As part of the permitting process and due diligence of creating a healthy and sustainable seaside sanctuary for cetaceans, the Whale Sanctuary Project conducted a three-year series of in-depth environmental analyses. As well as providing a comprehensive understanding of the ecology and physical properties of the sanctuary site, these studies enabled us to assess any potential risks to the sanctuary’s resident cetaceans or marine organisms native to the site.
The results of these analyses are presented in the PDF document below. Based on the analyses, we have concluded that sanctuary’s chosen site in Port Hilford Bay, Nova Scotia, poses negligible risks to future whale residents and the whales, in turn, will pose no risk to their new environment and the many species who call it home.
WSP Marine Environmental Site AnalysesThe report above focuses specifically on the research and analyses to determine potential risks posed to the sanctuary’s residents and the native marine ecosystem. This work represents just one aspect of a much larger and comprehensive array of studies undertaken over the past several years. These have included:
- acoustic studies of the marine environment;
- water quality and water temperature analyses throughout all seasons;
- impact assessments during hurricanes;
- seasonal wave, tide, and current measurements;
- hydrodynamic modeling of the sanctuary waters;
- migratory bird analyses; flora and fauna review;
- eel grass productivity and location analyses;
- an archaeological resource impact assessment (ARIA);
- terrestrial and marine geotechnical surveys.
Findings of these reports are discussed in posts on our website as follows:
A Deep Dive into Environmental Analyses
Diving into the Final Environmental Site Assessment
Site Geography and Environmental Analyses