Surf Scoter male CWE logo

Other Projects
Present and Past

Research on Sea Ducks

Over the years, the CWE has conducted several projects on Barrow's Goldeneye, on different topics and in various locations. Kimi Jaatinen, from the University of Helsinki in Finland, is currently studying brood amalgamation in Barrow's Goldeneye in the interior of British Columbia at the Riske Creek Field Station for his PhD thesis. Matt Evans also did his PhD work at Riske Creek, looking at egg parasitism in Barrow's Goldeneye and Bufflehead. Debbie Van der Wetering studied moult in post-breeding male Barrow's Goldeneye in the Yukon for her MSc degree.
group of Barrow's Goldeneye with male landing
Common Eiders resting on sea ice
 Joel Heath is currently working on the energetics of foraging dives of Common Eiders in the polynyas of Hudson's Bay for his PhD project. The CWE has also been involved with a project looking at brood amalgamation in Common Eiders, in cooperation with Dr. Markus Öst, of the University of Helsinki.
Sam Iverson and Debbie LaCroix were pioneers for the CWE on the Surf Scoter frontier, doing studies in the Strait of Georgia. Sam studied scoter recruitment and the spatial organization during the winter in the Strait of Georgia, and Debbie looked at foraging impacts and patterns of wintering Surf Scoters feeding on bay mussels in coastal Strait of Georgia, BC.
Male Surf Scoter
pair of Harlequin Ducks
 The CWE, in cooperation with the CWS, has been studying the behaviour and ecology of Harlequin Ducks for more than a decade, both on the breeding and wintering grounds. Students who studied Harlies for their degree work are: Heidi Regehr, Michael Rodway, and Greg Robertson.