Area of Expertise:
Dr. Helen Jane Gurney-Smith is a Research Scientist in the Biological Effects Section in the Coastal Ecosystems Science Division in Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Her research focuses on the biological effects of climate change on marine organisms and ecosystems. She is currently active in both the Atlantic and Pacific, working with lobsters, shellfish and plankton species.
Dr. Gurney-Smith does research that looks at how different types of climate change (such as ocean acidification) affect animals, which are important either commercially, socially or ecologically (for example lobsters, shellfish, and those which are food for other animals). She does investigations of how animals will respond to ocean conditions that we may have in Canada in the future, and if they will be able to live in this new environment.
This is important for understanding climate change and Canada’s oceans because:
This helps us understand what may change in the future – will we see more or less shellfish or lobsters? That information is then used to assist in the development of climate-informed management practices.
Select Presentation(s) / Publication(s):
Gurney-Smith, Helen; Mohns, Kayla; Smith, Caitlin; Brown, Tamara; Collicutt, Brenna; Haegert, Anne; and Evans, Wiley, “The story so far: an in situ pairing of chemical oceanography and physiology” (2018). Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. 176. https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2018ssec/allsessions/176
Evans, Wiley & Pocock, Katie & Hare, Alex & Weekes, Carrie & Hales, Burke & Jackson, Jennifer & Gurney-Smith, Helen & T. Mathis, Jeremy & Alin, Simone & Feely, Richard. (2019). Marine CO2 Patterns in the Northern Salish Sea. Frontiers in Marine Science. 5. 10.3389/fmars.2018.00536.
Gurney-Smith, Helen & Joy Wade, A & Abbott, Cathryn. (2016). Species composition and genetic diversity of farmed mussels in British Columbia, Canada. Aquaculture. 466. 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2016.08.038.
Evans, Wiley; Hunt, Brian P. V.; Jackson, Jennifer M.; Hare, Alex A.; Gurney-Smith, Helen; Mathis, Jeremy T.; Hales, Burke; ” Tracking marine carbonate system variability in the northern Salish Sea” (2016). Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. 19. https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2016ssec/climate_change_ocean_acidification/19/
