Allison Dennert, PhD
Quantitative Salmon Ecologist

Dr. Allison Dennert is the Quantitative Salmon Ecologist on Raincoast’s Wild Salmon Program team. She conducts scientific research and applied conservation initiatives to advance ecologically sustainable salmon management in BC and support the recovery of at-risk populations.

She completed her Doctorate in Biology at Simon Fraser University in the Earth2Ocean Research Group. Her research examines the role of nutrients from spawning Pacific salmon in terrestrial ecosystems, and she is passionate about coastal wildflowers and their pollinators. As a part of her doctoral work she spent several years living and working in Haíɫzaqv Territory in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest, boating to salmon watersheds and whale watching on the way to work. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of British Columbia in Biology, with a specialization in Marine Biology. 

Prior to her work on Pacific salmon, Allison conducted research on the ecology and speciation of other freshwater fishes in the salmon family. She has worked in eelgrass meadows, inland lakes, behind the microscope, and in a herbarium caring for species of marine algae new to science.

She is also passionate about science education, museums, and science fairs. She is a member of the board of directors of the Evans Lake Forest Education Society, a charitable organization that has provided forest education programs to children and youth since 1960.

In her spare time, Allison enjoys gardening, running, hiking, skiing, and camping. She is often distracted on her adventures and spends much of this time excitedly crouched over interesting insects and plants she finds on the ground.

Publications

A.M. Dennert, E. Elle, and J.D. Reynolds. 2023. Experimental addition of marine-derived nutrients affects wildflower traits in a coastal meta-ecosystem. Royal Society Open Science, 10: 221008. DOI

N.F. Rammell*, A.M. Dennert1, C.M. Ernst, and J.D. Reynolds. 2021. Effects of spawning Pacific salmon on terrestrial invertebrates: Insects near spawning habitat are isotopically enriched with nitrogen‐15 but display no differences in body size. Ecology and Evolution​, 11(18): 12728-12738. DOI

L.D. Siemens, A.M. Dennert2, D.S. Obrist, and J.D. Reynolds. 2020. Spawning salmon density influences fruit production of salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis). Ecosphere, 11: e03282. DOI

A.M. Dennert, S.L. May-McNally, M.H. Bond, T.P. Quinn, and E.B. Taylor. 2016. Trophic biology and migratory patterns of sympatric Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) and Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 94: 529-539. DOI

In the news

Stefan Labbé. ‘Smelly work’: B.C. study finds dead salmon make plants grow bigger, Times Colonist, 2023.

SFU Com.s, How salmon feed flowers & flourishing ecosystems: study, SFU News, 2023.

GrrlScientist. How Salmon Feed Wildflowers And Transform Entire Landscapes. Forbes. 2023.

Molly Campbell. Nutrients From Salmon Carcass Feed Flowers. Technology Network Applied Sciences. 2023.

Nancy MacDonald, Months-long drought on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast prompts water ban, climate anxiety, Globe and Mail, 2022.

Recent articles

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Salmon farmers have earned suspicion

by Mike Price Times Colonist August 29, 2009 Raincoast Conservation…

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Coexisting with bears

by Chris Genovali Edmonton Journal August 31, 2009 Re: “Bears…

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Fraser Sockeye: Scale of sea-lice problem?

by Mike Price Globe and Mail, Aug. 19, 2009 Paul…

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Is push to export oil to China worth risk of catastrophic spill?

Edmonton Journal, August 10, 2009 By Chris Genovali, A recent…

Three transient killer whales, visible by their dorsal fins, swim through the Salish Sea, The mountains of the Olympic Peninsula visible in the background.

Of whales and plastic

I had spent the entire day hiking solo around Trutch…

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Way to go Thrifty Foods

Plastics impact the health of our oceans and wildlife. Plastic…

Notes and references

  1. Shared joint first-authorship.
  2. ​Cover image © Allison M. Dennert, Ecosphere (Volume 11, Issue 12)

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