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We offer expert analysis, background briefings, scientific context and opinion writing on the biology, environmental science, and governmental policies affecting the coast of BC including the Great Bear Rainforest and the Salish Sea.
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| Scientist | Field | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Peter Ross Senior Scientist, Healthy Waters Program Director | Ocean pollution, watersheds, whales | More | @calypsocoast |
| Valeria Vergara Senior Scientist, Cetacean Conservation Research Program | Underwater noise and disturbance, beluga whales, Northern Resident killer whales | More | @Marine_Valeria |
| Misty MacDuffee Biologist & Program Director, Wild Salmon Program | Southern Resident killer whales, Pacific salmon, Fraser River | More | 250-629-3001 @Duffling |
| Lance Barrett-Lennard Senior Scientist, Cetacean Conservation Research Program | Underwater noise, Southern and Northern Resident killer whales | More | @LanceBarrettLen |
| Chris Darimont Science Director, Chair-Raincoast Lab | Human impacts on large carnivores (bears, wolves, cougars, etc.) | More | @ChrisDarimont |
| Paul Paquet Senior Scientist, Carnivore Specialist | Large carnivores (bears, wolves, cougars, etc.) and wildlife habitat | More | |
| Shauna Doll Gulf Islands Forest Project Coordinator | Forest conservation and threats to Gulf Islands forests | More | @Shauna_Doll |
| Kristen Walters Lower Fraser River Salmon Conservation Program Coordinator | Freshwater habitat, Pacific salmon | More | @kl_walters |
| Chelsea Greer Wolf Program | Wolves, coastal wolves | @ChelGreer |
| Dave Scott Lower Fraser Research and Restoration Coordinator for the Lower Fraser Salmon Program | Pacific salmon, salmon habitat, Fraser River | More | @dcscott_BC |
Painkillers, pesticides, and cocaine among the contaminants found in Fraser Valley floodwaters in late 2021
$500,000 needed by the end of the year to protect 45 acres of threatened Coastal Douglas-fir forest
Raincoast named finalist in contest to win a Land Rover Defender, which will serve as a mobile water pollution monitoring lab
Inadequate funding and lack of coordination: report finds $91.6 million spent over 10 years for salmon habitat in the Lower Fraser River
Fisheries Minister stands strong for Fraser River sockeye salmon while Americans abandon caution and go fishing
Bold, sustained action can revitalize wild Pacific salmon in the Fraser: new study
Press tip
Peter Ross
Senior Scientist, Healthy Waters Program Director
(250) 217 3755
Dr. Peter S. Ross is an internationally recognized ocean pollution expert, having published over 160 scientific articles and book chapters on pollutants of concern in the oceans, and impacts on fish, seals and whales.
Climate change and water contaminants
Climate change contributes to water contaminants in coastal BC waters in many ways.
Invisible crisis
Since no single agency is responsible for the pollution of water in all its forms, there is an urgent need for a more comprehensive approach to monitoring water pollution in British Columbia – one that seamlessly captures water along its journey from headwaters to homes, street runoff to rivers, and rivers to the ocean. And one that helps to identify solution-oriented priorities for all of us.
A history of incidents in BC underscores the serious threat posed by pollution:
- The derailment of nine Canadian National railcars in 2005, resulting in the release of 40,000 L of caustic soda into the Cheakamus River and the deaths of 500,000 salmon and trout.
- Tire particles, tire-associated chemicals (6-PPD Quinone) and pesticides are entering urban fish habitat and killing salmon.
- Killer whales in BC’s coastal waters are the most PCB-contaminated marine mammals in the world, highlighting the vulnerability of this salmon-eating predator to the legacy of industrial chemicals.
- Drinking water is at risk from pathogens, lead (Pb) and disinfection byproducts, with Drinking Water Advisories in place for many communities and Indigenous Nations.
Dr. Ross calls it ‘British Columbia’s Invisible Crisis’, with the contamination of water in all its forms threatening the health of people and wildlife.