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Colin Bates


M.Sc.: 2000 - 2002

Co-supervisor: Dr. Gary Saunders, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada

Present occupation: Life Sciences Instructor, Quest University, Squamish, British Columbia, Canada

Thesis: Monitoring seaweed biodiversity monitoring in the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada

colin bates' photo Colin Bates offers a view of the picturesque coast. Colin is also a professional photographer (photo courtesy: Coastal Imageworks). .

Abstract: Seaweeds are an integral component of the Bay of Fundy coastal environment, yet historical records of seaweed biodiversity are vague and current records are nonexistent. This lack of detailed historical and current information makes it difficult to assess changes in Fundy seaweed communities. For this reason, a seaweed diversity monitoring program was designed and implemented in the outer Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada, over the years 2000 and 2001. Results of this monitoring program have provided a detailed and specific baseline dataset which can act as a "before" picture for future assessments of floristic change. These results have also led to the conclusion that environmental stress is being reflected in the marine flora at localized areas in the Bay of Fundy, and further allowed the contribution of a seaweed perspective to Fundy marine conservation measures. In an effort to see this program maintained and expanded in the future, investigations into the streamlining of methods (through taxonomic compression and presence/absence versus abundance measurement comparisons) were also performed.