backResearcher Profile

Cliff Robinson

Job Title: Marine Ecologist
Employer: Parks Canada
Place of Birth: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
High School attended: Lethbridge Collegiate Institute
Further Education: University of Victoria (B.Sc.), University of Alberta (M.Sc.), University of British Columbia (Ph.D.).
Geographic focus of research: British Columbia, Arctic Canada, Pacific Rim countries

Brief synopsis of current research:
Four major areas of research:
1) Examine key issues related to marine conservation (e.g., representivity, biodiversity, sustainability).
2) Develop remote sensing tools (e.g., satellite imagery analysis, sea bed mapping) to assist in managing and planning of National Marine Conservation Areas in Canada.
3) Conduct basic ecological research into the structure and functioning of coastal marine ecosystems.
4) Examine the impacts of natural and man-made processes on coastal marine ecosystems over different space and time scales (e.g., climate change impacts)

Mailing address:
Parks Canada Agency, 300-300 West Georgia Street, Vancouver BC, V6B 6B4

Recent Publications:

Robinson, C. 2000. The consumption of euphausiids by the pelagic fish community off southwestern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Journal of Plankton Research.

Tomascik, T. Robinson C., Salomon, A. 2000. Ecological benefits of temperate Marine Protected Areas: in search of empirical evidence.SAMPA conference paper.

Robinson C. and D. Ware. 1999. Simulated and observed response of the southwest Vancouver Island pelagic ecosystem to oceanic conditions in the 1990s. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.

Johannes, M., K. Hyatt, and C. Robinson. 1999. The history of resource use in the Kennedy watershed of Clayoquot Sound and the recent development of information and community perspecitvies to guid salmon stock rebuilding.

Shaw, W. and C. Robinson. 1998. Night versus day abundance estimates of zooplankton at two coastal stations in British Columbia. Marine Ecology Progress Series.

Comments:
Believe it or not, but scientists are only slowly becoming aware of the need to examine how organisms interact with each other and their marine environment (ecosystem approach). In addition, marine ecosystems are under an incredible array of threats including man's activities (e.g., commercial fishing, aquaculture, pollution, etc), and natural environmental dynamics. I hope that young Canadians will consider careers in marine science because there is a great need for well-trained, dedicated people to understand marine ecosystems, and to conserve our natural marine heritage for future generations.