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Researchers aim to fill data gaps about Dungeness crab amid concerns of declining population

Researchers aim to fill data gaps about Dungeness crab amid concerns of declining population

CBC22-06-2025
If you've spent much time wandering along B.C.'s coast, chances are you've seen a Dungeness crab crawling sideways across the shoreline — or at least one of its colourful carcasses leftover in the sand.
The cold water crustaceans are the second-most valuable invertebrate fishery on the West Coast of Canada and an important food source for coastal First Nations, but researchers warn they may now be facing some threats.
Lauren Krzus, a research technician at the Hakai Institute, says they're hearing anecdotally that Dungeness crab stocks are declining, and says climate change is poised to further impact them.
She's three years into a 10-year research project with Hakai coastal ecologist Heather Earle, studying the crab's populations from Prince Rupert down to the southern point of B.C.'s coastline.
This year, they've recruited 300 data collection volunteers to help monitor 30 specialized traps that float at the surface of the water and use LED strips to draw young crabs in. In their last stage as larva, before they stop swimming and start crawling on the seabed, the creatures are attracted to the light.
"When you haul the trap out of the water, everything drains into the bottom, you can unscrew that part and empty out your catch and take a look at what you've got," Earle told CBC's On The Island.
Kruzus says they're catching the crabs in their larval stage because that's where one of their biggest knowledge gaps about the crustaceans exists.
She says the project is interested in understanding what drives larval patterns and abundance from year to year, and that this data can be used to determine the health of fisheries along with potential future closures.
One goal they're working toward is creating a harvesting forecasting tool.
This has been researched south of the border, where University of Oregon biology professor Alan Shanks has used a single light trap to determine that an abundance of Dungeness crabs one year is a very good predictor of another abundance four years later.
"It's been like a very powerful tool ... where that one light trap can predict the entire coast wide commercial catch for Oregon and even into Northern California," Earle said.
"It's not something that we've done here yet in B.C. and it's a very different system, but it still holds a lot of potential. So it's something that we're looking into doing here as well."
According to the Government of Canada, Dungeness crabs are the most important crab species harvested in B.C. and the second most valuable invertebrate fishery on the West Coast of Canada.
Crabs accounts for approximately 34 per cent of the total wild shellfish landed value in B.C., and 12 per cent of the total landed value of all of B.C.'s wild fish species, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Although Dungeness crabs are not on Canada's endangered list, Earle says people who live along the Salish Sea are saying similar things — that the abundance of crabs that were once there are slowly diminishing.
It's an issue coastal First Nations in particular have raised.
In 2014, the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo/Xai'Xais, Nuxalk and Wuikinuxv First Nations in B.C. launched a research project after noticing years of declining catch rates. They temporarily closed half of their commercial and recreational fisheries and found both the number and size of Dungeness crabs caught in those areas increased.
More recently, in 2022, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, alongside tribal and state managers, closed a fishery in South Puget Sound because of a large decline in Dungeness crab populations.
According to a study conducted by University of Toronto in 2023, climate change is causing Dungeness crab to lose their sense of smell, which they need to survive.
The study found that the crabs are impacted by ocean acidification, which is the result of the Earth's oceans becoming more acidic as they absorb increasing amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Krzus says that "ultimately, we just want to learn more about Dungeness crab."
"We're hearing anecdotally that stocks are declining throughout Puget Sound and the Salish Sea. They're impacted by climate change. So we want to gather as much information as we can about them in this larval stage, to fill in those knowledge gaps that we don't currently have."
The project began in 2022, and data collection will be ongoing until 2032.
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NANO Nuclear Joins the Canadian Nuclear Association to Support the Adoption of Next-Generation Advanced Nuclear Energy Technologies in Canada
NANO Nuclear Joins the Canadian Nuclear Association to Support the Adoption of Next-Generation Advanced Nuclear Energy Technologies in Canada

Globe and Mail

timean hour ago

  • Globe and Mail

NANO Nuclear Joins the Canadian Nuclear Association to Support the Adoption of Next-Generation Advanced Nuclear Energy Technologies in Canada

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - July 24, 2025) - NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) ("NANO Nuclear" or "the Company"), a leading advanced nuclear energy and technology company focused on developing clean energy solutions, today announced that it has joined the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA), the leading Canadian nuclear industry advocacy group since 1960. According to the CNA, every year in Canada, nuclear technology helps avoid 80 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions by displacing fossil fuels and supplies 50% of the global supply of cobalt-60, radioisotopes that are used to treat cancer and sterilize medical equipment, among other things. With the introduction of next-generation technologies in the form of small or micro nuclear reactors, like those being developed by NANO Nuclear, there is a significant opportunity for Canada to solidify a leading position in the global nuclear industry. "We're pleased to welcome NANO Nuclear Energy to the Canadian Nuclear Association. Their focus on advanced microreactor technologies aligns with Canada's growing leadership in innovative and scalable nuclear solutions. We look forward to supporting their engagement in the Canadian nuclear industry and working together to advance non-emitting, reliable, and secure energy for the future", said George Christidis, CEO and President Canadian Nuclear Association. Figure 1 - NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. Joins the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) and its Mission to Support the Development of Nuclear Energy Technologies in Canada, including Advanced Nuclear Energy Technologies. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: "We are proud to join the Canadian Nuclear Association and support its work to highlight the environmental, economic, and other benefits that nuclear technology brings to Canadians," said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear."Canada has shown strong commitment to advanced nuclear energy systems and is taking concrete steps toward deploying next-generation reactors like our KRONOS MMR TM, which are actively seeking to develop in Canada. This is an opportune time for NANO Nuclear to focus on our efforts to establish ourselves as the first North American commercially licensed microreactor technology company, and joining the CNA positions us to contribute to, and grow with, Canada's evolving energy landscape." NANO Nuclear has begun to lay the groundwork for site-specific engineering in preparation for bringing its lead microreactor project, the patented KRONOS MMR™ Energy System, to Canada and guiding it toward construction, testing and licensing. Alongside its U.S. progress, NANO Nuclear aims to renew its collaboration with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and pursue the establishment of a KRONOS MMR™ demonstration site at Chalk River, Ontario, one of the leading hubs for nuclear energy expertise and engineering in Canada. NANO Nuclear further aims to foster technical leadership through strategic business relationships, and its membership in the CNA will enable NANO Nuclear to better position itself to support Canada's transition to the next generation of advanced nuclear energy systems. "The Canadian Nuclear Association is a leading voice in the nation's nuclear sector, and we're pleased to join the CNA and take an active role in advancing next generation technologies in Canada," said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer of NANO Nuclear."Strengthening ties with key policymakers and industry decision-makers is central to our goal of establishing NANO Nuclear as a global leader in advanced nuclear technology, including micro nuclear reactors. Our membership in the CNA broadens our insight into the Canadian market and positions us for next steps in the country, including establishing a demonstration site for the KRONOS MMR™ in Chalk River, Ontario, in conjunction with the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission." About NANO Nuclear Energy, Inc. NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. 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For more corporate information please visit: For further NANO Nuclear information, please contact: Email: IR@ Business Tel: (212) 634-9206 PLEASE FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES HERE: NANO Nuclear Energy LINKEDIN NANO Nuclear Energy YOUTUBE NANO Nuclear Energy X PLATFORM Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This news release and statements of NANO Nuclear's management in connection with this news release contain or may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "potential", "will", "should", "could", "would" or "may" and other words of similar meaning. 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For NANO Nuclear, particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following: (i) risks related to our U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") or related state or non-U.S. nuclear licensing submissions, (ii) risks related the development of new or advanced technology and the acquisition of complimentary technology or businesses, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, regulatory delays, integration issues and the development of competitive technology, (iii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations, (iv) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to technologically develop and commercially deploy a competitive advanced nuclear reactor or other technology in the timelines we anticipate, if ever, (v) risks related to the impact of U.S. and non-U.S. government regulation, policies and licensing requirements, including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, including those associated with the recently enacted ADVANCE Act and the May 23, 2025 Executive Orders seeking to streamline nuclear regulation, and (vi) similar risks and uncertainties associated with the operating an early stage business a highly regulated and rapidly evolving industry. 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More research needed on wildfire smoke toxicity, scientists say as they warn of pollution 'time bomb'
More research needed on wildfire smoke toxicity, scientists say as they warn of pollution 'time bomb'

CBC

time2 hours ago

  • CBC

More research needed on wildfire smoke toxicity, scientists say as they warn of pollution 'time bomb'

Wildfire smoke in Manitoba could be even more toxic than usual and more research needs to be done on the pollutants being released into the air, according to scientists. The fires may be releasing pollution stored in the province's soil for millennia, including toxic chemicals from more than a century of resource exploitation in the north, said Colin McCarter, Canada Research Chair of Climate and Environmental Change. Peatlands cover about one-third of the province and the boggy wetland is a critical carbon storehouse and even acts as a natural fire barrier, but climate change is increasingly putting them at risk. As the landscapes dry out and become more susceptible to the flames, a "pollution time bomb" is potentially set to go off, McCarter said. Peatlands are "also regionally really important landscape stores or sinks of toxic metals," he said. "Toxic metals can range from everyday things that we think about [like] copper … [to] lead, arsenic, mercury — all these things that are associated with quite poor human health outcomes." McCarter said peatlands are able to sequester more of these toxic metals than other ecosystems, and that it's easy to find peatland-rich areas in Canada which are near places where there's been historical industrial activity and resource extraction, including Flin Flon. A fire that forced the evacuation of the city about 760 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, in late May was about 347,105 hectares large this week, making it the biggest active wildfire in the province. The community's last mine closed in 2022. Its copper-zinc smelter — which had been operating since the 1920s — shut down in 2010. At one point, the Flin Flon smelter emitted more than 200,000 tonnes of sulfur-dioxide a year. Studies done over the past three decades have found elevated levels of mercury and other trace metals in sediment cores, soil humus, plants and peat. Environment and Climate Change Canada said that while it was operational, the smelter was the largest single source of atmospheric mercury emissions in the country. "I can name probably half a dozen other sites across Canada where you have this kind of … landscape-level pollution from this historical industrial contamination in the boreal, which is a fire ecosystem," McCarter said, mentioning Thompson which is about 15 kilometres southwest of another wildfire. "It's a fire-adapted ecosystem and … normally burns." But McCarter said the level of toxicity of what may be released depends on several factors, including the temperature of the fire, the type of peatland and climate conditions. "Trying to make that link there … from what's in the peatlands to what is the risk is still a very active part of my research," he said. "We're starting to put some of those ideas to experiments, but we're still missing those linkages to really make these predictions about risk." 'We need studies' Michael Schindler is a professor with the University of Manitoba's department of earth sciences, and has previously done research on how pollutants mix with wildfire smoke. "Contaminants at Flin Flon are mainly lead, zinc, mercury," Schindler said, adding that selenium is an issue. The province limited consumption of fish at a nearby lake last year due to elevated selenium levels, which were likely a result of mine wastewater over the past century. Schindler said contaminants that couldn't normally be inhaled get attached to the finer particles in wildfire smoke, allowing them to get into the lungs. The particles "are literally the Trojan horse," he said. The smoke's "health effects are much greater." Many of the metal particles released by a smelter are "pretty locked up," Schindler said. "But some of them are already mobile and those could theoretically … be volatilized and attach, especially mercury which is a really volatile element. Selenium, also." Smoke from Canada's wildfires spread across North America and even crossed the Atlantic Ocean this summer. "It's huge amounts of wildfire smoke and you get those metals coming in … but it will delude over a long distance," Schindler said. The professor said he's more worried about the smoke mixing in with urban pollutants downstream, coming from sources like "literally every diesel engine." The toxic metals theoretically "may affect just the people in Flin Flon, but we need studies," Schindler said. "Is the population around Flin Flon more affected by the wildfire smoke in terms of health issues later on than a community where there has not been mining or smelting? I think people in Manitoba should know about this." Dave Price has lived in Flin Flon since the 1970s. A former geologist, he was among a group of volunteers who worked to rehabilitate land around the city that had been left barren because of increased acidity caused by the smelter's emissions for more than a decade. The project wrapped up in 2016. Price was among the 5,000 residents who were allowed to return to the community last month. "It was a very hot fire as far as I understand it. That is to say, the trees were burned down to the roots and the burning continued into the peat underneath, and the peat underneath did contain these metals," he said.

Laurentian University and Cambrian College team up for a new environmental solutions program
Laurentian University and Cambrian College team up for a new environmental solutions program

CBC

time2 hours ago

  • CBC

Laurentian University and Cambrian College team up for a new environmental solutions program

Social Sharing Laurentian University and Cambrian College in Sudbury are collaborating on a new environmental solutions program. The program is meant to prepare students for roles in government, or industry, where they're working on environmental policies and solutions to meet emissions or waste targets. "We actually had a labour market study done and it turns out that environmental jobs in Canada, and this is back in 2024, are seven per cent of the national workforce," said Joy Gray-Munro, dean of Laurentian's faculty of science, engineering and architecture. "And it's expected to increase." Gray-Munro said the program is not meant to replace the environmental sciences program Laurentian cancelled in 2021 when the university was in creditor protection due to its insolvency. "This program is something that Laurentian has never done before and the collaboration with Cambrian College makes this program even stronger," she said. "So in my opinion, this program is the best of both worlds for students in terms of getting both theoretical and hands-on applied knowledge that are going to prepare them for the workforce." Students who enrol in the program will do their first two years at Laurentian, switch to Cambrian for their third year and return to Laurentian in their final year. Upon graduation they will earn both a bachelor of science from Laurentian, and a graduate certificate from Cambrian. "This collaboration represents the best of what our institutions can offer when we work together," said Janice Clarke, vice-president of academics at Cambrian College, in a news release. "Students gain practical, hands-on learning experiences that complement their academic studies, preparing them for successful careers in the environmental field."

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