Eelgrass habitat suitability final report

The eelgrass models will build on previous work completed for the Cowichan River estuary, where a habitat suitability model, adapted from Short et. al. (2002): Site-selection model for optimal transplant of Zostera marina in the northeastern US, was developed and used to select suitable eelgrass transplant sites. Parameters with data suitable for inclusion in this model included sediment, wave exposure, water depth, water quality (i.e. temperature, pH, DO, salinity), current velocity, bed mobility, hydrogen sulfide, active channel classification, and crown land tenures. This model will also incorporate our team’s transplant experience to develop a quantitative site-selection model for additional Strait of Georgia estuaries based on scientific criteria.