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Protecting Clam Populations for Food Sovereignty & Climate Resilience

Assessing heat wave impacts on juvenile littleneck clam populations (Leukoma staminea) and evaluating whether there is an opportunity to mitigate sediment temperature increases using boulders as thermal buffers.

Project Lead: Abigail Birch, Master's Student, SFU Resource & Environmental Management

Co-creation Partners

Funding Support: SFU Climate Innovation Seed Funds: Pollinator Award (2025)

Expected Outcomes

The expected outcomes of this project include an improved understanding of climate impacts on littleneck clam populations in KCFN territory and evaluating the use of boulders as a management technique to support clam survival during extreme heat events. This aligns with the Nation’s broader goal of restoring traditional food systems through their emerging Food Sovereignty Strategy.

Clams have sustained KCFN communities for millennia and continue to hold cultural, nutritional, and economic significance. However, due to a range of cumulative stressors, including climate change, traditional clam harvesting is no longer viable. By exploring local adaptation strategies rooted in Indigenous knowledge, this project supports multiple solutions for food security, biodiversity, cultural continuity, and climate adaptation. If boulders are found to offer effective thermal refuge, this low-tech and scalable solution could be used to restore degraded beaches and reduce climate vulnerability without dependence on external technologies or emissions-intensive inputs.

Learn more

This video was made by research lead Abigail Birch in collaboration with Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nations and Markus Thompson. It shares the story of Abigail's research partnership over the summer of 2025 examining the impacts of extreme heat events on clams. This video is available with permission from the Ha'wiih (Hereditary Chiefs) and includes personal reflections on the project and Abigail's role as a settler researcher.

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