Nikki Wright

Address
Exectuive Director
SeaChange Marine Conservation Society
Brentwood Bay, BC

Phone: 250-652-1662

Email: seachange@shaw.ca

Research area(s):

  • Ecological restoration
  • Marine conservation
  • Nearshore habitats
  • Spatial technologies

Area of Expertise:

Nikki Wright has served as the Executive Director of SeaChange Marine Conservation Society since 1998. SeaChange is a non-profit charitable society working with community partners on marine education, conservation and restoration in the Salish Sea and BC. In 2000, 1800 eelgrass (Zostera marina) shoots were transplanted in Tod Inlet, a small inlet of Saanich Inlet north of Victoria BC. From that success was born the Seagrass Conservation Working Group in 2001. The SCWG is a consortium of government agencies, community conservation groups, First Nations and consultants working collaboratively to conserve seagrasses in British Columbia. The SCWG has trained 31 coastal communities surrounding the Salish Sea in eelgrass mapping using a science based methodology developed by Cynthia Durance, R.P. Bio, Precision Identification Consultants.

As Co-Chair of the Seagrass Conservation Working Group, Nikki works within this network to support coastal communities in contributing to a net gain of nearshore marine habitat in British Columbia. She collaborates with these communities to continue a long term strategy of public education, monitoring, mapping and restoration of eelgrass and other critical habitats within the nearshore ecosystem. Restoration of eelgrass habitats within former log storage areas has occurred in the Squamish, Nanaimo and Cowichan estuaries and Sechelt and Saanich Inlets. This group uses adaptive management strategies to increase salmonid habitats in these sites.

Maps of the eelgrass habitats within the Salish Sea are posted on the Community Mapping Network. The SCWG is developing a public access web site to accommodate mapping and monitoring information as well as updates of the community outreach activities in each Salish Sea site.

Select Presentation(s) / Publication(s):

Bittick, Sarah; Christensen, Matthew; O’Connor, Mary I.; and Wright, Nikki, “Identifying nutrient thresholds for sustainable local management of British Columbia seagrass beds” (2018). Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. 390. https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2018ssec/allsessions/390

Wright, Nikki, ” Eelgrass Restoration – A Progress Report from the Southern Salish Sea” (2016). Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. 83. https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2016ssec/species_food_webs/83/

Wright, Nikki N., Ms.; Boyer, Leanna, Ms. “Benefits of Working with Local Governments – A Non-Profit Perspective” (2016). Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. 36. https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2016ssec/salish_sea_snapshots/36/

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