Volunteer opportunities, April - June 08

There are now opportunities available to work with the research team that has brought the impact of sea lice on BC wild salmon to the fore of public and academic attention. The research, started in 2003, follows the outmigration of young chum and pink fry as they wind their way through the inlets towards the sea and monitors the levels of sea lice parasitizing them. Numerous studies have been published from this work, including the most recent paper published in Science.

After years of work documenting the impact on individual wild salmon, "[t]his study is the first time we've been able to quantify what the impact of sea lice is on the wild population," says Martin Krkošek, the paper's lead author.

The project is continuing in order to follow up on the population and volunteers can join the sampling team. Volunteers will assist researchers in conducting live-samples of juvenile wild pink and chum salmon along migration corridors in Tribune Channel and Knight Inlet close to salmon farms. There is a minimum of a 2-week volunteer period, food and accommodation will be covered, and volunteers will live with the researchers at the Salmon Coast Field Station in remote EchoBay.

Fore more information contact Scott Rogers, Field Station Manager.

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