Grizzly Bears: The heart of terrestrial conservation
The umbrella species and apex predator for the Great Bear Rainforest, the coastal grizzly is one of the most magnificent creatures on the planet. Its habitat in the GBR represents the southern stronghold of coastal grizzly habitat in NA.
Raincoast is working to understand and prevent impacts from habitat loss, human encroachment and sport hunting.In conjunction with our partners, we are also researching impacts from contaminants. Raincoast is the lead group campaigning to end the sport hunting of grizzlies.
The Rainforest Wolf Project combines field work, cutting-edge scientific tools, and traditional ecological knowledge to conduct rigorous scientific research in the Great Bear Rainforest. This collaborative effort among Raincoast scientists, the Heiltsuk First Nation, and several universities around the world continues to create new knowledge about this globally unique wolf-deer-salmon system.
Wild Salmon: The nutrient pulse of the coast
Wild Pacific salmon are the foundation species of coastal ecosystems, and an integral component of both marine and terrestrial food webs. With this in mind, Raincoast has made wild salmon one of the primary foci of our conservation work. We advocate for the protection of marine, estuarine and terrestrial habitat for salmon, a stop to mixed-stock fisheries and overharvesting, and a fish farm free coast.
Marine Mammals: Defining and defending Marine Mammal habitat
In-shore oil and gas exploration is a growing threat to Canada’s west coast. In light of this risk, scientists and managers lack basic information to measure any impact from oil exploration and transport. But this is changing. In the spring of 2007, Raincoast conducted the fourth season of a systematic line-transect survey of the Queen Charlotte Basin. These surveys record whales, dolphins and other marine mammals. This study will make an important contribution to the debate over oil and gas exploration and transport in B.C. waters.
Marine Birds: Conservation takes flight
Marine Bird surveys, initiated in 2005 and continued through 2008, have amassed over 14,000 marine bird sightings with over 70,000 individuals counted. Notable findings so far include a number of Yellow-billed Loons in in-shore waters of Dixon Entrance and Hecate Strait, one lone Laysan Albatross in Queen Charlotte Sound in addition to conspicuous seasonal changes in marine bird community assemblages throughout the Queen Charlotte Basin area and mainland inlets.
