Area of Expertise:
Mr. Herunter is a fisheries biologist who has worked on both freshwater and marine habitat issues. Past research was directed towards determining whether forest practices regulations in the province of B.C. sufficiently protected fish habitat. He participated in sockeye spawning stream and small tributary stream studies in both the Stuart-Takla and Prince George fish–forestry interaction programs.
Some of his research activities are focused on the impacts of coastal development on invertebrate and fish habitat. Studies include assessments of small craft harbours, investigation of various harbour substrates on invertebrate settling rate, and techniques to assess marine log handling areas.
He is currently (2019) working on the Log handling area project:
- Log handling areas, also known as log dumps, are foreshore locations where harvested timber enters the water for sorting, booming and transport. Dislodged bark and whole logs can sink to smother the sea floor, interrupting natural aerobic processes and altering biota; recovery can be very slow. Sonar technologies may allow the delineatation of the area and the depositional thickness of wood debris. Results inform best management practices for recovery and remediation, and improve site selection regulations.
Select Presentation(s) / Publication(s):
Herunter, Herb and Macdonald, Steve, “Is natural recovery occurring at historic log storage sites in Howe Sound?” (2018). Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. 570.
https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2018ssec/allsessions/570
