Quadra is located within the Discovery Islands archipelago, a dense network of islands and channels, situated between the Salish Sea to the south, Johnstone Strait to the north and mountainous fjord systems to the east. The meeting of various water masses creates highly dynamic nearshore environments, including rocky reefs, kelp forests and seagrass meadows. At the Quadra Ecological Observatory, our Nearshore program uses a variety of field and laboratory techniques such as SCUBA surveys, intertidal monitoring, geospatial technologies (e.g. drone mapping), in-situ experiments, and laboratory manipulations to better understand the complexities of these biodiverse and productive ecosystems.
Climate and Disease: Stressors to Nearshore Ecosystems
Coastal ecosystems are facing unprecedented stressors caused by climate change, such as ocean warming, acidification, and outbreaks of marine diseases. The Sea Star Wasting Disease (SSWD) epidemic emerged along the Pacific Coast of North America in 2013 and impacted over 20 species of sea stars. After over a decade of research by scientists, including Hakai Institute researchers, a causative agent of SSWD was identified as the bacterium Vibrio pectenicida. At the Quadra Ecological Observatory, we are tracking the prevalence and impacts of SSWD in both intertidal and subtidal ecosystems on the many sea star species found on our coast. Our surveys track population dynamics of sea stars, as well as timing and severity of SSWD outbreaks in these highly dynamic systems.
Marine and atmospheric heat waves are known to have dramatic impacts on coastal ecosystems. Heat anomalies have been linked to outbreaks in SSWD and large-scale mortality events. We are using a combination of on-the-ground rapid response survey methods and UAV (drone) imagery to detect changes following these extreme events. For example, during the heat dome of 2021, we observed an almost complete loss of mussels at one of our sites.
In addition to rocky shores, soft-sediment habitats such as eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows provide critical habitat for nearshore species and are susceptible to the impacts of climatic stressors, including heat waves and disease outbreaks caused by the protist Labyrinthula zosterae. Hakai Institute researchers are studying the health of these ecosystems and their associated biological communities in relation to these stressors.
Fjords as refugia and biodiversity hotspots
Fjords have an immense influence on British Columbia as a vector for large freshwater inputs to coastal ecosystems. Their unique characteristics of deep water channels, shallow sills, and freshwater lenses can support biodiversity hotspots. Refuge populations of the sunflower star, Pycnopodia helianthoides, an ecologically important species whose populations were highly impacted by the SSWD epidemic (more info on our work on fjords as refugia), were found in fjords located along the central coast as well as in Knight Inlet. Hakai scientists are expanding our research to the fjords near the Quadra Island research station, including Bute and Toba Inlets. We will use all of these observations to evaluate population health, ecosystem status, and the potential for species and community recovery in the region.
Working with the Mamalilikulla First Nation, Hakai Institute is building a deeper understanding of the biodiversity in the Gwa̲xdlala/Nala̲xdlala Marine Refuge located in Knight Inlet. Research surveys have documented rare red tree corals—some more than a century old—alongside glass sponges, basket stars, endangered sunflower sea stars, and other species that thrive in these deep inlets. Here we integrate Hakai’s wide expertise of biology, genomics and geospatial technology (multibeam surveys, photogrammetry techniques) to gain a comprehensive understanding of these rich and important habitats.
Rocky reef ecosystems - highly dynamic biodiversity hot spots
High current systems created throughout the Discovery Islands archipelago allow for strong tidal mixing thus providing nutrients and cooler waters favorable to kelp growth as well as many other organisms including filter feeders. A 2024 biodiversity census uncovered the biodiversity found in these narrow coastal constrictions - including the discovery of new species and range shifts for some documented species. To help us expand these local observations to a global scale, Hakai Nearshore divers also conduct fish and invertebrate community surveys in partnership with the Reef Life Survey Program.
Owen Bay, on Sonora Island, is of shared interest with the Wei Wai Kum Guardian team, who have been monitoring kelp and harvesting urchins for restoration purposes at this site. To understand the complex processes at play in one of the only intact kelp forests in this region, Hakai monitors kelps and their associated communities of invertebrates and fish through dive surveys, experiments and installation of recruitment devices, such as Autonomous Recruitment Monitoring Structures (ARMS). The shallow depth of this focal kelp forest increases its sensitivity to thermal anomalies, particularly during summer low-tide cycles when elevated temperatures and potential aerial exposure intensify physiological stress and allows for certain epiphytes to thrive and smother some of the subtidal kelps (eg. Kelp Encrusting Bryozoan).
Experimental Work and Science R&D
The Quadra experimental laboratory facilitates sophisticated experiments to isolate and investigate responses to climate change and other stressors at the individual, population and community levels. By connecting cutting-edge laboratory infrastructure with thoroughly characterized marine habitats, the facility facilitates novel experiments that bridge environmental monitoring programs with biological and ecological surveys. With 40 large-volume flow-through mesocosms offering dynamic control of temperature, light, and pCO2, our experimental system is uniquely suited for studies replicating the variable conditions of coastal ecosystems. This system and program allows for a more accurate representation of current and future environmental scenarios, enabling a mechanistic understanding of the effects of ocean acidification and thermal stress, including marine heatwaves.
A broad range of organisms are studied within this system, including bivalves, crabs, coralline algae, kelp, seastars, urchins, and early life stages of fish. Focal studies are elucidating the vulnerability of early life stages of kelp alongside shellfish and crustaceans to ocean acidification and marine heatwaves. Population-specific responses of ecologically and commercially important shellfish species, including Dungeness crab, are of a particular focus, given their significance to BC coastal communities. Ongoing collaborations with a number of BC universities further expand our research themes. These experimental projects have included urchin gametogenesis and the responses of early life stages to thermal and acidification stress, the physiological responses of sea stars to thermal and nutritional stress, the sensitivity of coralline algae to combined warming and acidification, and responses of kelp microbiome to thermal stress. Additionally, our experimental capacity has supported the description of novel species and parasitic interactions and the refinement of molecular monitoring tools such as environmental DNA (eDNA) and environmental RNA (eRNA).
Beyond collaborative research, the Quadra nearshore research team actively spearheads Research & Development initiatives aimed at expanding the lab's capabilities and reach. These include kelp gametophyte biobanking, the development of low-cost environmental monitoring sensors, and the design of new experimental set-ups, collectively advancing the lab's capacity to generate integrative, policy-relevant science at the intersection of ecology, physiology, and environmental change.
