Élaboration d’un protocole de suivi des bancs coquilliers sur la Côte-Nord du Golfe

The Canadian Coast Guard (GCC) has mandated the *Zone d’Intervention Prioritaire Côte-Nord du Golfe* (ZIP CNG) Committee to develop a protocol to characterize the current health status of shellfish beds, and therefore bivalve populations, before a potential oil spill contaminates the banks, and to identify priority shellfish beds in its territory of action. The project consisted of a design stage (2023-2024) and an application stage (2024-2025). The design phase aimed to review the literature on the issues related to shellfish beds and oil spills, concluding on priority species and sites on the North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, as well as to develop a monitoring protocol to characterize the current health status of shellfish banks before a potential oil slick contaminates the banks. The application stage aimed to apply the protocol in order to test the method in the field and adjust it as needed, as well as to collect the first data on our territory. Four sites were sampled during the first year of monitoring (September 2024), one site in Port-Cartier, one site at the mouth of the Moisie River, and two sites in Rivière-Pigou.