Salmonid populations are increasingly challenged by interruptions in watershed connectivity, and limited access to critical habitat. For spawning and rearing, salmonids require diverse habitat features, including gravel beds and large streamwood. However, many watersheds are deficient in large streamwood and gravel, in part due to dam structures limiting downstream transport. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate whether gravel and large streamwood deficiencies are occurring in the lower Seymour River (River) downstream the dam.

The project is to enhance the stability of the detachable solar tile panel connector in terms of conductivity and waterproof ability. The student will investigate other applications such as solar tiles for roof mounted applications and the current designs and prototypes developed by Square Solar. They will also develop a set of design requirements that the connectors must meet taking into account requirements from applicable Canadian standards. The research will also develop designs to meet the optimum size, thickness, and materials for the solar tile connectors for practical production.

Tidal marshes are essential ecosystems both economically and ecologically. They provide many natural resources, such as filtering pollutants from water and providing flood protection. However, since the 1980s, we have lost about 80% of the world’s wetlands including many tidal marshes. This internship aims to identify the role of goose herbivory on marsh vegetation as well as to identify the best way to mitigate impacts of goose herbivory on marsh vegetation.

This project aims to explore the application of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS, aka drones) to assess forest health, explore early identification of disease and infestation and provide quantitative post-harvest analysis. The use of drones for this type of assessment has the potential to improve the overall picture of forest health, aid in decision-making regarding preferential harvesting of trees, and measurably increase profits by identifying marketable timber products post-harvest.

The proposed project aims to define and apply a set of AI rules based on customer sentiment, loyalty and purchase behavioral data using data from Drive CX customer experience management platform. The rules would generate “hyper-personalized” marketing offers that result in measurable increases in loyalty and Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV).

Estuaries are important ecosystems which provide us with many benefits, some of which include storing carbon, dampening the impacts of rising sea levels, and are areas of high biodiversity. The Fraser River estuary in the lower mainland of British Columbia is seeing alteration from human presence, including the introduction of invasive species. One invasive species of interest is the European Cattail (Typha angustifolia) and its hybrid TyphaXGlauca.

This research focuses on creating and implementing a sampling methodology to collect information on vegetation communities and soils along the Lulu Island foreshore in Steveston, BC. This information will be used to examine how the plant communities of natural marsh areas in this area change based on certain environmental parameters (e.g. elevation, salinity, tidal inundation) and how foreshore marsh areas may be impacted by sea level rise.

This project assesses the feasibility of using drones to inspect aircraft for surface damage and defects such cracks, fractures or dents. The intern will first carryout a comprehensive literature review and environmental scan of the existing technology. He will then assist in developing and conducting a series of physical tests to determine the best camera parameters, drone flight pattern, image format and proximity sensor performance. The results of these tests will be used to program a commercially available drone to carryout an automated image acquisition flight.

I will be focusing my study on a small tidal marsh called Frenchies Island within the South Arm Marshes of the Fraser River, which has become overrun with an invasive species of cattail. Frenchies, like many tidal marsh islands has had a dike constructed around its perimeter and has therefore been cut off from the natural incoming of water from the tidal cycle, as well as from high flows of the Fraser river.

The intern will be conducting surveys of breeding waterfowl at nine wetlands previously restored by Ducks Unlimited Canada. Wetlands provide abundant ecosystem services and are threatened by modification from environmentally damaging human activities that have reduced their quantity and function. Waterfowl are highly dependent on wetlands for many stages of their lifecycle and Ducks Unlimited Canada helps waterfowl by restoring wetlands.