SURGE

Building healthy and resilient shorelines.

At SURGE we’re building living breakwaters in the form of oyster reefs to protect coastlines and coastal communities from the effects of sea level rise and coastal erosion. Our reefs can break wave force, help improve water quality, improve local biodiversity, and contribute to the survival of key ecosystems such as eelgrass meadows and coastal salt marshes. Through our work, we help vulnerable coastal populations who are on the front line of climate change.

Home: Welcome

ABOUT

As the impacts of climate change become more difficult to ignore, we need innovative solutions that are not only effective but can make a difference where governments or the private sector seem unable. We want to show people that action and positive change can happen not just in the realms of policy and business, but in individual hands as well.

SURGE is working to build Canada's first oyster reefs purpose made to be living breakwaters. This is a methodology that has been used around the world with success. We want to make sure this is a community-centred project and ensure that we work closely with First Nations to co-create interventions so they receive as much benefit as possible, as often they are situated in areas that are most vulnerable to the threats of sea level rise and climate change. We hope to build our first oyster reef as soon as possible!

Our vision for SURGE is not to just provide solutions for the issues we are facing, but to provide the opportunity for a whole new generation of people to embrace the ocean again and to participate in the stewardship of our coastline. We want generations to come to have an opportunity they may never have had before, one that can be passed on again and again, ensuring we do not forget the waters around us. Although our visions may be big, we believe that they can be accomplished through hard work and dedication. And with your help, in time they will be.

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Home: Who We Are

What We Do

SURGE is an initiative focused on building resiliency and health for our shorelines through nature-based and community-centered solutions. We seek to build oyster reefs as a form of nature-based solution to counteract the negative effects of sea level rise and coastal erosion. Sea level rise and shoreline degradation are growing threats to coastal communities and ecosystems. We hope to build a model of sustainable shoreline protection, inspire communities to protect future generations, and imagine healthy thriving societies.

We are doing this by building a coalition of researchers, industry experts, government officials, Indigenous groups, and communities who want to prevent the damage of shoreline degradation through nature-based solutions. Through conscious consultation with the expertise possessed by this network of connections, we aim to build living breakwaters in the form of oyster reefs in the coastal waters of British Columbia.