Science and Technology Partnerships in Coastal Zone Management:


A Sidney, British Colombia Study

K. Conley (Institute of Ocean Sciences) and T. Curran (Canadian Hydrographic Service)

Abstract
Fisheries and Oceans has partnered with numerous other organizations to monitor a hard-substrate Reef Ball artificial reef in Sidney, British Columbia. The project arose from community needs, grew to involve science, technology, and local
industry aspects. The evolution of the project is described. A frank discussion of the technologies used to date is
included.


Résumé
Peches et Oceans est partenaire avec de nombreuses autres organizations pour surveiller un récif artificial de
substratum dur a Sidney, Colombie-Britannique. Le projet de récif artificial est né des besoins de la communauté,
et a évolué jusqu'a impliquer la science, la technologie, et les aspects de l'industrie locale. L'évolotion de ce projet
est décrite. Une discussion franche des technologies utilisées jusqu'a present est incluse.


Introduction
In the early 1990's, the Town of Sidney's Economic Development Committee (EDC) envisioned a pier, the Pier on Bevan, to enhance recreational activities in the community such as leisurely walking, nature viewing, fishing and SCUBA diving. With support from the local community, the EDC began planning and fund-raising for the 180-m long pier, achieving completion of the 90-m long phase I in mid- 1996. Phase II of the pier is scheduled to be completed in 1998. The town also planned to construct an associated artificial reef to create hard substrate habitat to attract shrimp, crab, fish and other marine organisms in order to achieve some of the pier's objectives. Various artificial reef construction materials were researched, but the town decided on reef modules called Reef Balls. Two clusters of Reef Balls, one either side of the pier, were deployed in November of 1996. The two clusters were constructed of 270 0.67 m high by 1 m diameter balls weighing approximately 225 kg, Another cluster of Reef Balls is planned for deployment at the end of the completed pier. Phase II of the reef will be constructed of about 150 of the small-sized balls used in phase 1 and 150 balls roughly twice the size. Because thefor phasetion of Reef Ball technology was new to the Pacific-Northwest region, the Reef Ball manufacturer donated the mold necessary to construct the reef modules used forphase I of the reef. However, the donation was made on the condition that the artificial reef be monitored at least twice per year for three years. For monitoring advice, the town had to seek external scientific expertise through partnership with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Institute of Ocean Sciences (IOS).

IOS, under policies in the new Oceans Act, initiated a multi-partnered coastal stewardship program to monitor the colonisation of life onto the artificial reef The project became known as SPARS, an acronym standing for Sidney Pier Artificial Reef Science. It was necessary to hire a coordinator to organize the various volunteer and partnership aspects of the project. Local divers were recruited with the assistance of a partnership with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors - Canada (PADI - Canada) headquartered in Sidney. The first survey dive took place on March 22, 1997, with the initial training sessions preceding it that same month. The methods used for the survey dives were developed through SPARS partnership with scientists from various DFO departments, the Royal British Columbia Museum (RBCM) and others. The primary objective of the SPARS project is habitat assessment,mainly through volunteer-conducted survey dives. The secondary objective of SPARS is to involve and educate the public in marine science issues, including providing presentations to schools, volunteers for training purposes, and various others. A third major objective of SPARS is to highlight local industry and technology.

This paper concentrates on the latter SPARS objective, involvement of the technology industry. Specifically discussed are the objectives of SPARS, especially habitat assessment and community education that have been achieved or approached by creating partnerships with local companies.


From the outset, the multilayered nature of the project was evident. Starting from the community needs, the underlying science was included. Based upon those science needs, various technologies were applied. An attempt was made to use technology solutions provided by local companies and to publicize achievements on the web, as a lasting advertisement

Reef Ball Technology

The Reef Balls are deceptively simple. They are constructed from concrete specially treated to be non toxic to marine organisms. The Reef Balls are designed with numerous openings, to reduce buoyancy in energetic wave environments and to provide easy egress for marine plants and animals. The Reef Balls are constructed using an exterior mold system and internal air-filled bladder. The bladder can be left in place, such that the Reef Ball can be floated into place by divers or towed behind a boat. In this project, mass production considerations led to the decision to deploy them from a barge, using a crane (Figure 1).




Figure 1. Deployment of Reef Balls via barge and crane
November 13, 1996 adjacent to the Pier on
Bevan, Sidney British Columbia.

The  Reef Ball technology is patented, and marketed, through Reef Ball Development Group Ltd. who donated the molds required to construct the Reef Balls for phase I of the reef (http://www.reefball.com). Other partnerships wore also necessary to construct the Reef Ball reefs. Dart Aerospace was involved to replicate molds allowing for mass production of Reef Balls. A local building-supply company, Butler Brothers, partnered with the project to construct the Reef Balls themselves. Finally, Pacific Pile Driving volunteered their services to deploy the Reef Balls.

SCUBA Diving

This project uses the sport and technology of SCUBA diving to reach its objective of habitat assessment, and indirectly to reach its educational objectives. Although SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) is relatively young as a recreational activity, many advances have made highly technological gear available to the sport diver. Recreational diver volunteers, and local dive shops such as Frank White's Dive Stores, have provided the use of their diving equipment while conducting surveys for the project. Divers know there is a risk of damaging their equipment every time they dive, but still are willing to use their sophisticated gear. Equipment has included everything from divers' basic and advanced personal gear, to underwater accessories such as dive flags for safety, cameras with advanced lighting systems, underwater measurement lanyards, and much more. For volunteers who don't have their own personal gear, Frank White's Dive Stores has provided equipment rentals as in-kind contributions to the project, including use of some underwater accessories.

Seafloor Survey
A Kongsberg-Simrad EM3000 acoustic swath Sonar was used to map the area by the Canadian Hydrographic
Service. The system simultaneously logged range and reflected intensity values. The area was very difficult to
survey acoustically, because the Reef Ball targets are relatively small, and they are full of holes. Although the area
was thoroughly ensonified during four successive passes, minor calibration errors in the motion reference package
meant that only a single pass could be used to construct the digital terrain model (DTM). This in turn meant that
some areas were poorly identified.


The DTM initially did not reveal any indication of the Reef Balls. In part, this was due to the low relief, and was addressed by detrending data to remove the seafloor profile. The The difference has considerable vertical exaggeration. The resultant image is shown as Figure 2.


Figure 2. Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of Reef Ball habitat in waters
adjacent to the Pier on Bevan in Sidney, British Columbia.

Positions were generated using differential GPS from a local reference station. Perhaps surprisingly, the positioning precision and repeatability required for coastal zone applications are quite strict. The reason is that frequently the manager in the coastal zone wants to repeat transects over time, and submetre accuracies are required.

There was interest in using the reflectivity signal. To date, it has not been processed, because of other problems encountered.

Physical Measurements
To quantify the biological effects, the oceanographic environment was monitored using an Aanderaa Current
Meter. The instrument recorded current speed and direction, salinity and temperature, with a sample interval of 30
minutes. Divers supplied by the Canadian Hydrographic Service shackled the instrument to a Reef Ball. Refer to
Figure 3.

SPARS Instrumentation Mooring Sketch



Figure 3. Aanderaa RCM-4 current meter mooring on
Reef Ball reef in waters adjacent to Pier on in Sidney, British Columbia.

Initially, the instrument also telemetered the data to shore, using an acoustic link. The intention was to permit children on school tours to hear and observe the data being recorded. However, this feature was not utilized, and the transducer consumed too much power from the current meter's batteries, so the use was terminated.

Fouling of the instrument was a significant problem since the site was ideal for encouraging growth generally. It became an essential task for the volunteer divers to remove accumulated marine growth regularly, or the current meter would provide erroneous readings. However, defouling was relatively easy to arrange during regularly scheduled survey dives.

Underwater Video
Underwater video has been very useful, and has been employed in several modes, particularly in attaining
education objectives. From the earliest time in the project, diver-held video has been recorded. Although very
difficult to utilize in a scientific presentation environment, it is nonetheless very useful. Cameras vary in size and
sensitivity, but all readily available units are suitable.

A local company consortium, including Seaconsult Marine Research in association with Coastal and Ocean Resources and Archipelago Marine Research, developed a towed system called Seabed Imaging and Mapping System (SIMS). They plan to use the SPARS site as a test area, and develop the tool as an adjunct to their coastal zone classification scheme.

Finally, another company, Cadence Engineering Associates, has recently offered to provide an in situ underwater camera, and to work with a local communications company to place continuous video on the Internet. It would also be integrated into a display at the nearby Sidney museum. There are obvious benefits to all participants, including publicizing the great educational and habitat monitoring accomplishments.

Web Site
Much thought went into rewarding those companies and individuals that volunteered their time to the project. The
concept of a web site was chosen as the vehicle. Web sites also have the advantage of two-way interaction that
could be used in a variety of ways towards achieving the project's objectives. Northwest Internet Solutions offered
to host the SPARS site (http://www.nwis.bc.ca/SPARS). The same company had already established a site for the
closely related pier project. Actual web site design was the product of a young computing science student volunteer. It is designed to appeal to the Internet browser, and provides a wealth of imagery, background,acknowledgements and links to local companies (see Figure 4).


Figure 4. Picture of crabs from SPARS website.


Conclusions
If the habitat creation project is financially constrained, almost everything can be done with volunteer workers.
However, a paid coordinator is essential to maintain drive and ensure continuity. Time becomes an unconstrained
variable things take longer because they are volunteered. Partnering loses many levers - need to cajole rather
than write cheques.


The linkage between technology and habitat is in the early stages. There is much potential that has yet to be realized.Swath sonar has obvious application, but better visualization products are needed. Reef Balls were hard to detect,because they were full of holes. The swath acoustic technology cannot presently classify marine plants and animals,but the potential is clear. An early objective was to apply single beam bottom classification systems to the project,but boat handling considerations made application difficult in small confined areas.

Hand carried video not easily publishable in conventional media, but is perhaps the best medium for communication. A towed video system like SIMS has promising potential for the acoustically tricky Reef Balls, and for biological classification. In situ video is just getting established. Video links to other public facilities like the museum can result in synergies and long term benefit to the community. A web site is potentially invaluable for all aspects of project. TV on the Internet creates excitement. Two-way interaction is possible.

Current Meters are very useful to monitor currents, temperatures, and salinity, and are a first step to linking the physics and biology. Maintenance of moored equipment can be overcome through project planning.

Divers are a first-class resource. They need continued care and encouragement.

Municipalities are presently at a scientific, financial, and cultural disadvantage. A major part of the role of this project is to educate the community to the practical benefits that can result from community-based science, and to get the stake holders working together. It is unrealistic to expect significant initial financial assistance from elected municipal officials. A track record of successful collaborations needs to be slowly established.

Acknowledgements
The Authors wish to acknowledge the following for their contributions to this project: