IntelliReefs Kelp Site Results: Aquatic Invertebrates & Fish eDNA by Nature Metrics in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Around the world, massive kelp beds are rapidly declining due to coastal development and erosion, warming waters, invasive species, poor water quality, pollution, and overfishing. As a consequence of losing these lush underwater forests, fisheries and ocean-based economies around the world are in serious jeopardy. As with many other regions in the world, Nova Scotia’s prolific kelp beds are steadily declining. Researchers have documented an 85-99% decline in kelp biomass over the past 4-6 decades along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia.
IntelliReefs will continue to work with researchers in Nova Scotia, Canada, to monitor and measure the growth of kelp and other algae following the introduction of our modules to test the benefits of Oceanite to temperate water kelp forest ecosystems.
OVERVIEW OF OUR RESULTS A total of 25 taxa were detected. Average taxon richness was 18 and ranged from 15 to 21. Most abundant sequences: rock gunnel (Pholis gunnellus
Sample composition: A total of 25 taxa were detected (Table1). 64% (16 taxa) were at least 99% similar to a species in the global reference databases, and species names are suggested for these taxa. The remaining taxa were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level: 20% to genus (5 taxa), and the remainder to family (4 taxa). The taxa belong to 7 orders, 16 families, and 18 genera. The average taxon richness was 18 and ranged from 15 (‘Reference Site’) to 21 (‘AR Site’). The relative proportion of the sequences found in each of the samples is shown in Figure 1 and Table 1 and the diversity is summarised in Table 2 and Table 3. Rock gunnel (Pholis gunnellus), which accounted for 25.3% of the total sequence reads, was among the most abundant in terms of sequences and was detected in both samples. 11 of the 25 detected taxa were found in both samples. High-quality fish sequence data were obtained for the 2 eDNA samples.
photo is an interior cut of an Oceanite Module, 14 months after deployment in the Caribbean. Kelp & Coral have some of the same cues for attraction and settlement, one being an attraction to CCA, Crustose Coralline Algae. The presence of CCA inside our modules showed us that our Oceanite would work for kelp too.
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Canadian Kelp Forest Deployment Update:
Helping Mother Nature Heal Herself
It has been about 8 months since we installed our shallow kelp modules in Dartmouth Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada. The rapid attachment and growth of marine life on our Oceanite is unparalleled, especially given that this cove is highly populated and environmentally degraded. In this murky cove, kelp is now thriving on our IntelliReefs like it couldn’t before. Let’s keep healing Dartmouth! Highly degraded harbors can be helped with Oceanite.
We did not farm this kelp or put these ocean creatures here, mother nature did this all by herself. IntelliReefs are fantastic in aiding the natural rebuilding of these marine habitats.
Kelp beds are vital marine ecosystems in temperate regions, as they host high biodiversity, support commercial fisheries, and help combat climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, ever-increasing development of coastal areas in temperate regions of the world is threatening these valuable coastal ecosystems by decreasing water quality and destroying kelp habitat. Altering artificial underwater structures to optimize their suitability as kelp habitats and building new habitats using artificial reefs can mitigate the impact of coastal development on kelp bed ecosystems.
IntelliReefs has developed Oceanite, a novel mineral aggregate material, as an environmentally friendly alternative to concrete in the marine environment and has used this material to create highly effective coral reef habitats in tropical environments. Months ago, IntelliReefs deployed a pilot study in an urban harbor in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada to test the ability of Oceanite to attract and foster the recruitment and growth of kelp and the development of their associated communities. This project will provide the base knowledge necessary to launch Oceanite as a kelp substrate for numerous applications in temperate environments. Check out the following photos and footage from our robotic camera in Halifax Cove, Canada! This footage is from around 8 months after deployment. We are very proud of mother natures progress with the aid of Oceanite.
Learn with us about seaweed!
Did you know seaweed is an umbrella term for many types of marine macroalgae?! The term 'seaweed' encompasses thousands of different algae species that live in the ocean.
Macroalgae, or BIG ALGAE, can be seen by the naked eye. Most people think seaweed is a marine plant, but it's actually a bunch of large algae cells all 'clumped' together!
There are 3 main types of macroalgae based on their color: Brown algae (Phaeophyceae), Green algae (Chlorophyta), and Red algae (Rhodophyta).
Now that you know seaweed is NOT a plant and is actually a type of algae... we've made a diagram to help you understand why the word 'seaweed' is an umbrella term for marine macroalgae.
Kelp falls under the brown algae category, which is what many people picture when they hear the word "seaweed." Kelp is a very specific KIND of seaweed, that is particularly large and can actually be several different colors.
Brown algae, Phaeophyceae, benefits both marine life and humankind in many ways. Let's tell you more about one kind of brown algae, kelp, and its basic anatomy. We created a diagram with arrows showing what we explain below.
KELP (Brown Algae):
Instead of roots, kelps have holdfasts. Instead of stems, kelps have something similar called stipes. Instead of leaves, kelps have blades. Although similar to land plants, the parts of kelps have different names and purposes!
The blades function like leaves performing photosynthesis and creating food from both nutrients in the water and sunlight. (Seaweeds can photosynthesize, and absorb nutrients & water in ALL of their tissues!)
The stipes may look like plant stems, but they do not provide nutrient transport as stems do. The stipes main purpose is to help support the blades and structure, staying strong enough to sway and move with ocean currents.
The holdfasts secure and anchor the kelp onto hard rocky surfaces, somewhat similar to roots, however, holdfasts do not absorb nutrients as roots do.
Pneumatocysts, also known as floats or gas/air bladders, aid in bringing the kelps closer to the ocean surface for maximum sunlight absorption. These do not occur on all kelps.
NORI (Red Algae):
Have you ever wondered what kind of seaweed is used for sushi rolls or those tasty dried snack packs? It is called Nori! This edible seaweed comes from the red algae genus Pyropia. Pyropia like to live in shallow intertidal zones throughout the world and are quite resilient to marine temperature fluctuations. The algae is harvested, dried, and pressed into Nori sheets.
The most common species used to make Nori are Pyropia yezonesis and Pyropia tenera. Though classified as red algae, this seaweed can appear purple, brown, red, pink, or dark green in the wild. The color depends on the species and area it is grown in. Once dried, Nori usually looks dark green, brown or black. Used heavily in Asia as a food source, Nori is extremely healthy for humans.
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There are Vital and Highly Encouraging Rapid Species Attraction and Growth-- Surpassing what our research teams thought would happen, and far quicker!
IntelliReefs- SDG Community Impact on Vimeo
Kelp and other organisms are growing on the Oceanite modules, captured in the quadrant photos, videos and eDNA results: Upgrades to Ocean species community will continue to develop over the coming months.
STAY TUNED--- IntelliReefs in Halifax 5th October 2022 for Home - World Ocean initiative (economist.com)
And in the meantime, the fact that the lone Oceanite module in shallow water is completely covered with kelp already (even surpassing our expectations in terms of how large it is already!) is definitely something that can be focussed on as a success when reporting on the project.
Although we didn't do any quantitative sampling on that module (e.g. quadrats), we can tell from the video ROV video, and will be also visible in the 360 camera video,------that there is 100% cover of kelp on that shallow depth module.
The first round of scientific monitoring on the reef array took place in April 2022. We found that the majority of the surface area of the Oceanite modules was covered in a foundational community of filamentous algae, but that juvenile kelp sporophytes (5-10 cm) had also colonized the Oceanite. An associated faunal community of sessile invertebrates (e.g. jingles), motile invertebrates (e.g. sea stars), and fish (e.g. sculpins) was also present. In contrast, the concrete modules were mostly bare, with sparse cover of filamentous algae and no kelp. Lastly, there was a striking influence of depth on the coverage and size of kelp, as the Oceanite module in shallow water had 100% cover of large (~30 cm) kelp sporophytes (Saccharina latissima).
I expect that the rest of the modules in deeper water will eventually end up like this - it will just take longer, they are 70% covered in 4 months. So I believe this project is a solid success as a proof-of-concept that Oceanite is a suitable substrate for kelp colonization in the wild, even in a degraded urban water body. Although the fish video results are not completely what we hoped, The COVE harbour is quite degraded-- not like our clear Caribbean waters.
The eDNA reporting is quite impressive as well, some of which are attached here. Nature Metrics did a very complete analysis, IntelliReefs, along with industry partner Dominion Diving, is conducting periodic monitoring the Oceanite and concrete modules to assess the settlement and growth of kelp and the development of its associated rocky subtidal community.
Monitoring tasks include: 1) assessing the settlement and growth of kelp and other benthic organisms on the Oceanite and concrete modules over time using photo quadrats; 2) using video monitoring techniques to catalogue the community of motile fish and invertebrates associated with the modules; and 3) comparing the motile community and environmental DNA signatures of the reef site with a soft-bottom reference site within the Cove.
Kelp beds are vital marine ecosystems in temperate regions, as they host high biodiversity, support commercial fisheries, and help combat climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, ever-increasing development of coastal areas in temperate regions of the world is threatening these valuable coastal ecosystems by decreasing water quality and destroying kelp habitat. Altering artificial underwater structures to optimize their suitability as kelp habitat and building new habitat using artificial reefs can mitigate the impact of coastal development on kelp bed ecosystems. IntelliReefs has developed Oceanite, a novel mineral aggregate material, as an environmentally friendly alternative to concrete in the marine environment and has used this material to create highly effective coral reef habitat in tropical environments. Now, IntelliReefs has deployed a pilot study in an urban harbour in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada to test the ability of Oceanite to attract and foster the recruitment and growth of kelp and the development of their associated communities. This project will provide the base knowledge necessary to launch Oceanite as a kelp substrate for numerous applications in temperate environments.
On November 21st, 2021, IntelliReefs deployed a pilot artificial reef array in Halifax Harbour in Nova Scotia, Canada. The reefs were deployed in Dartmouth Cove, a highly contaminated area of the harbour, to provide a proof of concept for the application of IntelliReefs to revitalize kelp habitat in degraded urban environments. Deployed at a depth of 8-9 m, the artificial reef array consists of 16 large (approx. 1 m3) Oceanite modules differing in porosity (porous vs. dense) and height (90 cm vs 122 cm), resulting in a crossed experimental design with 4 groups of 4 modules. To compare the development of kelp communities on Oceanite with conventional construction materials, a control group of 3 concrete modules was deployed along with the Oceanite modules. Finally, to assess the effect of depth on the development of the biological community on the Oceanite reefs, one module was deployed at a shallow location (2-3 m) within the Cove.
IntelliReefs, along with industry partner Dominion Diving, is conducting periodic monitoring the Oceanite and concrete modules to assess the settlement and growth of kelp and the development of its associated rocky subtidal community. Monitoring tasks include: 1) assessing the settlement and growth of kelp and other benthic organisms on the Oceanite and concrete modules over time using photo quadrats; 2) using video monitoring techniques to catalogue the community of motile fish and invertebrates associated with the modules; and 3) comparing the motile community and environmental DNA signatures of the reef site with a soft-bottom reference site within the Cove. The first round of scientific monitoring on the reef array took place in April 2022. We found that the majority of the surface area of the Oceanite modules was covered in a foundational community of filamentous algae, but that juvenile kelp sporophytes (5-10 cm) had also colonized the Oceanite. An associated faunal community of sessile invertebrates (e.g. jingles), motile invertebrates (e.g. sea stars), and fish (e.g. sculpins) was also present. In contrast, the concrete modules were mostly bare, with sparse cover of filamentous algae and no kelp. Lastly, there was a striking influence of depth on the coverage and size of kelp, as the Oceanite module in shallow water had 100% cover of large (~30 cm) kelp sporophytes (Saccharina latissima).
IntelliReefs will continue conduct scientific monitoring overtime to accumulate empirical data assessing the efficacy of Oceanite as a basis for kelp communities. This monitoring program will allow IntelliReefs to quantify the success of Oceanite in attracting and fostering a healthy kelp community in an urban setting, and to compare this community to the baseline state of the area where the reefs were deployed.
STAY TUNED--- IntelliReefs in Halifax 5th October 2022 for Home - World Ocean initiative (economist.com)
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After months of preparation, IntelliReefs successfully deployed the first ReefShip modules in Dartmouth Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada. In total, we deployed 16 ReefShip Modules. The aim of this large scale artificial reef deployment is to ascertain the efficacy and impact of Oceanite for attracting and growing a healthy kelp community.
Around the world, massive kelp beds are rapidly declining due to coastal development and erosion, warming waters, invasive species, poor water quality, pollution, and overfishing. As a consequence of losing these lush underwater forests, fisheries and ocean-based economies around the world are in serious jeopardy. As with many other regions in the world, Nova Scotia’s prolific kelp beds are steadily declining. Researchers have documented an 85-99% decline in kelp biomass over the past 4-6 decades along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia.
Blue carbon and innovations that seek to harness its power have the potential to mitigate rising CO2 emissions and their disastrous consequences. IntelliReefs CAN's mission is to turn grey infrastructure "blue", creating a conservation opportunity within what has traditionally been a highly unsustainable industry. The cement industry has a massive carbon footprint and is the third highest carbon dioxide (CO2) contributor in the world, annually contributing about 8% of global emissions. IntelliReefs' manufacturing constitutes about half of the emissions of concrete and is engineered to enhance the growth of kelp for decades, capturing carbon from the atmosphere annually.
Dominion Diving’s Cam Howlett worked alongside our team during the entire deployment. “IntelliReefs is such an extensive organization,” says Cam. “It’s not just ‘We’re building reefs and that’s it.’ IntelliReefs seems to be a wider scope, which means doing something that’s going to rebuild the ocean and rebuild habitat. It’s not limited by a shape or material. It’s about finding what works in this area, versus another area. That’s really exciting.”
IntelliReefs will continue to work with researchers in Nova Scotia, Canada, to monitor and measure the growth of kelp and other algae following the introduction of our modules to test the benefits of Oceanite to temperate water kelp forest ecosystems
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This week, Reef Life Foundation is deploying the world's first nanotechnology kelp restoration artificial reef systems in Halifax, Nova Scotia!
This will be the flagship cold water, or "temperate ecosystem" project for Reef Life Foundation in collaboration with IntelliReefs. The aim of this large scale artificial reef deployment in Dartmouth Cove is to ascertain the efficacy and impact of Oceanite for kelp forest, oyster bed, and near-shore fisheries restoration. This project follows the recent announcement of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development's endorsement of Reef Life & IntelliReefs' Decade Action.
In September, Reef Life received their first shipment of ReefShip restoration modules made from Oceanite nanotechnology at the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE) in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. For all of November 2021, Reef Life Foundation is on the ground with IntelliReefs in Nova Scotia and collaborating with researchers at Dalhousie University to deploy and monitor a series of small to large-scale experiments to test the benefits of Oceanite to temperate water kelp forest ecosystems.
Kelp forests are one of the most productive and biomass-dense ecosystems on the planet and provide food, nutrients,
and habitat for commercially important fish and invertebrate animals. Kelp are brown algae that grow in cold, shallow, nutrient-rich waters, and can be found on every continent worldwide. Their root system, called a “holdfast”, fastens itself to hard underwater substrates - like boulders and bedrock. Just like trees on land, they use carbon dioxide and light to photosynthesize, creating one of the largest carbon sequestering biomes on Earth.
When kelp break from their holdfasts due to age or weather, they transport the carbon in their tissues to the deep ocean. This not only provides deep sea animals with a food source, but also commits carbon into long-term storage in sediment. Some species of kelp can grow up to 65m long, and research has shown that kelp forests along the southern coast of Australia sequester over 1.3–2.8 teragrams of carbon per year. This region alone contributes ~3% of the total global carbon sequestration.
Around the world, massive kelp beds are rapidly declining due to coastal development and erosion, warming waters, invasive species, poor water quality, pollution, and overfishing. As a consequence of losing these lush underwater forests, fisheries and ocean-based economies around the world are in serious jeopardy. As with many other regions in the world, Nova Scotia’s prolific kelp beds are steadily declining. Researchers from Dalhousie University have documented an 85-99% decline in kelp biomass over the past 4-6 decades along the eastern shore of Nova Scotia.
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