Svetlana Esenkulova

Address
Biologist
Pacific Salmon Foundation

Email: sesenkulova@psf.ca

Research area(s):

  • Juvenile salmon
  • Plankton

Area of Expertise:

Svetlana Esenkulova worked with Nicky Haigh at the Harmful Algae Monitoring Program from 2010 to 2014. In 2014 she joined the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project (SSMSP), where she is looking into potential effects of harmful algae on juvenile salmon survival in the Strait. In addition, as part of the Citizen Science Program, she is researching relationships between harmful algae occurrences in the Strait and environmental factors such as nutrients, temperature, salinity, and water stability. Updates and results of the Citizen Science phytoplankton component can be found on facebook.

SSMSP projects involved in:

  • Citizen Science Program: this project focused on have a fleet of citizen scientists collect physical, chemical and biological oceanographic data for the Strait of Georgia at a spatial and temporal level not realized before.
  • Cohort Analysis and Marine Growth: this project focused directly on assessing the bottom-up and physiological factors limiting the recruitment of Chinook Salmon and Coho Salmon during their early marine life in the Strait of Georgia.
  • Harmful Algae in Cowichan Bay: This program began with a pilot study in Cowichan Bay in 2014 and later moved to the full Strait of Georgia. Citizen scientists collected phytoplankton samples and lab studies asses the conditions that promote development of harmful toxins.

Select Presentation(s) / Publication(s):

Esenkulova, Svetlana; Suchy, Karyn; Perry, Ian; Young, Kelly; Costa, Maycira; Flagg, Ryan; Galbraith, Moira; and Pearsall, Isobel, “Seasonal dynamics of oceanographic conditions, phytoplankton, and zooplankton in the Malaspina Strait, Strait of Georgia” (2018). Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. 376. https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2018ssec/allsessions/376

Esenkulova, Svetlana and Pearsall, Isobel, “Harmful algae in the Strait of Georgia, citizen science data” (2018). Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. 49. https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2018ssec/allsessions/49

Esenkulova, Svetlana and Neville, Chrys, ” Effects of phytoplankton blooms on juvenile salmon in Cowichan Bay in 2014 and 2015″ (2016). Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. 106. https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2016ssec/species_food_webs/106/

Nutrients, the phytoplankton community and harmful algae in the Salish Sea. Esenkulova, Pawlowicz, Pearsall. In Chandler, P.C., King, S.A., and Boldt, J. (Eds.). 2018. State of the physical, biological and selected fishery resources of Pacific Canadian marine ecosystems in 2017. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3266. http://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/40717914.pdf

The phytoplankton community in the Salish Sea. Esenkulova, Pearsall. In Chandler, P.C., King, S.A., and Boldt, J., (Eds.), State of the physical, biological and selected fishery resources of Pacific Canadian marine ecosystems in 2016.Can.Tech.Rep.Fish.Aquat.Sci. 179-182. http://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/40617944.pdf

Ecology of Alexandrium spp. in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada 2015. Esenkulova, Pearsall, Novak, 2017: Harmful Algae News 56, 7-8. http://www.e-pages.dk/ku/1276/

Observations of Heterosigma akashiwo bloom and associated wild salmon lethargic behavior in Cowichan Bay, Canada, 2014. Esenkulova, Luinenburg, Neville, Trudel, 2014.  Harmful Algae News 50, 16-18. http://www.e-pages.dk/ku/1086/

Esenkulova, S., Suchy, K.D., Pawlowicz, R., Costa, M. and Pearsall, I.A., 2021. Harmful Algae and Oceanographic Conditions in the Strait of Georgia, Canada Based on Citizen Science Monitoring. Frontiers in Marine Science, p.1193.

Request an edit to my listing