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Dylan Smyth, MSc Student
Cetacean Conservation Program Associate

Dylan is an aquatic sciences technician with a focus on marine mammal ecology and conservation. After graduating in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science, Dylan spent several years working on various projects involving juvenile salmon survival before switching gears to marine mammals. He loves being on the water, playing with boats, drones, and various other scientific toys. His keen interest, and ear, for marine mammal acoustics has given him the privilege of working with a variety of organizations such as OrcaLab, Ocean Wise, and DFO.

After nearly 10 years of field work up and down British Columbia’s coastline, Dylan is now returning to school to pursue a Masters degree with the University of the Algarve in Portugal. Working closely in collaboration with Raincoast and Simon Fraser University, his research will investigate the effects of anthropogenic noise on southern resident killer whale call type selection.

dylan [at] raincoast [dot] org

Drew wears the coveted Achiever sweater while looking out on the water.
Photo by Alex Harris / Raincoast Conservation Foundation.
Cetacean Conservation Program

Recent articles

A grizzly bear is seen through vegetation.

Ecotourism did not predispose grizzly bears to subsequent conflict

Grizzly bears detected at ecotourism sites are less likely than…

A killer whale splashes down on their side in the expanse of the dark green article.

Confronting bright extinction

With more deaths in 2024 than births, action is needed…

Three wolves stand in the intertidal zone, on rocks covered in seaweed and kelp, looking out onto the water.

Wolves, whales, and water

We have completed our analysis of inbreeding across Resident killer…

Through the hazy orange and yellow light of an underwater river scence, a salmon emerges, looking a little haggard, mouth open.

Rethinking fisheries

Raincoast has long argued that ocean fisheries removing “yields” of…

Shauna Doll and Brooke Gerle put a measuring tape around a giant tree in the rainforest, surrounded by ferns.

Conserving and restoring Coastal Douglas-fir forests

We’re now establishing long term monitoring and sampling protocols, developing…

The Raincoast Fraser River Estuary team stands out in the water during low tide, measuring salmon flow.

Fraser Estuary research and restoration

Raincoast is undertaking a multi-year initiative that began in 2016…

Wolves walk out onto a muddy flat during a low tide, on the central coast, surrounded by giant forests and some eagles or hawks flap in the foreground.

The science and ethics of wolf conservation

Marked by a long history of persecution and astonishing resilience,…

A Grizzly bear stands in the river with a giant salmon in their mouth and paws, water spalshing all about with grass and rocks in the background.

Standing our ground and recognizing a broader horizon

Applied science in its most productive form requires a commitment…