Connecting Ottawa to the Ocean

Sea Change Canada is a small non-profit focused on supporting coastal communities, capacity-building, and education. We do this in a few ways, such as by connecting and highlighting coastal non-profits through our coastal champions program, secondary research papers about ocean issues, and promoting positive solutions to our ocean problems.

At Sea Change Canada, we understand that not everyone lives on the coastline–likw the Canadian residents within Ottawa. However, we do believe that everyone has some type of connection to our ocean, coastlines and surrounding aquatic habitats. A question we may ask ourselves is, how do people across Ottawa connect to the ocean?

Seafood is one of the primary ways people connect to our oceans. Across Ottawa and Canada in general, many people love eating seafood. Salmon, Crab, and Atlantic cod are some of Canada’s most beloved seafood options. Seafood is good on our plates. However, the current industry can be harmful to fish and the surrounding environment. The current system of fish pens to maximize industry profits and the derailment of traditional wild salmon migration pathways due to human infrastructure have been harmful to wild salmon populations across BC. Two more of our coastal champions, Clayoquot Action and Watershed Watch Salmon Society are active in the space, advocating for the protection and restoration of wild salmon populations. Ghost gear is disregarded fishing gear that ends up in our oceans for marine species to get tangled in and killed through the inability to escape. Emerald Sea Protection Society and Fishing Gear Coalition of Atlantic Canada are two of our coastal champions who are working on the collection of ghost gear from our shores.

Have you ever bought a product that wasn’t made locally? If you live in any urban center like Ottawa, there’s a strong possibility you have! Many of the items we have access to from around the world have travelled to where we are using large ocean container ships. Avocados, chocolate, and coffee are all examples of products we gain from transportation using our oceans. In both transportation and delivery through harbours and docks, we are also able to generate livelihoods and economic growth for the Canadian economy. On that note, people also use boating as a form of leisure for travelling and activities like fishing. Unfortunately, vessels used for leisure are too often disregarded in the ocean and cause harm to marine ecosystems. Rugged Coast Society and Coastal Restoration Society are two of our Coastal Champions that work around B.C. and Nova Scotia to remove marine debris like abandoned and wrecked vessels from our shores.

People in Ottawa can also connect to oceans through weather and climate. Our oceans influence weather patterns around the world by offering a source of heat and moisture to generate weather systems. In the context of climate change, our oceans are the world’s largest carbon sink. Compared to the atmosphere, the ocean sequesters fifty times more carbon. Overall the ocean has sequestered 48% of fossil fuels burned. In other words, our waters are protecting us from immediate and intense global warming. However, this protection does have other environmental effects. The increased levels of carbon dioxide are resulting in warming oceans that are harmful to both species and their ecosystems. Many of our Coastal Champions groups are working to combat the impacts of climate change on our shores including the Project Watershed , Ecology Action Centre, and Living Oceans. These Coastal Champions primarily focus on coastal restoration projects and advocacy.

Whether covered in ice or enjoying the summertime heat, the Ottawa River is beautiful. However, many don’t realize that the Ottawa River outlets to the Atlantic Ocean–which means that any pollution, litter or other debris that falls into the Ottawa River eventually ends up in our oceans. Unfortunately, pollution and rubbish can harm marine species and habitats through issues like plastic pollution and eutrophication. With that said, many non-profits are working in Ottawa to help fight plastic pollution. In the past, Sea Change Canada has collaborated with Deep Blue Cleanup, an Ottawa-based non-profit focused on helping teachers and students fight plastic pollution along the Ottawa River.

These are just some of the many ways people in Ottawa connect with the ocean. If you are interested in learning more about Sea Change Canada or want to be involved in our Coastal Champions project feel free to check out our website, Instagram, or email us at [email protected].

Frances Bernardino is an intern at Sea Change Canada.