Area of Expertise:
Christopher Pearce is a Research Scientist at the DFO’s Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo. His research interests include:
- aquaculture of marine invertebrates including abalone, clams, cockles, oysters, sea cucumbers, and sea urchins;
- integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA);
- invasive tunicates;
- ecosystem and aquaculture interactions;
- ecology of sea urchins and abalone; and
- settlement and metamorphosis of benthic marine invertebrate larvae with special emphasis on biochemical/physical mechanisms of metamorphic induction.
Christopher’s research projects include:
- factors driving summer mortality in Pacific oysters;
- microplastics in shellfish and their environment;
- crayfish weed remediation and aquaculture; and
- sea urchin aquaculture.
In a current (2019) 3-year project, Chris is monitoring environmental parameters (temperature, salinity, various ocean acidification variables, phytoplankton, and zooplankton), oyster reproductive state, bacterial load, and oyster survival at multiple intertidal and deep-water oyster farming sites weekly (May – September) within Baynes Sound and will statistically evaluate the importance of each of these factors in driving oyster mortality events. Project link: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/rp-pr/acrdp-pcrda/projects-projets/17-1-P-05-eng.html
Select Presentation(s) / Publication(s):
Dudas, Sarah; Covernton, Garth; Miller, Matthew R.; Pearce, Chris; Gurney-Smith, Helen; Dower, John, “Does habitat influence bivalve microplastic concentration?” (2018). Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference.404. https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2018ssec/allsessions/404/