Eeyou Coastal Habitat Project

The **Eeyou Coastal Habitat Project** is a collaboration between the Kuzyk and Ehn research groups at the University of Manitoba, researchers at other universities across Canada, and the Cree in Eeyou Istchee, to study the coastal oceanography of east James Bay. The research project is part of a larger Cree-driven research program administered by the Niskamoon Corporation that seeks to address two central research questions:

1. What are the environmental factors influencing the health of eelgrass along the coast?

2. What are the impacts of eelgrass ecosystem health on geese and consequently Cree hunting?

The University of Manitoba is collecting oceanographic data to contribute to addressing the first research question and Kuzyk is leading the integration of the studies across the whole program.
The oceanography research is focused on assessing the influence of river discharge and sea ice on the properties of the coastal waters and sediments. Other members of the Coastal Habitat Comprehensive Research Program are focused on assessing eelgrass health, quantifying riverine fluxes, and studying the waterfowl.