Melissa Evans

Address
Program Manager/Biologist
British Columbia Conservation Foundation
7217 Lantzville Road
Lantzville, BC
Canada V0R 2H0

Phone: 250-390-2525 ext. 225

Email: mevans@bccf.com

Research area(s):

  • Ecological restoration
  • Fisheries science and management
  • Genetic research

Area of Expertise:

Melissa is a broadly trained biologist with over 15 years of experience working in academia, with government, and with First Nations/Tribes. Her expertise lie in evolutionary ecology, genetics, and the application of genetic tools to fisheries research and management projects. In recent years, Melissa has collaborated with researchers and resource managers at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Université Laval, Oregon State University, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes on evaluations of reintroduction programs for at-risk salmon and steelhead populations.

Melissa has also conducted population and evolutionary genetic research on Chinook salmon and lake and European whitefish and investigated links between hatchery rearing, juvenile performance, and genomic variation in salmon. She is passionate about research and its application to natural resource management and has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and technical reports.

Melissa joined BCCF in 2018 and currently manages its Cowichan River restoration efforts funded by Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Coastal Restoration Fund and the Recreation Fisheries Conservation Partnerships Program, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, and the Pacific Salmon Foundation.

Select Presentation(s) / Publication(s):

Evans, Melissa & Johnson, Marc & Jacobson, Dave & J Wang, Jinliang & Hogansen, Michael & O’Malley, Kathleen. (2015). Evaluating a multi-generational reintroduction program for threatened salmon using genetic parentage analysis. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 73. 10.1139/cjfas-2015-0317.

Evans, Melissa & J. Shry, Samuel & Jacobson, Dave & Sard, Nick & O’Malley, Kathleen. (2015). Functional gene diversity and migration timing in reintroduced Chinook salmon. Conservation Genetics. 16. 10.1007/s10592-015-0753-x.

Evans, Melissa & Hori, Tiago & L Rise, Matthew & Fleming, Ian. (2015). Transcriptomic Responses of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) to Environmental Enrichment during Juvenile Rearing. PloS one. 10. e0118378. 10.1371/journal.pone.0118378.

Evans, Melissa & D. Heath, Daniel & D. Neff, Bryan. (2012). Behavioural and genetic analyses of mate choice and reproductive success in two Chinook salmon populations. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 70. 263-270. 10.1139/cjfas-2012-0415.

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