Seaforth has participated in several scientific endeavours for the advancement of marine environmental policies.
Seaforth has provided initial seabed and benthic habitat mapping survey services to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for the Large Ocean Management Areas (LOMA) and the establishment of the Laurentian Channel Marine Protected Area (MPA). Seabed mapping was accomplished in two separate survey campaigns in 2012 & 2013. Seaforth provided DFO with multibeam, backscatter and sub-bottom datasets.
In April of 2010, the flood gates at the causeway on the Petitcodiac river were re-opened permanently. This was done as part of an effort to restore the river to a more natural tidally controlled state. As part of this process, a sediment monitoring campaign was initiated to monitor the changes in seabed sediments below the Petitcodiac River causeway. Seaforth has participated in this multi-year campaign (2009-present) to map the sediment deposits downstream of the re-opened Petitcodiac river. The initial survey was completed in 2009 and to date, Seaforth has completed 16 surveys of transects across the Petitcodiac River and head of the Chignecto Bay. Seaforth partnered with the Huntsman Marine Science in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, to complete a majority of the surveys.
Seaforth has provided navigation and mapping support for the various FORCE site berth holders and FORCE itself, which allowed the collection of datasets, such as ADCP, turbulence modelling, turbidity studies and fish encounter modelling to advance the overall body of knowledge needed to deploy tidal turbines. Seaforth has also been participating partners in various desktop studies to advance general knowledge of the FORCE site.
Seaforth has collaborated with other private entities for the development of new / improved technologies for use in the ocean environment. Seaforth has partnered with Humarus to test new ideas that can make lobster/crab traps more visible to acoustic detection methods to make ghost gear (lost fishing gear) more detectable for recovery efforts.
