Cumulative Effects Assessment of Marine Fish in Saint John Harbour

The Saint John River is being used to develop a model for cumulative
effects assessment that defines assimilative capacity as the ability of the
ecosystem to receive additional (or existing) wastes without damaging aquatic
life or humans who consume the water. While any approach to assessing
assimilative capacity has to be useful for predictive purposes, the methods for
predictive and retrospective assessments will be similar, and the project is
focusing at this point on developing a retrospective assessment process. The
long term goal is to develop a predictive model for assimilative capacity that
can be used as a planning and coordination tool. The assessment and definition
of assimilative capacity relies on ecological monitoring and adaptive
management, but there are feedback, implementation, and communication barriers
that currently limit adaptive ecosystem management. These barriers will be
identified and evaluated, and mechanisms identified to develop an effective
model for assimilative capacity.

Waterbody or Watershed Names: Saint John River