Overview
False Creek is a narrow ocean inlet extending into the downtown core of Vancouver, British Columbia. Some 200,000 Vancouverites drive over, walk around, or boat through False Creek every day, but very few of them pause to consider what kind of life it supports.
From April to September 2022, the Hakai Institute and the False Creek Friends Society, in collaboration with the City of Vancouver and other local organizations including taxonomists from UBC and Biologica Consulting, conducted a bioblitz to better catalogue the biodiversity of this urban waterway. The initiative also engaged hundreds of citizen scientists, expanding data collection and community involvement in monitoring the ecosystem.
The multipronged effort included community engagement (outreach, education, and community science) and scientific initiatives—all to provide a comprehensive understanding of the biodiversity of the seafloor, the water and the shorelines of the False Creek area.
Tools Used
The False Creek Bioblitz combined several complementary methods for studying biodiversity including visual observations, video surveys, and even a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). A key component of this bioblitz was the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to help catalogue the biodiversity of False Creek.
The eDNA survey was carried out at 12 stations along a transect in False Creek. At each station, triplicate 1L seawater samples were collected at both the surface and just above the bottom using a Niskin sampler. Seawater samples were processed onboard the research vessel using gravity filtration bags (see photos below) with sterivex filters. DNA metabarcoding was carried out to target the diversity of fish, invertebrates, algae, and bacteria living in False Creek. These eDNA samples were paired with physical oceanography measurements at each station including temperature, salinity, and pH.
