Wildlife Science in the federal government: Western Sandpipers, intertidal biofilm, and ecosystem health in the Fraser River estuary
Location: Beaty Museum Allan Yap Theatre (Basement, 2212 Main Mall). Please check in at front desk on main floor before going downstairs.
No food or drinks allowed in the Theatre.
Time: 12:30pm to 1:20pm
This seminar will not be recorded.
Click here to register for Zoom link. Zoom will be terminated if we encounter tech problems 5 to 10 mins into the seminar.
Talk summary:
This talk will detail ongoing research on Western Sandpipers and their reliance on essential nutrients available on intertidal biofilm, a thin layer of microalgae and other organisms found on surface sediments of intertidal mudflats. It will cover a bit of what life is like working as a research scientist for the Canadian federal government, and the interface between science and policy on conservation and development in one of Canada’s busiest working estuaries.
Bio:
Dr. Mark Drever is a research scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) working on ecology and conservation of coastal birds. He received his PhD from the University of Guelph in 2005 and worked as an NSERC postdoctoral fellow with Kathy Martin in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences at UBC. Since signing on to ECCC in 2010, he has developed a research program on sandpipers using estuaries as migratory stopovers, including their foraging on intertidal microalgae. This program involves shorebird tracking, chemical analyses, and drone technology to look at how coastal mudflats provide essential nutrients for long-distance migration of shorebirds.