The BLBRA Launches CoastReach

The Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere Region Association (BLBRA) is pleased to present Bras d’Or Lake’s first CoastReach stands engaging community members and visitors to help monitor coastline changes over time. How does it work? Simply snap a photo by placing your cell phone in a mounted cradle and submit it by following the instructions. In this way, you participate in community science.

Two photo stands will be unveiled in June:
• Iona Port Beach, June 7th at 12:30pm
• Marble Mountain Beach on June 13th at 2:00pm

A third stand will be installed at Castle Bay Beach in Eskasoni at a later date.

Once multiple photos are shared, time lapse videos will be developed which can be viewed by anyone online at GeoReach.ca. These videos tell an almost real-time story of coastal dynamics.

In addition, researchers at the University of Waterloo will help the BLBRA and local communities transform the data into usable data to track all kinds of coastal changes:
• Sediment transport – erosion and deposition
• shoreline retreat
• storm surge
• ice cover
• vegetation structure
• beach use

This initiative is a result of collaboration between Àros Na Mara, Marble Mountain Community, Eskasoni Fish and Wildlife Commission, the BLBRA and GeoReach Citizen Science and has been made possible by the Clean Foundation under the Nova Scotia Shared Coastal Park Sector’s climate adaptation strategy, a project funded by NS DECC.

For more information contact: Veronika Brzeski veronika@blbra.ca (902) 294-0648