This summer we headed over to the French islands of Saint Pierre et Miquelon to test some ideas about environmental impact studies, historical ecology and in situ individual-based ecology observations.
J. Coston-Guarini (EBLab) and Shawn Hinz of Gravity Marine (within the context of the research groups ApoliMer and LIA BeBEST) brought their considerable combined experience to the field work season on Saint-Pierre et Miquelon this summer.
The overall technical goal was to conduct real-world trials for the measurement of the proximal environmental conditions of individual bivalves using high frequency oceanographic instruments and sensors. This is being done in the framework of testing hypotheses about the potential of an individual-based approach in field ecology and is a direct outcome of the doctoral thesis of J. Coston-Guarini. Her work explores the epistemology of ecological theory. In particular, she questioned the utility of estimating environmental trends from population-based theories when ecological interactions are occurring between individuals and groups of individuals in particular environments. We are thus re-considering how variability is treated and interpreted during data collection and analysis.
Not only were we looking at new means to quantify the variability of the actual conditions at the study site on the "Ile aux Marins", but we also spent some time in the official Archives looking at what kinds of documentary resources might help us to understand better long-term trends in the region. Reconstruction of ecological trends means looking at not only the oceanographic conditions and the biological diversity present today, but also integrating information about how marine resources (both species and spaces) have been used in the past.
Photos: Pictured above is the historic IFREMER marine station on the harbor of St. Pierre. Below is a valve of Placopecten magellanicus, from the region.
A valve from the commercially harvested scallop species, Plactopecten magellanicus, collected from the region.