CORI completes ShoreZone Survey in Northern BC

7.19.2013

Sean Daley and Maeva Gauthier from Coastal and Ocean Resources along with Susan Saupe, biologist at the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council (RCAC), just completed a 4-day ShoreZone survey to collect coastal imagery of Kitimat, BC area in Northern British Columbia.

The Haisla First Nations commissioned the survey to create a baseline of the geomorphology and biology of the coastal zone in their traditional territory. About 1,100 km (650 miles) of coastline was imaged and 13 hours of HD videos was collected, creating a continuous, high-resolution record of shoreline character. The team utilized a Bell 206 helicopter chartered from Quantum Helicopters in Terrace, BC. Imagery was collected looking at the shoreline from the left side of the aircraft with the doors removed.

In addition, over 10,000 high-resolution still photos were taken and these provide even more detail (individual pebbles). All images are georeferenced to DGPS standards. The imagery will be web-posted for the Haisla. The map shows the shoreline covered during the survey, which included rock cliffs, pebble or sandy beaches, hidden estuaries, and some stunning fjords with waterfalls and glaciers above. A curious Grizzly bear and three cubs were spotted on the last day of the survey near Kitimat. See this news brief as pdf here »

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