OVERVIEW:
Race Rocks Ecological Reserve provides outstanding marine research opportunities..One of the main objectives of the Marine Protected Areas and Ecological Reserve Programs is to provide opportunities for scientific research. Race Rocks Ecological Reserve has been successful at fulfilling this objective through the interests and activities of Lester B. Pearson College since 1980. The college undertakes and assists in most of the research done at Race Rocks. The students and faculty provide local knowledge, orientation services and willing assistants to other researchers. They also monitor permanent transects and conduct their own research as part of their course requirements.
FACILITIES:
The decomissioned light station buildings are now available for use as a research facility with arrangements and bookings be handled by Lester B. Pearson College. Arrangments for the use of this facility should be made through Garry Fletcher, Educational Director of racerocks.com. Since the island is a bird nesting and seal birthing colony in the summer, limitations to access of many areas may be necessary.
LOCAL AREA NETWORK AND INTERNET CONNECTION
In March of 2000, the racerocks.com program was launched by Lester B. Pearson College and a number of Sponsors. The island is now equipped with a Local Area Network that has direct high speed connection to the internet. Wireless internet coverage from the central island of Great Race Rocks reaches a radius of 1000 meters, covering most of the Protected Area. Access to a Field Point Distributed I/O system for environmental data sensors and the potential for remote logging of sensor data is available as well.
ARTIFICIAL TIDEPOOL
An artificial tidepool has been constructed and has a 3 inch conduit to carry sensor wires connected to the pool. It has now been operational for over two years. (The hurricane of Dec 2007 has destroyed the tidepool.)
THE RACE ROCKS WORKSHOP SCIENCE LAB
This former workshop for the station has been converted to a wet lab with basic facilities. A salt water pump supplies continuously running water to tanks in this bulding. The building is supplied with electricity and some lab bench area. It is located within 30 meters of the ocean near the docks.
THE RACE ROCKS ARCHIVE ROOM
This room attached to the engine room which houses the diesel powered electrical generators, formerly served as a radio and weather station room. It has now being converted into a repository for copies of historical items on the light station.
HOUSING
Two buildings on the island are used for housing. The main house is the residence of the on-site island guardians, the former lightkeepers, Carol and Mike Slater.
What used to be the assistant light keepers residence is now the Science and Education Research Center and Residence. Pearson College faculty and students doing projects on weekends and holidays, and visiting researchers are accommodated here. Since fresh water is supplied by a desalination plant on the island, water restrictions are necessary.
RESEARCH PERMITS
According to BC Parks guidelines and The MPA Management Plan , research that contributes to the long-term protection and understanding of ecosystems should be encouraged. Research priorities reflect BC Parks mandate, with emphasis on conservation objectives, acute and chronic management problems, and rare and endangered species. To achieve this, research proposals are subjected to a clear, consistent and systematic review process. The collected data is required to be made available and shared with the scientific community. A copy of all materials produced will be contributeed to the Race Rocks Ecological Overview Database . As required in the Ecological Reserve Regulations, researchers require a permit through BC Parks to legitimize their activities. This permit may be arranged through the assistance of Pearson College
SEE THIS FILE FOR THE REGULATIONS FOR USING THE RACE ROCKS RESEARCH CENTRE
LEGAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR STATION RESPONSIBILITIES:
Lester B. Pearson College has been the principal research co-ordinating agency and has developed a good database for the ecological reserve and its values. The main island of Great Race Rocks was formerly leased by the Canadian Coast Guard from BC Lands and was not part of the ecological reserve, although the reserve surrounded it entirely. Now the Coast Guard is leasing a small triangular area surrounding the light tower, the fog horn and the solar energy generating panels.
Lester B. Pearson College has obtained a 30 year lease with a renewable option on the remainder of the island from BC Parks. Pearson College has taken over the responsibility for operating and maintenance costs and will be able to raise fees to offset costs of operating the center.
ONGOING RESEARCH AT RACE ROCKS
The video archives page provides informnation on a number of research programs being carried out at Race Rocks. The Pearson College divers have conducted a number of research programs at The Race Rocks Ecological Reserve. These are referenced in the Race Rocks Ecological Overview Database.
This is maintained in the Floating Marine Building at Lester B. Pearson College.
In 1980, 15 shore reference stations were set up by Pearson College. These consisted of galvanized pipes (pegs) cemented into the rock just above high tide level on all sides of the main island. In the next few years a number of underwater transects were completed by the students and faculty. Transects taken on bearings at right angles to the shore, down to about 12 meters depth were done. Several locations were rarely accessible because of strong currents, but some baseline data is available from these initial transects. In 1994 and 1995, working under the advice of Dr. Jane Watson of Nanaimo Biological Station, the divers of CoastWatch drilled underwater reference stainless steel pegs into four of the locations at 5 meter intervals. Limited recording has been done on these pegs, but they do serve as excellent permanent reference points for further research.
ABALONE POPULATION STUDY:
In 1995 and 1996 we worked with Scott Wallace a PhD candidate in Resources and Wildlife Management from UBC. We facilitated his recording of data on the abalone population at Race Rocks. At that time we also started an abalone tagging program for long term studies. We have been supplied with small numbered tags by the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo. We use these tags to attach to the shells of abalone in a population of animals at Race Rocks. Divers from the college have recorded length measurements of the abalone in-situ. In future years, resampling, retagging and measurement will continue.
SPECIES LIST and TAXONOMY : An extensive taxonomy for the islands is at htpp://www.racerocks.com/racerock/eco/taxalab/taxonomy.htm
In the summer of 1997, Donna Gibbs of the Vancouver Aquarium did several dives in the Race Rocks area. This file contains the species list she recorded on each dive.
HYDROID RESEARCH: Since 1986 the divers of Pearson College have assisted Dr. Anita Brinkmann Voss with specimen collection for research on Ecology and Taxonomy of Hydroids. This program is on-going. See this seperate file for research published by Dr.Voss. In 2002, Alberto Lindner joined with us to investigate the DNA content of the two color morphs of Allopora sp.
THE CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
In December 1997, the first annual Christmas bird count took place at Race Rocks. The results of this count are available here.
Contact Garry Fletcher for further information.
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