Research
Georgian Bay Forever is the only science-based pan-Georgian Bay charity organization. We are uniquely driven and qualified to survey and track the health and state of Georgian Bay waters, and determine the best and most effective courses of action based on objective data.
The Hodgson Family Foundation Research Projects
The Hodgson Family Foundation has been an incredible source of support for Georgian Bay Forever for years, and we are deeply grateful for this transformative relationship. With the foundation's closing in 2026, the foundation presented GBF with a unique opportunity: to select five projects for funding by U.S.-affiliated institutions that would address critical knowledge gaps in Georgian Bay and advance GBF's mission.
We are thrilled to share that, following a rigorous and comprehensive review process, five groundbreaking research projects have been selected to begin in 2026.
Stay tuned for more information coming in the spring/summer of 2026!
Our Ongoing Research and
Technological Monitoring
We use the AUV to model the impacts of climate change, water levels, increasing urban development, industrial and municipal spills, sewage overflows, septic failures, bacterial contamination, and the success of conservation measures.
visually survey the deep waters of Georgian Bay. We have directly observed and helped to ground-truth satellite models of the impacts of climate change, sediment, raw sewage discharges, urban development, nuisance algae, and submerged aquatic vegetation growth.
We scan sites of invasive Phragmites to identify and map those areas for reference in our eradication efforts. Locations are recorded in decimal degrees (latitude and longitude), invasive lineage is confirmed, and the area of the patch is recorded using ESRI FieldMaps.