Nature NL Talks: Atlantic Salmon Conservation in St John’s
Thursday, September 15, 7:30 pm
MUN Science Building, room SN 2067
Brittany Palm-Flawd
PhD Candidate at Memorial University
Atlantic salmon historically ran in the rivers of St. John’s, but have been locally extinct for over a hundred years. In 2012, a local not-for-profit group, the Salmonid Association of Eastern Newfoundland (SAEN), took on the challenge of bringing wild Atlantic salmon back to the Rennies River by restoring river habitats and planting fertilized eggs. In 2014, Brittany joined the research team to aid the re-introduction projects and collect information to help improve egg hatching.
For the past two years, she has conducted analysis of egg yolk quality, offspring viability, and juvenile growth to determine which aspect produces the most competitive offspring. She has also conducted habitat and fishing surveys in St. John’s to quantify which habitat characteristics enhance egg hatching and provide the best conditions for developing salmon. These research results will help improve salmon growth and survival and focus re-introduction efforts.
Brittany grew up on Long Island, New York and spent her summers surf-casting for striped bass on Montauk Point. She attended the University of New England to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology. In 2009, she became a fisheries biologist for the National Marine Fisheries Service in the Gulf of Mexico and completed her Master’s degree in Marine Science. In 2014, she became a United States Fulbright Scholar and traveled to Ireland to work on Atlantic salmon, while simultaneously beginning her PhD degree at Memorial University.
Newfoundland & Labrador Environment Network 