Oil and chemical spill tracking

Spills of oil and chemicals into freshwater and ocean environments have killed fish, degraded habitat, and led to closures of commercial, recreational, and Indigenous fisheries. Raincoast’s Healthy Waters Program is positioned to collect data at the scene of a spill and collaborate with various organizations and First Nations to understand the impact of a spill. 

Tracker will host a number of rugged analytical instruments, and enable the measurement of several contaminants in the field, including coliform bacteria, nutrients, metals, pesticides, and tracers of wastewater effluent.
Photo by Peter Ross.
Two sockeye salmon swimming in a river.
Photo by Fernando Lessa.

Spills happen

Spills originate from all manner of accidents. The 2005 train derailment that spilled caustic soda into the Cheakamus River that killed 500,000 fish, The 2015 spill of 3,000 L of Bunker C oil from the MV Marathassa into English Bay. The 2020 fire aboard the MV ZIM Kingston in Juan de Fuca Strait that resulted in the loss of 104 mixed cargo shipping containers into the ocean. Each and every accident is bad news, and threatens the health of fish and whales, and contributes to the degradation of their habitats.

Being prepared is key

Given the sudden and unpredictable nature of oil and chemical spills, our oil and chemical spill response work entails being agile and available for support to First Nations, government agencies, and industry during a major spill. We are developing science protocols, and acquiring sampling kits, field equipment, and safety gear, and are poised to deploy our team to the scene of a spill. 

Being prepared on all fronts is key to limiting the damage from a spill. We recognize that with spills, it’s not a matter of if, but when. Research and monitoring to confirm the origin of the spill, track the fate of the spilled product, and monitor the recovery of ecosystem components routinely fails to be a priority. We will deploy expert capacity where and when needed, and work to prevent harm to valued ecosystem components.

Two people working together to collect water samples in a farm field with the mountains in the background.
Photo by Alex Harris.
https://www.raincoast.org/reports/flood

Semá:th X̱ó:tsa (Sumas Lake) Floods of 2021

The catastrophic floods of late 2021 in southern British Columbia (Canada) and neighbouring Washington State (USA) destroyed homes, farms and businesses, with excess water spilling debris, animal carcasses and diesel fuel into historically productive fish habitat. 

We assembled a team to assess water quality in the former Semá:th X̱ó:tsa (Sumas Lake) area of the Fraser Valley over a seven-week period after the floods. We collected water samples from 11 surface water sites and four groundwater sites for comprehensive contaminant analysis and a subsequent risk-based evaluation. We measured 379 analytes (chemical components and bacteria), including 262 anthropogenic contaminants. We examined excess nutrients, metals, fecal coliform, hydrocarbons, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products, perfluorinated compounds, sucralose, and tire-related chemicals.

Read the report

Recent articles

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Designing line transect surveys for the BC coast

Thomas, L., R. Williams, and D. Sandilands, D.  2007.  Designing line transect surveys for complex survey regions. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. 9(1):1-13, Survey Design Paper.pdf
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Hibernation associated changes in POP levels and patterns in BC grizzly bears

Christensen, J.R., M. MacDuffee, M.B Yunker, and P.S. Ross. 2007. Hibernation associated changes in persistent organic pollutants (POP) levels and patterns in British Columbia grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis). Environmental Science and Technology. 41: 1834-1840 Hibernation paper pdf
Applications of Paleolimnology to Sockeye Salmon Nursery Lakes and Ecosystems, cover report image.

Applications of Paleolimnology to Sockeye Lakes

MacDuffee, M and E. MacIssac. 2009.  Applications of paleolimnology to sockeye salmon nursery lakes and ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska: Proceedings of a workshop at the Institute of Ocean Sciences.  Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 2847.  Fisheries and Oceans Canada Applications of Paleolimnology to Sockeye Salmon Nursery Lakes and Ecosystems…
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Fraser River Sockeye collapse

by Mike Price Biologist, Raincoast Aquaculture Campaign September 2009 The headlines continue to blare across local, regional, and national newspapers: 11 million Fraser River sockeye missing; poor early marine survival blamed.
Raincoast Kids, the Wolfpack, race down the Victoria street.

Raincoast Kids – Run Walk Cheer

  Raincoast is an official pledge charity of the 30th Annual Royal Victoria Marathon, October 11 And your school team could fundraise for Raincoast! This is an interactive program that aims to inspire children and youth interested in Raincoast’s science and conservation initiatives to protect British Columbia’s coast. Become a part of Raincoast and become…
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Grizzly Bear concerns on central coast

Watch video here. Reporting by CTV. Raincoast believes that the most serious threat to coastal grizzly bears, both in the short term and into the future, is the lack of security for salmon.
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Sea lice a drag on their hosts

Biologist suggests the parasites could reduce salmon survival rates By Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist, September 9, 2009 Try swimming in the Pacific Ocean wearing a backpack, and that might hint at difficulties faced by juvenile salmon when sea lice are hitching a ride, according to conservation biologist Michael Price.
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It’s a grizzly situation

Edmonton Sun September 2, 2009 Re: “Alberta mulls ban on grizzly hunt,” (Sun, Aug. 29). It is mystifying Alberta is actually considering lifting the ban on the trophy hunt given the paucity of grizzlies in Alberta.