Misty MacDuffee

Biologist & Program Director, Wild Salmon Program

Misty MacDuffee is a conservation biologist with a focus on fisheries ecology in salmon ecosystems. For the past 15 years, she has undertaken various types of field, laboratory, technical and conservation assessments in the salmon-bearing watersheds of the BC coast. She has a particular interest in the role of salmon as critical food sources for wildlife and incorporating their needs into salmon management decisions. The application of her work is to implement ecosystem considerations in fisheries management. This often requires engagement with management, dialogue and stakeholder forums that affect fisheries and wildlife policy.

@Duffling

Misty MacDuffee in the Fraser River estuary.

Scientific Published Papers

Chalifour, L., D.C. Scott, M. MacDuffee, S. Stark, J.F. Dower, T.D. Beacham, T.G. Martin, and J.K. Baum. 2020. Chinook salmon exhibit long-term rearing and early marine growth in the Fraser River, B.C., a large urban estuary. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science DOI: 10.1139/cjfas-2020-0247

Chalifour, L., D.C. Scott, M. MacDuffee, J.C. Iacarella, T.G. Martin and J.K. Baum. 2019. Habitat selectivity by juvenile salmon, resident and migratory species underscores the importance of estuarine habitat mosaics. Mar Ecol Prog Ser Vol. 625: 145–162, 2019 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13064

Kehoe, L.J., J.Lund, L. Chalifour, J.M. Casey, B. Connors, N. Cryer, M.C. Drever, C. Levings, M. MacDuffee, H. McGregor, D.C. Scott, R.G. Vennesland, C.E. Wilkinson, P. Zevit, J.K. Baum and T.G. Martin. in press. Prioritizing conservation action in a highly contested socio-ecological system.

Gayeski, Nick, Misty MacDuffee, and Jack A. Stanford. 2018. Criteria for a Good Catch: A Conceptual Framework to Guide Sourcing of Sustainable Salmon Fisheries. Facets. 3: 300–314. https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2016-0078

Lacy, Robert C., R. Williams, E. Ashe, K.C. Balcomb III, L.J. N. Brent, C.W. Clark, D.P. Croft, D.A. Giles, M. MacDuffee and P.C. Paquet. 2017. Evaluating anthropogenic threats to endangered killer whales to inform effective recovery plans. Scientific Reports. 7, Article number: 14119 doi:10.1038/s41598-017-14471-0

Michael H.H. Price, K.K. English, A.G. Rosenberger, M. MacDuffee, and J.D. Reynolds. 2017. Canada’s Wild Salmon Policy: an assessment of conservation progress in British Columbia. Can J. Fish & Aquatic Sci. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2017-0127

Jarvela Rosenberger, A.L., M.MacDuffee, A.G. J. Rosenberger and Peter S. Ross. 2017. Oil Spills and Marine Mammals in British Columbia, Canada: Development and Application of a Risk-Based Conceptual Framework. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 73: 131. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-017-0408-7

Darimont, C.T., K. Artelle, H. Bryan, C. Genovali, M. MacDuffee, and P.C. Paquet. 2013. Brown bears, salmon, people: Traveling upstream to a sustainable future. Chapter 14 in Bear Necessities: Rescue, Rehab, Sanctuary and Advocacy. Lisa Kemmerer ed. Brill Press. Boston

Christensen, J.R., M.B. Yunker, M. MacDuffee and P.S. Ross. 2013. Plant consumption by grizzly bears reduces biomagnification of salmon-derived PCBs, PBDEs, and organochlorine pesticides. Env.Tox. Chem. 02/2013

Levi T., C.T. Darimont, M. MacDuffee, M. Mangel, P. Paquet, C.C Wilmers. 2012. Using Grizzly Bears to Assess Harvest-Ecosystem Tradeoffs in Salmon Fisheries. PLoS Biol 10(4)

Darimont, C.T., Bryan, H.M., Carlson, S.M., Hocking, M.D., MacDuffee, M., Paquet, P.C., Price, M.H.H., Reimchen, T.E., Reynolds, J.D., and Wilmers, C.C. 2010. Salmon for terrestrial protected areas. Conservation Letters. 3(6): 379–389

MacDuffee, M. and E. MacIsaac (eds). 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, October 2008. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. No. 2847

Price, M.H., C.T. Darimont, N.F. Temple and M. MacDuffee. 2008. Ghost Runs: Management and status assessment of Pacific salmon returning to British Columbia’s central and north coasts. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. Vol 65, No 12, pp. 2712-2718(7)

Christensen, J.R., MacDuffee, M., Yunker, M.B., and Ross, P.S. 2007. Hibernation associated changes in persistent organic pollutants (POP) levels and patterns in British Columbia grizzly bears. Environ.Sci.Technol. 41: 1834 – 1840;

Christensen, J.R., MacDuffee, M., MacDonald, R.W., Whiticar, M. and Ross, P.S. 2005. Persistent Organic Pollutants in British Columbia’s Grizzly Bears: Consequence of Divergent Diet. Environ. Sci. Technol. 39: 6952-6960

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Steelhead salmon underwater in a river.

Anglers and conservation groups make joint call for listing of endangered Interior Fraser River steelhead under Canada’s Species at Risk Act

Raincoast Updates
Endangered Interior Fraser River steelhead were the object of a scandal in 2018 when bureaucrats at Fisheries and Oceans Canada unilaterally altered the conclusions of a multi-author scientific report the federal cabinet relied on in their controversial decision not to protect Fraser River steelhead under SARA. This action by DFO came to light in an FOI that was reported on by the Narwhal in 2021.
Aerial view of a Fraser Estuary breach and two tiny little humans standing below on the side of the water.

100 years later: Reconnecting the Fraser River with its estuary

Tracking Raincoast
As we move into 2022, our Fraser River Estuary restoration efforts move towards the next target, the North Arm jetty. In late 2021, we finished our Coastal Restoration Fund project, a five year multi-million dollar initiative to restore connectivity between the main arm of the Fraser River and the marsh on Lulu Island’s Sturgeon Bank….