Wonders of the Salish Sea 2024
This popular 4-part speakers series on the Salish Sea is back again in 2024 to delight and enlighten you about the marvels of our local waters.
4 Mondays from 7- 9pm
March 18, 25 April 8, 15 (no program on April 1 due to Easter Holiday)
SCHEDULE 2024
March 18
7:00 – 7:55 PM. Why we love the Salish Sea. Jess Newley, Friends of the San Juans
Dive into the Salish Sea and all its wonders with Jess Newley! Visitors and residents come from all over the world to seek out the beauty the Salish Sea provides, from the awe-inspiring moments of humpbacks breaching, the bounty of seabirds cackling at every anchorage, and pods of orcas cruising by… but not many get to experience the underwater world and all of its precious habitats that support the beauty and nature we see at the surface. In this presentation, we’ll explore bull kelp beds and seagrass meadows and get to know what needs to be protected to sustain the many wonders of the Salish Sea. Jess Newley is the Community Science and Education director for Friends of the San Juans. Before working in the San Juan Islands, Jess has been a SCUBA diving instructor in Egypt, taught kids Marine Science from a sailboat in the Salish Sea, and sailed her own boat across the Pacific Ocean doing underwater photography projects. She has a deep passion for the marine environment, boating, snorkelling with salmon, and anything that involves being on or under the Salish Sea. Collecting forage fish samples, educating boaters, teaching kids and engaging community members in conservation and science – her work at Friends of the San Juans combines all of her favourite things.
8:05 – 9:00. The Urban Oceans project: exploring how cities and stormwater influence Vancouver’s coastal ocean. Dilan Sunthareswaran, Natasha Melo Buckiewicz, and Sadie Lye, UBC Pelagic Ecosystems Laboratory.
Vancouver’s coastal waters are surrounded by city life, yet the extent of its impact on ocean health is unknown. We will begin our talk with an overview of some foundational aspects of biological, chemical and physical oceanography relevant to the Salish Sea. We will then summarize the newly launched Urban Oceans Project, a UBC research initiative led by graduate students and researchers from the Pelagic Ecosystems Laboratory. This includes a discussion of current knowledge gaps related to urban oceans, our research objectives and approach, and we’ll highlight some preliminary data from the project.
Dilan Sunthareswaran is a second-year Master’s Student at the UBC Earth, Oceans and Atmospheric Sciences (EOAS) department investigating the impact of urbanization on Vancouver’s coastal waters. Dilan is a proud person of colour in science, representing the Sri Lankan community as a member of the Pelagic Ecosystems Laboratory. Dilan hopes his work can educate the general public about Vancouver’s waters and ultimately shine a light on our role in shaping the ocean’s health.
Natasha Melo Buckiewicz is a 1st year PhD student in the Pelagic Ecosystems lab at UBC. As a marine ecologist, her research focuses on how the urbanization of Vancouver is affecting the surrounding coastal ecosystems. Specifically, Natasha wants to understand how freshwater and material flows from the urban environment impact phytoplankton, microscopic organisms essential for all marine life. In collaboration with organizations and local First Nations, she plans to help identify the threats related to urbanization to improve Vancouver’s marine environment for marine species and those who rely on their resources.
Sadie Lye is a second-year Master’s Student at the UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries studying anthropogenic impacts on Burrard Inlet. Sadie grew up in the Salish Sea and New York City, perhaps explaining why she is interested in Urban Oceans. Through her work, she hopes to contribute to Burrard Inlet and the wider Salish Sea being healthier and cleaner for all its inhabitants, creatures and humans alike.
March 25
7:00 – 7:55 PM. Qwuloodt estuary restoration project. Melissa Gobin, Michelle Bahnick, Tulalip Tribes
The 19 square mile Snohomish River Estuary – one of the largest estuaries in the Puget Sound – provides a critical rearing habitat and an essential transition zone between freshwater and saltwater for several salmonid populations in the Puget Sound (2005 Snohomish Basin Salmon Recovery and Conservation Plan). Qwuloolt, which is named after our Lushootseed word for marsh, is a part of the Snohomish Estuary that historically held tidal marsh and forest scrub-shrub habitat interlaced by tidal channels, mudflats, and streams. For over 100 years, the Qwuloolt Estuary had been cut off from the Snohomish River and Salish Sea Edes by levees, drained by ditches, and characterized by a monoculture of invasive reed canary grass instead of native shrubs and grasses. The levee surrounding Qwuloolt was breached in 2015, allowing salt and fresh water to mix together once again in the ~400-acre site, forming the critical habitat we have today. This session will take you on the historical journey of the Qwuloolt Estuary, including why we pursued this project, how the restoration project happened, and findings from current monitoring efforts.
Melissa Gobin is a Tulalip Citizen and the Natural Resource Outreach Education Coordinator.
Learning and teaching about the ecosystems of the Salish Sea is Melissa’s passion. She grew up
on the Tulalip ReservaEon, and most of her family is involved in Natural Resources. The hatchery is named after her grandfather Bernie Kai Kai Gobin. Tulalip has a rich connection to the Salish Sea, and Melissa is one of many Tulalip citizens committed to protecting it. Education and Outreach has given Melissa an outlet to teach kids, adults, and the broader community about the world we live in and the tribe’s longstanding cultural connection to it.
Michelle Bahnick is the Wetland Biologist for the Tulalip Tribes of Washington Natural and Cultural Resources Division. Having started this position in November 2021, they are excited to further develop and refine the Wetland Program to preserve, protect, enhance, restore, and manage wetlands for the benefit of the Tulalip Tribes. Michelle grew up in the Pacific Northwest and has always been fascinated by ecosystems where water and land meet, as well as the connections and interactions between human communities and the ecosystems we live in. Prior to their work with the Tulalip Tribes, Michelle worked in environmental consulting, assisted with studies assessing juvenile salmonid passage through dams on the Columbia River, caught rock iguanas in the Bahamas for a long-term life history study, taught college students how to collect and identify stream benthic macroinvertebrates, and served with the Washington Conservation Corps to restore riparian areas and monitor Aquatic Reserves in Puget Sound. They hold a M.S. in Biology from Western Washington University, a B.A. in Biology from Earlham College, and a certificate in Wetland Science and Management from the University of Washington.
8:05 – 9:00 PM. Unpaving paradise: Kus-kus-sum restoration project. Caitlin Pierzchalski, Project Watershed.
The Kus-kus-sum (KKS) restoration project is a partnership between Project Watershed, the K’ómoks First Nation (KFN), and the City of Courtenay. The project takes place on a former industrial sawmill site in the heart of the K’ómoks Estuary and aims to restore approximately 4 hectares of Edal marsh and riparian forest, connect to an already protected and conserved area of a healthy estuary area, and rematriate the land back to the traditional stewards of the landscape, the KFN. This presentation will cover the cultural context of the site, the ideation and history of the project, the process of land purchase and transfer, technical development of engineering plans and construction progress to date, along with the ecological restoration processes and monitoring efforts. A field trip to the Kus Kus Sum site will also be offered.
Caitlin Pierzchalski is a restoration ecologist, watershed steward, and experienced program manager. She was born and raised on the traditional territory of the Sylix-speaking Peoples and is currently based on unceded Coast Salish territory. She is inspired by her love of oceans and has been working in and learning from marine and coastal environments throughout the Salish Sea for the past 10 years. She’s keen to support and further community-engaged stewardship in the Comox Valley that contributes to thriving watersheds and holds a cautiously hopeful view for the future of our lands and waters.
April 8
7:00 – 7:55 PM. Crabs and shrimps: their unsung roles in Salish Sea ecosystems. Gregory Jensen, University of Washington
Crabs and shrimps are some of the most familiar (and tasty) denizens of the deep, yet their lifestyles and the ecological roles that they play are oben dramaEcally different from their public personas. I will dispel some of the myths and misconceptions about these fascinating animals and share observations, photos, and videos of unexpected and unique behaviours that will change your perception about crustaceans and give you a new appreciation for their varied roles in marine ecosystems.
Gregory Jensen is a biologist and instructor at the University of Washington and author of several books, including “Crabs and Shrimps of the Pacific Coast” and “Beneath Pacific Tides”. An avid diver and underwater photographer, he has spent over five decades studying the marine life of the Pacific Northwest with a particular interest in crustaceans. He lives with his wife Pam (also a crab biologist) and several (mostly) well-behaved turtles in Bremerton, Washington.
8:05 – 9:00 PM. Part 1 – Do Insects live in the saltwater of the Salish Sea? Anne Parkinson, Marine Stewardship, Transition Salt Spring
Insects are ubiquitous – land, freshwater, air, salt lakes, thermal springs – but rarely are they thought of as marine inhabitants. There are a few intrepid insects that have adapted. But do they really live in salt water, or are they interlopers only visiting but not staying for their life cycle? Anne will outline what is known about the unusual insects that make the sea their home and then focus on the local intertidal chironomid, Paraclunio alaskensis. This fascinating tiny fly weaves a web on the rocky shore as a larva but lives its life as an adult in the air for only one tide cycle. Learn where chironomids fit in the food chain and how to find them. You will have a new appreciation for the unique adaptive ecophysiology of this small but tough insect that thrives in the rough and tumble salty intertidal zone of the Salish Sea.
Anne Parkinson, MSc, RPBio (ret) is a marine biologist with a 40-year career beginning as a research diver and high school Biology teacher, moving into private sector abalone aquaculture, followed by public sector research officer, and finally 20 years as the University of Victoria Biology Cooperative Education Coordinator. She is the Chair of Marine Stewardship/Transition Salt Spring, currently hosting Wonders of the Salish Sea.
Part 2 – The Weird and Wonderful World of Worms. Sheila Byers, Beaty Biodiversity Museum, Nature Vancouver
Sheila had her eyes on marine worms since her teenage years. When rowing ashore near an exposed Atlantic Ocean eelgrass meadow, she observed her first giant clam-worm (Alitta virens) emerging from its burrow. It was huge, and she was immediately hooked with both fear and amazement, spending the next 40-plus years as a taxonomist identifying Pacific marine worms, primarily of the Salish Sea. But why would worms attract such attention?
Sheila Byers is a Registered Professional Biologist, Marine Biologist and a long-term volunteer member of Nature Vancouver’s Marine Biology SecEon, and is part of the WSS planning committee. As well she sits on the Board of Directors of Marine Life Sanctuaries Society, and currently works at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum (UBC) as the Curatorial Assistant for the Marine Invertebrate collection.
April 15
7:00 – 7:55 PM. Why does the Salish Sea glow at night? Carrley Smith, Community Boating Center, Bellingham Bay, WA.
At night in the summertime, the Salish Sea glows when touched. This phenomenon, called bioluminescence, is caused by tiny living organisms at the water’s surface. We don’t know exactly why or how this happens, but we know that bioluminescence is common to creatures worldwide both at the surface and in the depth of the sea. In this presentation, we’ll explore the many mysteries of bioluminescence in the Salish Sea, and how humans have interacted with it for centuries.
Carrley Smith is a recent graduate from Western Washington University in environmental science. As a sea kayak guide, she has led bioluminescence kayaking trips in the San Juan Islands for the past three years. In 2023, Carrley conducted research on bioluminescence in Bellingham Bay as an intern with the Community Boating Center, a non-profit organization that teaches marine stewardship through safe boating. As well, Carrley and colleague Lucy Greeley, have studied with algae researcher Robin Kodner to identify the patterns and species of the bioluminescent organisms that cause this phenomenon. Carrley is excited to share recent research and the natural and human histories of bioluminescence locally and globally.
8:05 – 9:00 PM. The ‘Humpback Comeback’ in the Salish Sea. Tasli Shaw, marine naturalist and artist. Humpback Whales were once hunted to the brink of extinction along coastal B.C. However, the banning of commercial whaling gave them a second chance in these waters, and now they are back! But who are these whales anyway? What mysteries do they keep, and what does the future hold for them in the Salish Sea?
Tasli Shaw has more than 13 years’ of experience working on the Salish Sea as both a captain and wildlife guide. In addition to managing the Humpback Whales of the Salish Sea project, she also works as an analyst for Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, assisting with both the long-standing Bigg’s Killer Whale monitoring program (in collaboration with Bay Cetology) and the CeMoRe project. When not contributing to research projects, she spends time in the studio, creating elaborate illustrations about the creatures who call the coast home.
Fieldtrips (so far)
- Vancouver, BC. Intertidal Exploration: Seaweeds and Invertebrates. April 27, 2024, 1-3 PM. We are excited to have Dr. Bridgette Clarkson back to introduce us to the common seaweeds that thrive near the entrance to Vancouver Harbour at this time of year. As well, Sheila Byers, Beaty Museum; Sharon Adelman, Vancouver Aquarium volunteer; and Alyana Lalani, UBC student, will be our guides as we explore the intertidal zone to discover the diversity of invertebrate life found there. We will gather at 1 PM near The Fox’s Den (Spray Park), north of the Vancouver Aquarium. A good low, low spring tide (LLW) will occur at 14:49 at an elevation or height of 0.7 m (2.2 ft). The field trip will proceed regardless of weather, so dress accordingly (water, snack, warmth, rain gear, waterproof footwear). This is always a fun day of exploration so expect to be surprised and learn something new!
- Courtenay, BC. Kus-kus-sum site visit with Project Watershed. April 4, 3:00 PM. More info to come.
- San Juan Island, WA, Friends of the San Juans. More information to come.
- Salt Spring Island, BC, Marine Stewardship, Transition Salt Spring. More information to come.