Site Suitability for Shellfish Aquaculture in British Columbia

Scoot Science is collaborating with a team of graduate students from the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at UC Santa Barbara to develop a framework for determining suitable locations for new shellfish aquaculture on the British Columbia coastline, based on biophysical, socio-economic, and cultural factors. The students are leveraging Scoot's aquaculture industry expertise to apply their coursework to real life environmental challenges. The team plans to create a new geospatial interface that can assist First Nations and other shellfish farmers in siting and development. The project will also identify existing barriers and other factors that lead to shellfish aquaculture development disparity across regions. This analysis will support Scoot's efforts to help shellfish farmers better site and manage their operations, and assist shellfish operators in obtaining insurance products and financing opportunities. We are thrilled at the opportunity to partner with the team and excited to see where this project leads; Bren will post the final report on their website in June 2022.