The BC Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences is entering a new chapter, with a new name and a new focus.

The organization is becoming the Indigenous Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences and Stewardship, a change aimed at bringing together Western science and Indigenous knowledge to support healthier aquatic ecosystems and coastal communities.

The transition is backed by a $50,000 investment from the provincial government.

The funding will help the Centre expand its capacity to support First Nations, surrounding communities, food security initiatives, and economic diversification.

The Centre says it will continue providing the aquatic science, research, and technical services it has offered for more than 20 years, while incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge into its work and governance.

Planning for the shift began in 2021, with a focus on increasing Indigenous leadership and oversight.

The long-term vision includes developing a new state-of-the-art science and stewardship facility on Liǧʷiłdaxʷ territory.

Wei Wai Kum Chief Chris Roberts, who serves as the Centre's vice-chair, says the transition shows what's possible when science is done in partnership with First Nations, whose stewardship of the land and water stretches back thousands of years.

The new centre  will also support First Nations stewardship programs along the coast, including Guardian initiatives that carry out environmental monitoring, habitat protection, research, and education.

The organization says the new direction will help strengthen aquatic ecosystem health while supporting the prosperity and well-being of coastal communities across B.C.