Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the committee for the opportunity to be here today. As I understand it, my function here is to provide testimony as an ecosystem scientist. I have expertise in integrative ecology and computer simulation modelling with a focus on Canada's west coast.
DFO has an ecosystem science framework. In it, ecosystem science is defined as a broad approach to studying relationships and interactions in the ecosystem, and it integrates science outputs. We prioritize and try to understand the key relationships in nature and their links to human needs and management actions.
Since 2018 I've had the privilege of conducting Ph.D. research at the University of British Columbia's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries. This research is funded in part by DFO. I'm an indentured public servant on education leave. Given my absence from DFO for a prolonged period, please note that I'm not privy to current departmental processes and procedures. I'm appearing today as an individual, not as a DFO spokesperson.
My research is motivated by a mystery—that is, the declines and chronically low rates of marine survival of Pacific salmon in the Salish Sea since the 1970s. Specifically, I've been investigating the possible causes of low marine survival in juvenile coho and chinook salmon. I've developed oceanographic and ecosystem simulation models with the aim of integrating and evaluating a suite of scientific hypotheses. These hypotheses were put forth by the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, a five-year interdisciplinary initiative.
Interdisciplinary work and collaborations between institutions are essential for ecosystem science. The work thus far was made possible through resources and expertise from the global ocean modelling lab led by Professor Villy Christensen, from international collaborators, and from DFO scientists. Support has been provided by the Pacific Salmon Foundation, DFO, UBC, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Ecopath International and by access to Compute Canada's high-performance computing infrastructure.
The work of integrating data and science to investigate the declines in marine survival has been a daunting challenge. As you've heard, certain key hypotheses have emerged. They include increased predator abundances; viruses and pathogens; declines in prey abundance or prey nutritional value; industrial pollutants and contaminants; habitat loss; and various effects related to climate regime shifts and climate change. These are all summarized in a report that was produced last year by scientists leading the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project.
My Ph.D. research is ongoing, and it's not yet through peer review, but I'll do my best to answer questions.
Mr. Chair, with my remaining minute, I should like to emphasize the importance from an ecosystem science perspective of “scoping” science—essentially, the process of arriving at carefully crafted questions. I'd like to quote from a popular text on adaptive management of natural resources:
...the most difficult step is where it's decided on what basic components are to be considered. Perhaps the most important lesson is the value of deliberately looking at the system more broadly and in somewhat more detail than initially appears worthwhile.
Making progress in the field of ecosystem science requires “encompassing intellectual approaches across a spectrum ranging from reductionist to holistic.” It therefore would be supportive of an ecosystem approach to management to “cast a wide net” to include indigenous knowledge, fisher knowledge, local knowledge, citizen science and other valued sources as early in the process as possible. Notably, this is aligned with the SAGE principle of inclusiveness.
To wrap up, casting a wide net is not incompatible with modern ecosystem science and ecological modelling. In fact, it's necessary if we're to make a dent in understanding how these complex socioecological systems work.
Thank you very much.