Program
Tuesday May 28

07:30 - 08:15 : Registration


 


08:15 - 08:45 : Opening remarks


 

 Opening remarks by the congress organizers and partners.

 


08:45 - 09:30 : Implementation of an environmental observatory in the Sept-Iles industrial port zone


 

Presented by:

Julie Carrière (INREST) and Manon Dauteuil (Port of Sept-Îles) (coauthors)

 

An industrial port zone (IPZ) is a reserved space for industrial purposes, and located close to port services, roads and rail infrastructures. As every human activity, it can generate impacts on ecosystems. The environmental observatory concept in IPZ is aimed at reconciling IPZ activities and ecosystem conservation. Data acquired through the observatory will allow to draw an updated portrait of the environmental quality targeting port zones, and allow long-term monitoring of the ecosystems within the zone. The general objective of the observatory is to provide a comprehensive view of the environmental impacts (present and future) with the updated data acquisition. The project also allows to follow short-, medium- and long-term progress of the various analysed components, creating a mechanism of environmental monitoring, equip managers in their decision-making, and respond to the community’s expectations and concerns. This project is aimed at managers of IPZs, municipalities, businesses and industries, and to the public. The Observatory of the Bay of Sept-Îles will be presented as a whole. This project was launched in 2013 thanks to the partnership between the City and the Port, which then established innovative agreements to closely monitor the precious ecosystem of the Bay of Sept-Îles.

 

 


09:30 - 10:00 : The Canadian Healthy Oceans Network: Conservation strategies for Canada’s changing oceans


 

Presented by: 

Paul Snelgrove (CHONe)

 

Increasing human pressures on the global ocean increase the demand for policy-relevant science. Canada’s coastline, the longest in the world, provides a wide range of functions and services critical to society. But increasing demand for ocean resources creates major challenges in meeting Canada’s national and international objectives on sustainable oceans. Conservation approaches may encompass a wide range of management strategies that include various types of marine protected areas and changes in fishing effort, but the efficacy of such efforts hinges on knowledge on habitat mapping, population connectivity, ecosystem functioning, and quantification of biodiversity. Such knowledge pulls in biological, physical, chemical, and geological oceanographic data that vary in scale from international programs such as the Census of Marine Life, to national programs such as the NSERC Canadian Heathy Oceans Network. This presentation will draw on examples from these programs to illustrate how ocean research can help to address applied problems in ocean policy and help local and national governments meet their sustainability goals.

 

 


10:00 - 10:30 : Better monitoring for better management: the multidsciplinary approach to aquatic environments


 

Presented by:

Philippe Archambault (U Laval)

 

The intensification of human activities at a global scale leads to increasing pressures on the environment. These pressures are diverse: pollution, habitat destruction, noise, invasive species, contaminants, etc. Shipping lanes are an intense network of human activities, the footprint of which can be consequential. These activities are numerous, diverse and complex, which makes studying them in an integrative manner difficult, especially since they are constantly evolving and fall within the context of climate change. Sustainable development of human activities is a challenge, mainly because these issues are seldom addressed in a holistic manner. The objective here is to present multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral approaches  that would allow for an integrative ecosystem-based study of this array of activities and their environmental footprint. Engaging the knowledge of the scientific community is necessary to understand big challenges, to identify related research priorities, and to deploy a concerted and collaborative approach that is conducive to implementing a sustainable, responsible, long-term management of industrial and port activities. 

 

 


10:30 - 11:00 : Coffee break / Exhibits


 

 


11:00 - 11:30 : Maritime and port transport in service of the industrial port zone of Sept-Iles


 

Presented by:

Claude Comtois (CIRRELT)


Most of the socio-economic development scenarios in the industrial port zone of Sept-Iles are conditioned by the role and function of maritime transport. This role is all the more important as maritime transport accounts for a large proportion of its procurement. We first examined the essential characteristics of the iron and aluminum supply chain. Furthermore, we analysed the evolution of iron ore export traffic, bauxite imports, and aluminum exports. This is followed by an evaluation of the competitive position of the Sept-Iles port. The objective consists of an evaluation of the capacity of these port activities to contribute to the development of the industrial port zone of Sept-Iles.

 

 


11:30 - 12:00 : The SECO.Net network: Understanding the impacts of eutrophication on the St. Lawrence ecosystem


 

Presented by:

Jean-Éric Tremblay (Université de Laval) 

 

Co-authors:

Jean-Éric Tremblay (Université de Laval), Michel Starr (IML/MPO) & Michel Gosselin (ISMER/UQAR).

 

Coastal eutrophication is mainly due to a response to an increase in nutrients and organic matter (OM), most often caused by anthropogenic activities, and constitutes a threat to the health of coastal marine ecosystems throughout the world. Eutrophication can have many undesirable consequences, such as the proliferation of toxic algae — harmful or opportunistic — the development of hypoxia or anoxia in bottom waters, water acidification, a lower yield of fisheries, as well as general degradation of marine ecosystem health, and the services it provides. Nutrients and OM make their way into estuaries and coastal areas through rivers, erosion, and human activity. Significant increases in this inflow have been recorded over the past fifty years. The St. Lawrence watershed and coastal waters are no exception. Large areas of oxygen-poor (hypoxic) and acidic waters have been detected close to the bottom in the SL estuary. The recent proliferation of toxic algae, that had devastating consequences for fauna, could also be due to eutrophication. SECO.Net is a research network that documents current nutrient and OM inflow rates in estuarine and marine waters in the SL in order to assess whether they contribute to the eutrophication, hypoxia and acidification of bottom waters, as well as coastal water degradation. The network will provide new insights into the sources and evolution of these nutrients and OM from watershed to sea, and their impacts on the SL ecosystem. This will inform decision-making processes aimed at developing regulations for a management framework of nutrient elements and industrial, agricultural and urban waste water.

 

 


12:00 - 13:30 : Lunch Break


 

 


13:30 - 14:00 : Real-time ocean monitoring in British Columbia ports and coastal communities


 

Presented by:

Kim Juniper (University of Victoria)

 

Coauthors: S. Kim Juniper (ONC), Scott McLean (ONC), Maia Hoeberechts (ONC), Tom Dakin (ONC), Ryan Flagg (ONC)

 

There is growing recognition worldwide of the economic, social and environmental importance of improved forecasting of ocean conditions and real-time monitoring of ocean health. This need is being addressed by the establishment of regional ocean observing systems under the umbrella of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), and by other local and regional ocean observing initiatives. Canada recently took steps to contributing to GOOS through the creation of the Canadian Integrated Ocean Observing System (CIOOS). Ocean Networks Canada is a major partner and data provider for CIOOS, serving data from a growing network of ocean observatories in Canada’s three oceans. In British Columbia, ONC operates networks of real-time, cabled ocean observatories that support a wide range of underwater and shore-based sensors, from ports and coastal waters to the abyss. These observing systems are used for scientific research, and for ocean monitoring to meet societal needs. ONC partners with port authorities and First Nations in British Columbia to install and operate coastal observing systems to monitor sea surface conditions, ocean health and maritime traffic. Data from sensors are archived in near-real-time by ONC’s Oceans 2.0 data system, and data products are made available to environmental managers and communities. We will present case studies of ONC ocean monitoring partnerships with the Port of Prince Rupert, the Vancouver-Fraser Port Authority, and First Nation communities in Haida Gwaii, Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia. Each partnership has presented unique challenges in terms of ocean monitoring needs, sensor installation and operation, the development of ocean data products, and capacity building through community engagement and technical training programs.

 


14:00 - 14:30 : Current and future economic challenges of climate change on the port industry and on coastal environments - CANCELLED


 

Presented by:

Charles Antoine Gosselin (OURANOS)


Because of its coastal location, the port industry is exposed to risks posed by climate change. According to the results from a vast survey commissioned by the United Nations on the impacts and adaptations of the port industry to climate change (2017), 78% of ports claim having already suffered damage to their infrastructures due to a weather or climate event.

In this regard, the presentation will report on findings of Ouranos and their partner’s work, notably on the evolution of the main climate phenomena that will impact port activities in Quebec (aggravation of erosion and submersion issues, increase in precipitation, increase in heat island occurrences, etc). These trends are likely to economically impact ports and the coastal communities in which they operate.
Certain economic impacts relating to climate will then be addressed through a literature review of the main research in this field. Indeed, the exposure of a variety of assets (roads, cranes, buildings, etc) and operational factors (energy, transport, etc) to hazards is likely to influence the industry’s finances and decisions. This state of knowledge will first focus on studies in Quebec and Canada, before opening up to a more global perspective. In conclusion, a brief discussion on current research initiatives will take place.
 
 


14:00 - 14:30 : Climate change challenges for the St. Lawrence port industry


 

Presented by:

Claude Comtois (CIRRELT)

 

 


14:30 - 15:00 : Developing International Standards for Arctic and Cold Climate Operations of the Oil and Gas Industry


 

Presented by:

William A. Adams (RESTCo)

 

Ports such as Sept-Îles play an increasingly important role supporting industrial developments in the Arctic and near-Arctic regions. International standards can play an important role in helping to ensure that these activities take place with minimal environmental and health impacts.
This presentation will give a flavour of what standards work has been on-going with regard to the oil and gas industry under the International Standards Organization from a Canadian perspective. It is critical that the oil & gas community develop a social license in the Arctic as they have been able to do in other southern locations. This largely relates to the fact that the Arctic and northern cold climate region environments are especially sensitive to human disturbance and also that the people inhabiting the North are strongly tied to the land in respect of their culture and livelihoods. If an oil spill were to occur in the Arctic, for example, this would have a much more severe and pronounced consequence on the environment and the people in the North than compared to the South.
Standards have a built-in change process that is easier to update than regulations. This will be even more valuable in the Arctic context given the changes that are expected to occur in the Arctic with respect to changing climatic and environmental conditions, changes in the accessibility of northern resources, and the likely subsequent increase in resource development activity. The development process also provides industry participants and interests with a decision-making role in respect of the ultimate content of the standards, thereby effectively giving industry a voice in terms of instruments that can be referenced by regulation.

 

 


15:00 - 15:30 : Coffee break / Exhibits


 

 


15:30 - 16:00 : Protective coatings to prevent ice build-up on steel port structures


 

Presented by:

Gelareh Momen (CENGIVRE - UQAC)

 

Co-authors:

Gelareh Momen (CENGIVRE - UQAC), R. Jafari (CENGIVRE), I. Fofana (CENGIVRE), J. Carrière (INREST)


Currently, winds and tides are the main parameters that are taken into consideration in port infrastructure design. However, a series of factors, including ice and snow, also have a considerable effect on these infrastructures. Ice build-up on ships and other steel equipment is responsible for the degradation of port infrastructures that are in permanent contact with water. Thus, finding a solution to protect these materials has generated a wave of research studies in this field, hence the technical relevance of this project. Several de-icing methods were used in this study. In particular, electro-thermal and chemical methods, which had been abandoned due to their high implementation costs, short lifespan, and ensuing environmental impacts. ?Another major problem that these infrastructures often face is corrosion. This phenomenon leads to a modification in the materials, especially in their functional properties. In order to limit degradation of materials due to corrosion and ice build-up, an interesting solution would be to develop and apply superhydrophobic and ice-phobic coatings to exposed equipment, that would both prevent ice adherence and material corrosion. A superhydrophobic surface is a surface that has a contact angle with water of at least 150°. These syperhydrophobic films also increase steel alloys’ resistance to corrosion. Syperhydrophobic coatings are a promising technology in order to increase metal anti-corrosion performance, as it considerably decreases a surface’s contact with water, and environmental humidity. The aim of this project - a collaboration between UQAC and INREST - is to develop an ice-phobic and anti-corrosive coating that can preserve and reduce damage to port infrastructures. This presentation will focus on the first steps of this research.

 

 


16:00 - 16:30 : Removing Persistent Plastic Pollution from Open Water


 

Presented by: 

Darryl McMahon (RESTCo)


Plastic is amazing. It is cheap, durable, formable, strong. It comes in a variety of basic types, colours, and we use a lot of it. Allowed to escape into wild waters, it plays havoc with marine life, especially at and near the water surface. Decades of effort to stem the flow of plastic pollution into wild waters have been largely ineffective. While there is now renewed interest in reducing plastic waste volumes, we also need to remove the plastic pollution already in the water and prevent more from getting there, especially microplastics. RESTCo is examining and refining technologies to do this in a cost-effective manner.

 

 


18:00 - 22:00 : Recognition Gala Dinner


 

A recognition Gala with banquet will be held during the conference, in order to honour the award winners from businesses and organisations, in recognition of their support of scientific research in industrial port areas, as well as ecosystem conservation. Dress code: formal. 

 

Location : Carrefour de la Baie
Price: $90