VIU Scholarship, Research, and Creative Activity

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Wetlandkeepers Course March 5, 2019 - 10:22am

The BC Wildlife Federation partnered with Greenways Land Trust in Campbell River, BC to host a Wetlands Keeper course free of charge and open to the public. Wetlands are important ecosystems that are disappearing in BC and urgently needs community protection. In 2016, MABRRI started a wetland mapping project in partnership with the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) and Vancouver Island University (VIU). This project is helping build an inventory of where wetlands are, and promotes research regarding connectivity between wetlands and other water systems.
Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup June 22, 2021 - 10:23am

Come help us clean the beaches of Deep Bay! Meet at Deep Bay Marine Field Station at 10:00 am on Saturday August 19th. All supplies will be provided. This is a great opportunity to make a positive impact on our local ecosystem and help keep our beaches beautiful.

Pre-registration is required: http://shorelinecleanup.ca/cleanups/yklp3

Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
Season Pass August 27, 2024 - 9:12am

Whether it's cozying up in the reading corner, getting your hands wet in our touch tanks or enjoying the view of Baynes Sound from the deck, the fun never has to end! Being a Deep Bay Season Pass holder gives you exclusive access to fun all summer long.
Program Guide August 27, 2019 - 1:34pm

new_education_guide_spring_2017.pdf
Public Education at the Station August 27, 2024 - 9:16am

Public EducationStation Tours
VIU Students December 10, 2021 - 2:07pm

VIU Students

The station hosts practicum, internship and project students from VIU in a number of different capacities.  Opportunities are limited and must be applied for through your professor.  Opportunities are experiential in nature and can involve the following area:
Broodstock Conditioning Program January 18, 2023 - 11:33am

This long term initiative is being carried out in partnership between VIU and the BC Shellfish Growers Association.  This project is an environmental adaption initiative to address changing water conditions in Baynes Sound and the Salish Sea in general.
CSR research May 29, 2025 - 12:04pm

The Centre for Shellfish Research (CSR) focuses on sustainable shellfish aquaculture and the environment. Our current and past research efforts address three strategic areas: 

  • Ecological Interactions Research Program investigating sustainable shellfish practices and ensuring that environmental protection and a vibrant industry go hand-in-hand.
Volunteering August 7, 2024 - 2:23pm

Do you want to share your special skills and talents?

Would you like the opportunity to share your passion for the ocean with others in a unique setting surrounded by nature? At VIU's Deep Bay Marine Field Station, we can help by providing you with opportunities at our award-winning green facility.

As part of Vancouver Island University, we are a linking education, sustainable community development and public engagement in conjunction with exciting shellfish research programs.
Bull Kelp Sampling May 25, 2023 - 12:23pm

The perks of working with MABRRI were on full display on Friday June 9th when myself, Ryan and Maria launched The Silver Bullet (Ryan’s boat) from Schooner Cove in Nanoose. We set out to locate and sample bull kelp in the Salish Sea, which has been disappearing along the coast of south east Vancouver Island.  Our first target was around the east and north side of Gabriola Island where I snorkeled and searched the cool waters for any signs of bull kelp.  However, while we found some drifting in the tide line, no live bull kelp was found after over an hour of searching.
NextGen Shellfish Hatchery November 27, 2019 - 9:37pm

This exciting project has been funded by Western Economic Diversification Canada and has been ongoing since 2014.  Changing environmental conditions in Baynes Sound have made Shellfish Hatcheries increasingly difficult to run.  This project has brought in hatchery technologies from around the world in an attempt to see which technologies can be successfully used in British Columbia.  Within this project we are:
Linley Valley Trails Assessment March 5, 2019 - 10:20am

Linley Valley Cottle Lake Park is a 145 acre wilderness park located in the heart of Nanaimo with access points throughout the city. Filled with a network of trails and untouched scenery the park offers a lush escape from the city with well-maintained trails and immaculate views of the Salish Sea from higher points.
Wetland Mapping March 5, 2019 - 10:19am

Today, June 9, 2017, Ashley, Kayla, Lauren, and I (Carson) set out to Milner Gardens to do our best impression of swamp monsters as we completed some wetland mapping. Starting at 8am we loaded our gear in the MABRRI truck and started northbound on the Island highway. After about a 40 minute drive with some excellent scenery along the way we arrived at our destination, the picturesque Milner Gardens. Pulling into the parking lot we were greeted by a very calm group of deer lounging about in flat spot of grass near the truck.
Gazebo Talks March 5, 2019 - 10:18am

From 2pm to 7pm on June 8, 2017, as part of the consultation process for the ongoing parks inventory report and Community Park masterplan report, the MABRRI team in partnership with The City of Parksville, held an open house at the gazebo located in Parksville’s beautiful Community Park. Because the open house was at the gazebo we nicknamed the event “Gazebo Talks”.
VIU STEMantics at the Deep Bay Marine Field Station May 27, 2025 - 11:57am

K-12 School Class Field Trip Booking Form

This form should be used for school classes, home-school groups, youth groups, and post-secondary classes that wish to book our educational programs. For non student/youth tour booking please go to our tour booking form.
The Snaw-Naw-As Garden of Spiritual Healing March 5, 2019 - 10:18am

MABRRI is currently working with Snaw-Naw-As First Nation to develop the Snaw-Naw-As Garden of Spiritual Healing over the course of two years. The main goal of the garden is to help preserve traditional knowledge and language pertaining to local native plant species. The garden will also help promote food security, raise awareness of physical and mental health benefits associated with gardening, and foster a sense of community by being a place where members can teach, learn, and explore gardening together.
Plant Phenology March 5, 2019 - 10:17am

This year I have been lucky enough to collect data for the plant phenology project at Milner Gardens and Woodland in Qualicum Beach. Phenology is the study of the timing of seasonally reoccurring biological events like bud break, flower blooming, pollen release, and leaf fall. The timing of these events is strongly linked to variables like temperature and precipitation, making it a strong indicator of climate change. Phenology also plays a crucial role in relationships between species. If mutualistic species respond differently to climate change, their phonology will be out of synch.
Salish Sea Monitoring March 5, 2019 - 10:15am

On Wednesday May 3, MABRRI research assistants Ryan Fredrickson, Kidston Short, and Larissa Thelin spent the day on the Salish Sea with Captain Tom Fredrickson to do water sampling for the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project. Coordinated by Canadian-based Pacific Salmon Foundation and American-based Long Live the Kings, the project aims to determine the primary factors affecting the survival of juvenile salmon and steelhead in the Salish Sea.
Adventures to Amazing Places August 26, 2024 - 3:07pm

On May 2, 2017, Ryan, Carson, Haley, Larissa, Lauren, Kidston and I adventured into the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region to check out some of the Amazing Places. Our first stop was at MacMillan Provincial Park (Cathedral Grove) where we wandered through the ancient grove of moss and lichen draped Douglas-fir, Western red-cedar, Western hemlock, and a variety of other species such as Yew, bigleaf maple, and Western flowering dogwood.
Amazing Places Adventure March 5, 2019 - 10:12am

On Tuesday, May 2 the newest MABRRI research assistants went on a tour of the MABR to get acquainted with where we will be working all summer. During this day trip we went to Little Qualicum Falls, a provincial park designated as a UNESCO Amazing Place. For many of us, this was our first time at the falls. The tall mossy cliffs and gorgeous waterfall made us understand why Little Qualicum Falls was chosen as one of MABR’s 10 Amazing Places.