The proposed research project aims to develop a method for estimating sound speed profiles in underwater environments. By utilizing pulse-echo acoustic techniques, we can accurately determine the sound speed, which is crucial for various applications such as ocean acoustic studies. The expected benefits to our partner organization include improved underwater acoustic measurements, enhanced mapping of oceanic features, and better management of fisheries.

Via a collaborative research project with the Dandzen Development Ltd. Partnership, we seek to improve conservation of ts’emen (sockeye) and jâs (Chinook) salmon along the Fraser and Chilko Rivers. The Gwets’en Nilt’i Pathway Agreement between the T?ilhqot’in Nations, the Government of Canada, and the Government of BC only considers the input from the T?ilhqot’in on salmon management when they are within T?ilhqot’in territory, although salmon spend most of their lives migrating between freshwater spawning grounds and the Pacific Ocean.

Since the end of whaling, the population of humpback whales feeding in the Canadian Pacific waters has
been steadily increasing. As generalist feeders, these large cetaceans aggregate near the coast of British
Columbia to feed on krill, Pacific herring, and other schooling fish. Yet, the consumption of prey by humpback
whales in Canadian Pacific waters has not been estimated. The aim of this research is to quantify how much of
each prey population the humpback whale population consumes from the Strait of Georgia.

Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is rapidly emerging as a potential technique to mitigate against the worst impacts of climate change. However, little is known regarding the potential biological and ecological impacts of introducing alkaline base into the coastal ocean to capture CO2, reversing ocean acidification in the process. Specifically, it remains unclear whether the phytoplankton community are impacted by chemical changes induced by OAE. Recently, the National Research Council (NRC) in collaboration with Dalhousie University (Dr.

We will test the hypothesis that southern resident killer whales have been endangered since the late 1800s when mining, logging, dams, pollution, and water diversion destroyed the Chinook populations that returned in the millions to Oregon and California. We will estimate historic run sizes of Chinook salmon available to northern and southern resident killer whales based on catch records and the numbers of cans of Chinook processed at canneries (from California to BC during the 1800s).

Remote sensing technologies have changed the way we are able to map and understand our planet. For ocean floor mapping, acoustic remote sensing technologies are the only effective methods for broadscale mapping of the seabed. Acoustic mapping technologies have advanced tremendously over the past two decades, and continue to improve, offering increasingly higher data resolution through more cost-effective field acquisition approaches.

Sea cucumber is part of the Inuit traditional diet in certain regions of the Canadian Arctic. Both sea cucumber andclosely related sea urchins are among the favourite foods in the Arctic. Currently, there is currently no commercialfishery for sea cucumber or sea urchin anywhere in the Arctic, whereas harvests from the North Atlantic areprimarily exported to Asia as luxury seafood.

Climate change is driving a transformation of the Arctic. An increased interest in the natural resources and strategic location of the region is bringing with it higher levels of underwater noise. Military sonar has been linked to the disruption of foraging and communication, and even the death of whales. However, we know very little about the impacts of military sonar on Arctic whale species. This constrains the ability of regulators to effectively manage sonar activities.

Preclinical testing is used as a method to guarantee the safety of new drug in humans. One of the parameters to measure during preclinical testing is the toxicity. The toxicity is an indicator of the amount of dose that can damage a living organism. The idea of this project is to measure the diffusion of the test drug at different dose concentrations to determine the aggregation limit. This method is cheaper and avoids the use of animal testing.

Marine mammals are some of the most contaminated animals in the world. Pollutants work their way up the food chain and cause a number of health issues in predator species like killer whales. This is because any pollution present in their food is passed on to them which continues to increase over their lifespan as they continue to eat contaminated food. Two contaminants that need to be further studied in order to protect aquatic wildlife are microplastics that result from plastic breaking down and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that result from oil spills.