This year’s celebration of science took place in the Beaty Biodiversity Museum. The featured scientist was Dr. Andrew Trites, Professor & Director, Marine Mammal Research Unit, Fisheries Centre at UBC whose research on pinnipeds (Steller sea lions, northern fur seals, and harbor seals) is designed to further the conservation and understanding of marine mammals. In 2007 as part of the Big Blue Project team, he unearthed a blue whale skeleton in PEI. This experience plus his driving passion to resolve conflicts between people and marine mammals are compelling. “I don’t know what questions will raise their heads tomorrow, that’s partly what makes this so interesting”. Find out more about this awesome scientist. A panel of BC science writers highlighted their works and talk about why they love science and how to make science fun for kids.
Featured BC Science Writers
Claire Eamer, author The World in Your Lunch Box, Lizards in the Sky, Spiked Scorpions and Walking Whales and more
Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone, hands-on science writers with over 70 science books including the Dirt Book, Kitchen Science, and Hockey Science
Carol McDougall, creator of Salmon Sky View
Lori Sherritt-Fleming, artist, aRYTHMetic poet
Ashley Spires, illustrator of Scary Science and Blinky the Space Cat books
Paul Zehr, writer of books using superheroes to improve scientific literacy, Becoming Batman and Inventing Iron Man.
Special Tribute to science educator, Gordon Gore and founder of the Big Little Science Center in Kamloops.
Select Articles and Books Available at UBC Library
Wilson, G. (1994). Researcher Andrew Trites takes fat measurement from captive sea lion pups at the Vancouver aquarium. Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library.
Bowles, E., & Trites, A. W. (2013). Faecal DNA amplification in pacific walruses (odobenus rosmarus divergens). Polar Biology, 36(5), 755-759. doi:10.1007/s00300-013-1296-6 [Link]
Benson, A., & Trites, A. (2002). Ecological effects of regime shifts in the Bering sea and Eastern North Pacific ocean. Fish and Fisheries, 3(2), 95-113. doi:10.1046/j.1467-2979.2002.00078.x [Link]
Trites, A. W. (1991). Does tagging and handling affect the growth of northern fur seal pups (callorhinus ursinus)? Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 48(12), 2436-2442. doi:10.1139/f91-285 [Link]
UBC Research Guides