Stewarding the Sound: The Challenge of Managing Sensitive Coastal Ecosystems

Stewarding the Sound uses different perspectives to build awareness of the wealth and fragility of this ecosystem by balancing economic and social needs with conservation. This book, the first ever compilation of the ecological importance of the Sound, demonstrates the cumulative stresses that are now occurring within the Sound and the impact that these stresses are having on the ecosystem. This contributed volume will provide the means of reaching a wide audience to spread awareness of how ecologically important this region is and that it requires a sound management plan so that its ecosystem and the services that ecosystem provides are not compromised.

Dr. Bendell is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science. She has for the past 30 years studied how anthropogenic impacts alter ecosystem structure and function and the consequences of such impacts on ecosystem and human health. Her research has taken her to the Albertan Tar Sands, the mines of Indonesia, the freshwater lakes and wetlands of Ontario and the intertidal regions of coastal British Columbia. She teaches Ecotoxicology and Biology and tries to instill in her students a sense of urgency as to why we must all work together to mend our planet.

Dr. Patricia Gallaugher is an adjunct professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Founder and former director of the Centre for Coastal Studies and Management and of the Speaker for the Salmon programs in the Faculty of Environment; over the past 25 years she has conducted community engagement programs and research focussed on seeking solutions for sustainability and ocean conservation coast-wide in British Columbia. She is the recipient of the Roderick Haig Brown Award for Conservation and the Murray Newman Award for Excellence in Aquatic Conservation and Research.

Shelley McKeachie graduated from the Simon Fraser University Professional Development Program in 1977 followed by a career as an educator for 30 years. She became a Project Wild facilitator and taught both teachers and students about the importance of the natural world. Shelley is a founding member, past chair and director of the Association for Denman Island Marine Stewards (ADIMS), working for 18 years to raise awareness of the importance of responsible management and protection of the marine environment.

Laurie Wood is the Manager of Community Engagement and Research Initiatives for the Faculty of Environment at Simon Fraser University. For over two decades, she has organized multi-sectoral dialogues with an aim to link science and local knowledge to inform conservation management and practice. This has involved fostering and managing relationships among a diverse group of partners including students, faculty, and representatives from First Nations, government, industry, and community groups.