Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Set for April 13-15 in Vancouver, BC

The 2016 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference will be held April 13-15 at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference will assemble more than 1100 scientists, First Nations and tribal government representatives, federal, state and provincial officials, community/business leaders, policy analysts, educators and students to present the latest scientific research on the state of the ecosystem. Through dialogue and shared research, the conference will emphasize the importance of Canada-U.S. collaboration among leading scientists and policymakers to solve complex environmental issues that span the cross border ecosystem.

The conference will feature several prominent keynote speakers, more than 450 science presentations, over 150 poster demonstrations, workshops, opportunities for informal networking, and related off-program events. Conference topics will include pollution, habitat destruction, safe seafoods for aboriginal communities, endangered species, and a large focus on the two key areas of ocean acidification and global climate change.

Roberta Bondar, Canada’s first female astronaut and first neurologist in space, will be the opening keynote speaker of the Conference on April 13. The keynote is part of the Welcome and Opening event scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m., sponsored by Vulcan Inc., a Paul G. Allen Company.  Conference organizers also announced the inaugural Billy Frank, Jr. Plenary on April 15, which will feature key perspectives on the Salish Sea from First Nations and Tribal leaders.

Sponsors for the event include the following: Western Washington University; King County; the Pacific Salmon Foundation; Vulcan Inc., a Paul G. Allen Company; Port Metro Vancouver; the Kongsgaard-Goldman Foundation; University of Washington’s College of the Environment; Washington Sea Grant; Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre; Bellingham Cold Storage; British Columbia Ministry of Environment; Western’s Huxley College of Environment; Taylor Shellfish Farms; the Association of Professional Biology; Contech Engineered Solutions; the Environmental Professional Program at Portland State University; Environmental Science Associates; the Greer/Solien Fund; Janice Huseby; the Port of Seattle; The SeaDoc Society; and Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd.

The conference features a traditional Tribal-First Nations dinner and performance, and a reception at the acclaimed Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre.

For more information about the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference, please visit the conference website at www.wwu.edu/salishseaconference/ or contact Chuck Hart at SSEC2016@wwu.edu.