Doors open at 7:00 PM, presenter at 7:30 PM
Trinity Hall, United Church on Duncan Street
Presenter: Dr. Mark Hipfner (ECCC Research Scientist)
Dr. Hipfner has devoted his career to understanding the utility of seabirds as indicators of the health of marine ecosystems on Canada’s Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific coasts to inform conservation planning. The Salish Sea Gull Project is part of an Environment & Climate Change Canada program to monitor marine birds as indicators of the health of the Salish Sea. The Salish Sea is an important wintering area for marine birds and is facing increasing pressure from urbanization, population growth and marine transportation. Along coastal B.C., Glaucous-winged Gulls are abundant, generalist foragers, and they eat similar seafoods as people, making them excellent monitors and indicators of ecosystem health. To date, researchers have banded and sampled over 800 Glaucous-winged Gulls to learn about their health, contaminant levels, habitat use and movements throughout the Salish Sea and beyond.
