The Bras d'Or Lake Biosphere Reserve Association: Bras d’Or Watch – Citizen-based Monitoring of the Biosphere

The Bras d'Or “Lakes” are actually a complex estuary occupying the central part of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Measuring 1,200 km2 in surface area and 13 km3 in volume, it consists of four basins, running in a northeast-southwest direction, separated by a series of low mountains, and connected by narrow channels, including two that open to the NE Atlantic ocean.

Bras d’Or Watch is a project being launched by the Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere Reserve Association to enable and support citizen-based monitoring in the Biosphere. An inaugural project, the ‘Bras d’Or Watch Field Day’ was held on July 18, 2015 at six sites around the Bras d’Or Lake. Simultaneous sampling of several ecosystem properties took place on the lakeshore and in the shallow waters of the Bras d’Or Lake. Sampling at each site was overseen by an ecologist and everyone was welcome to come
and watch, learn and participate. Based on this field day a report card for the Bras d’Or Lake will be developed.

This version of the resource simply contains occurrence records for the invasive green crab.