What is eelgrass?
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a type of seagrass found along temperate coastlines in the Northern Hemisphere. Seagrasses are the only marine plants in the world which produce flowers, and they grow in “meadows” which deliver a wide range of ecosystem services, including sequestering vast quantities of carbon and providing habitat to numerous organisms. In the Northeastern Pacific, eelgrass provides a crucial nursery habitat for juvenile salmon as they move from the streams where they are born to the ocean where they grow and mature.
Like many seagrasses, eelgrass likes to grow in shallow, sheltered waters with a sandy or silty bottom. Unfortunately, areas such as these also tend to be hotspots for coastal development and human activity. As a result, seagrasses have experienced significant global declines over the past century. Some researchers estimate that rates of loss may be worse than those experienced by rainforests or coral reefs.
Why eelgrass?
Reflecting global trends, there is evidence that eelgrass meadows have declined in parts of Southern British Columbia. However, the scale and severity of these declines remain poorly understood. This gap in understanding is partly due to disrupted relationships between people and the sea, a consequence of colonial history. While modern techniques such as taking photographs from aircraft and satellites (collectively called remote sensing) are increasingly used, the vastness and complexity of BC’s coastline—with its wild fjords and intricate shores—pose significant challenges to their effectiveness. Remote sensing methods have generally been successful in intertidal habitats (areas exposed at low tide), but results are mixed in subtidal habitats (always underwater). These technological approaches would vastly benefit from direct field observations and ground-truth validation.
Moreover, current efforts often focus only on presence, absence, or spatial extent; yet, restoration and conservation initiatives would be greatly enhanced by deeper insights into presumed ecotypes (genetically distinct populations within a species that have adapted to specific environmental conditions, exhibiting unique physiological or structural traits), adaptations, and signs of stress within eelgrass meadows.
Although Canada recognizes eelgrass as an important species, most monitoring, restoration, and protection efforts in BC are led by local communities and non-governmental organizations such as SeaChange. As a result, our knowledge of eelgrass extent, adaptation, health, and resilience is often restricted to areas with active local initiatives. A comprehensive understanding of eelgrass ecotypes and their genetic adaptations remains elusive.
Our Goals
This project has been developed to fill these knowledge gaps. Spencer Shields and Miranda MacGillivray will circumnavigate Vancouver Island by kayak (1500km), mapping eelgrass meadows and collecting data on genetics, site characteristics and physiology at select sites. Our team is uniquely positioned to carry out this project due to our combination of expertise concerning eelgrass ecology, professional experience leading sea kayak expeditions, and connections with local stakeholders all around BC’s south coast. While other efforts have been made to map the locations of eelgrass meadows in BC, our project is unique in its ability to map “ecotypes” and provide valuable “boots on the ground” validation to remote sensing techniques.
Why Paddle?
We originally planned to circumnavigate Vancouver Island by sea kayak in 2020. However, as the COVID pandemic unfolded, we made the difficult decision to postpone our trip just two months before our intended departure. Over the next six years, life became busy: we both returned to school, completed undergraduate degrees, and enrolled in graduate programs. In 2025, Miranda attended a small eelgrass symposium hosted by the Pacific Salmon Foundation in Campbell River, where someone remarked, “Someone really needs to paddle around the Island and collect data.” That comment reignited our interest in the circumnavigation and prompted us to revisit our old plans.
The British Columbia coastline is vast, fjorded, and complex, making projects in areas that require boats and mapping very expensive. Small non-profits and local communities are often stretched thin, forced to prioritize limited funds, time, and resources. As a result, research tends to focus on easily accessible areas. Combining our passion for exploration, ecology, and science has been a lifelong dream for both Spencer and Miranda. The chance to apply our education and revive this ambitious journey is a truly special opportunity. Sea kayaking enables us to reach remote, intricate coastlines and offers an affordable way to immerse ourselves in these unique ecosystems.