About the lab
The Salmon Watersheds Lab (SWL) at Simon Fraser University is a large, collaborative aquatic ecology research lab focused on salmon systems in western Canada. The SWL consists of between 12 and 25 staff and students at any given time, collaborating with more than 40 partner organizations and engaging in research across nine different projects, many of which include fieldwork across British Columbia.
Our Mission
To understand the dynamics of aquatic ecosystems, from headwaters to estuaries, and inform their conservation and management, with a primary focus on salmon systems.
A Peek Into Our Work: Science News
New Paper Alert
Forestry impacts on streamflows and temperatures: a quantitative synthesis of paired catchment studies across the Pacific salmon range
A new study by Sean M. Naman, Kara J. Pitman, Dylan S. Cunningham, Anna Potapova, Shawn M. Chartrand, Matthew R. Sloat, and Jonathan W. Moore found that forestry can greatly impact streamflows and temperatures. However, these effects vary and cannot be reliably predicted by easily measured watershed characteristics.
The study analyzed more than 50 years of paired catchment studies. In these studies, a small area was logged in a specific manner and then compared to an unlogged area across various Pacific salmon habitats in North America.
Photo Credit: TJ Watt
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News and Updates
Oct 8, 2024 - We are recruiting up to two new graduate students to join our lab in 2025! Click here for more information.
Oct 7, 2024 - Welcome to our new Lab Manager, Amaris Hackney!
Sept 14, 2024 - Check out our latest video on YouTube about Jon’s recent trip to the Arctic with scientists from the University of Alaska Fairbanks who are studying beaver expansion into the Arctic region. Watch it here.
August 2nd, 2024 - Curious about how salmon navigate the changing world? Recently, Dr. Jonathan Moore spoke with the Wild Salmon Center to discuss the adaptations and challenges salmon face today. Click here to read what he had to say: https://wildsalmoncenter.org/2024/07/16/salmon-futures-a-conversation-with-dr-jonathan-moore/
July 9, 2024 - We are seeking our next Lab Manager! Do you or someone you know have great organizational skills, an interest in project management, and want to be part of an awesome team? Check out the posting here.
June 14, 2024 - Congratulations to Jonathan Moore and Kara Pitman for their contribution to the Spring/Summer 2024 issue of The Osprey: The International Journal of Salmon and Steelhead Conservation. Their article on page 10 discusses the intricate relationship between gold mining, glacial changes, and the future of salmon populations. Interested in reading the issue? Read or download the PDF here.
May 15, 2024 - New Paper Alert Our latest research has been published in Ecological Solutions and Evidence!. Read the paper here.
May 2, 2024 - New paper alert! Congrats to lab members Sara Cannon, Jonathan Moore, Emma Griggs and Nigel Sainsbury for their new paper Taking care of knowledge, taking care of salmon: towards Indigenous data sovereignty in an era of climate change and cumulative effects. Read the paper here.
March 7, 2024 - Jonathan Moore and Marta Ulaski gave talks at the 9th World Fisheries Congress!
Feb 14, 2024 - Kate McGivney successfully defended her Master's thesis. Congratulations Kate!
Feb 12, 2024 - Kirsten Bradford successfully defended her Master's thesis. Amazing work, Kirsten!
Feb 8, 2024 - Jonathan Moore and Phoebe Gross gave talks at the Estuary Resilience Celebration Symposium hosted by the Nature Trust of BC and Snuneymuxw First Nation.
Feb 3, 2024 - Lab members Phoebe Gross and Wendy Fleming both did an awesome job delivering short talks at the IDEAS 2024 symposium.
Jan 26, 2024 - We're on Instagram! Follow @SalmonWatershedsScience for awesome updates and stunning photos! 📸🐟
Jan 11, 2024 - Congratulations to Postdoc Mike Price for his new paper published in Global Change Biology! Read the paper here.
Dec 15, 2023 - The cat is out of the bag! We are very excited to share the news of the governmental funding supporting our work for the Watershed Futures Initiative. For more information on this announcement, click here.
Nov 27, 2023 - Congratulations to Phoebe Gross, PhD candidate, for her new paper published in Frontiers in Marine Science. Read the paper here.
Nov 23, 2023 - Congratulations to Kara Pitman and Jonathan Moore on their newest paper published in Science! Their research finds that mining companies are staking claims on future salmon habitats as glaciers retreat. Learn more about this important work here.
Oct 17, 2023 - Carmen Gemmell successfully defended her Master's thesis. Nice work, Carmen!
Sept 11, 2023 - Welcome to our new Fieldwork Coordinator, Kei Poon!
Sept 5, 2023 - Julian Gan successfully defended his Master's thesis. Congratulations Julian!
August 23, 2023 - Sara Tremblay-Boyer successfully defended her Master's thesis. Congratulations Sara!
August 18, 2023 - Brittany Milner successfully defended her Master's thesis. Congratulations Britt! Brittany will continue working with the lab as a Ph.D. student.
August 13, 2023 - After being interviewed on CBC's What on Earth, our Estuary Resilience project was also featured on CBC News! Congrats to Phoebe and all the other wonderful lab members who supported this project!