay. This location was chosen for its shallow (20 m) mean depths, which is typical of many coastal embayments in Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada. The Bay component of the MEPS project will be developed into a coastal forecast system. Data will be transmitted in real time to the Center for Marine Environmental Prediction from three instrumented moorings and a land-based meteorological station that were deployed in the summer of 2002. Some of the observations that will be collected include; meteorological variables, water temperature and salinity, currents, measures of bottom stress, and optical properties such as ocean colour and water clarity. This project will also aid in the development of robust environmental products, for instance products that will measure phytoplankton biomass, suspended sediment and water clarity.
A special feature of MEPS-Bay is the combination of measurements and models of ocean waves with that of the tidal and wind-driven currents in a coastal embayment. Mean currents are not included in most numerical models of coastal circulation making the MEPS-Bay system a leader in marine observation and forecasting research.
The information obtained throughout the duration of this project will be extremely beneficial to the local fishing industry, as well as the general public. Once operational, the monitoring station will be able to provide real-time data, weather conditions, and water conditions via the internet to anyone interested. This project will also be a help to the Town of Lunenburg in determining the effects of the new Wastewater Treatment Plant that celebrated its grand opening in September 2003.
BCAF’s role in this project focuses on two main aspects. Initially, BCAF staff will take an active role to assist the Dalhousie team by collecting and analysing water samples at the three mooring sites in Lunenburg Harbour. Sampling will take place during the field season between June and November 2004. The second aspect of the project will be public education and outreach, to ensure that the local communities are aware of the significance and purpose of the project. The public outreach and education component of the project will include the following:
• Creation of a video demonstrating the sampling process and discussing the importance of the project to the local community, as well as the global community. This would include such topics as the sampling methodology, the types of information and data that can be learned from the sampling, how to interpret the information and data, how this information and data is important to the local community (e.g., Lunenburg) as well as to the global community. The video may also include footage of other aspects of the project such as the “Sky Watchers” Program and Sampling Program with the local schools and the display to be set up at the Fisheries Museum.
• Museum display at the Fisheries Museum in Lunenburg, ideally with at least one computer link and monitor showcasing the near-real time meteorological and oceanographic information captured on the website.
• Kids sampling program with local schools
• Promotion of Environment Canada’s “Sky Watchers” Program in local schools
• Brochures and a series of fact sheets
• Web site enhancements (both BCAF site and Dalhousie CMEP site)
• Public forums
• Displays at local festivals and events
Partners
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Dalhousie University
Environment Canada
Last Modified: Fri, Dec 2, 2005
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