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

Recent articles

A wolf is seen via trail cam imagery as they stop to poop.

What does a wolf eat in a year?

What does a wolf eat over the course of a…

A killer whale just before breaking the surface tension of the water.

Uncovering the causes of degraded fish and whale habitat 

These are not just stories about chemistry, numbers, and water…

2 people planting trees in front of the "Restoration work in progress" sign.

Communities for Coastal Douglas-fir habitats

Restoring and stewarding the coastal forest ecosystems we call home.

A group of 7 people sit/stand in a circle aboard Achiever.

Educating on land and at sea

Engaging youth through land- and sea-based exploration, learning and conservation.

A male chum salmon lurking in the estuary of a stream.

Climate resilience for salmon habitat

Drones, snorkel surveys, and how the drivers of severe wildfire…

Tiny salmon fry swim around in the dark waters of a central coast stream.

Long may they run

Fighting to rebuild the resilience of BC’s wild salmon.

The Raincoast Wild Salmon team wades into the waters of the Fraser River Estuary to work on restoration.

Habitat restoration and salmon research

Restoring vital habitat for salmon in the Fraser River estuary.

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