Announcing the Raincoast Ocean Science Awards winners, 2024
Honouring leaders committed to excellence in marine science research and conservation.
We are excited to announce the 2024 Raincoast Ocean Science Award winners. These awards celebrate outstanding achievements by individuals and organizations striving to protect marine habitats through science, Indigenous Knowledge systems, and public engagement.
Big congratulations to this year’s Raincoast Ocean Science Awards awardees! We are honoured to present the four finalists:
- Oceans Initiative: The Newman Award for Excellence in Conservation and Research
- Eric Peterson and Christina Munck: The North Award for Lifetime Contribution to Ocean Conservation
- Zoe Penno: The Raincoast Student Award
- Southern Gulf Islands Whale Sighting Network: The Nightingale Bursary in Ocean Engagement
The Newman Award for Excellence in Conservation and Research
Oceans Initiative
Oceans Initiative is the 2024 winner of the Newman Award for Excellence in Conservation. Oceans Initiative is a global conservation and research organization based in the heart of the Pacific Northwest.
Founded by conservation scientists Drs. Erin Ashe and Rob Williams, Oceans Initiative is dedicated to the preservation of marine life and ecosystems by delivering innovative scientific solutions to conserve marine biodiversity and nurture resilience in the face of climate change and other human threats.
Touching all seven continents, Oceans Initiative’s science has advanced our knowledge in key marine conservation areas, including biodiversity assessments, marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, ocean noise, deep-sea mining, and preventing extinction of endangered species. They are best known for their long-running studies of two of British Columbia’s most iconic marine predators: Southern Resident killer whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins.
The North Award for Lifetime Contribution to Ocean Conservation
Eric Peterson and Christina Munck
Eric Peterson and Christina Munck are the 2024 recipients of the North Award for Lifetime Contribution to Ocean Conservation.
Christina and Eric have worked together since 1976—almost 50 years. Their shared interests and opportunities took them through Boston, Montreal, and Toronto for science and to southwestern Ontario, where they lived for many years. Eric became a successful tech entrepreneur and, in late 2001, they sold the enterprise and used the proceeds to create the Tula Foundation.
Christina and Eric have always been coastal people at heart, so it was natural that they eventually moved to Quadra Island. In the early years, Eric focused on Tula’s work in Guatemala, while Christina laid the groundwork in conservation and coastal science that would eventually become the Hakai mission. They traveled extensively along the coast in their boat, exploring areas from Puget Sound to Glacier Bay, including Haida Gwaii—places Eric knew from his upbringing and previous work.
By 2009, Christina and Eric were searching for a definitive mission that would combine their interests in science and conservation. They knew all about Calvert Island and the Hakai Beach Resort, where they had even stayed as guests. When they learned that the owners were looking to sell the property, they immediately seized the opportunity, knowing it would be a lifelong commitment.
Christina and Eric now work full-time for the Hakai Institute. They are sustained by their natural partnership and the inspiration they draw from their wonderful employees and many partners and collaborators.
The Raincoast Student Award
Zoe Penno
Zoe Penno is the 2024 winner of the The Raincoast Student Award, which recognizes outstanding conservation research undertaken by graduate students.
Zoe is a master’s student in Biology at the University of Victoria, where she studies the connection between marine and terrestrial ecosystems through the lens of predator activity in intertidal zones. Her research focuses on how large terrestrial mammals, like black bears and wolves, forage in these coastal ecosystems and contribute to the transfer of marine nutrients to land. Using a network of remote cameras, Zoe’s work captures the intricate dynamics of predator-prey relationships and cross-ecosystem connectivity.
Zoe’s interest in wildlife ecology was nurtured during her undergraduate studies at the University of Calgary, where she conducted research on plant community diversity and aquatic ecosystem health. Her passion for fieldwork and ecosystem conservation took her across British Columbia, from the dense forests to the coastal waters, where she has worked with organizations such as Raincoast Conservation Foundation and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Zoe is particularly driven to integrate Indigenous knowledge into her research practices, recognizing the importance of collaboration with local communities in understanding and protecting biodiversity. When she’s not in the field, Zoe can be found hiking the rugged landscapes of Vancouver Island or finding a new excuse to travel.
The Nightingale Bursary in Ocean Engagement
Southern Gulf Islands Whale Sighting Network
The Southern Gulf Islands Whale Sighting Network is the winner of the 2024 Nightingale Bursary in Ocean Engagement, for its inspiring efforts to turn local whale monitoring into a powerful platform for public education, advocacy, and conservation action in the Salish Sea. Through public engagement, partnerships, and outreach to government, non-governmental organizations, and industry, SGIWSN exemplifies how community-led science can catalyze meaningful conservation efforts.
As a volunteer-led citizen science organization, SGIWSN’s work goes beyond its land-based monitoring of whale movements around Saturna, Pender, and Mayne Islands. Their data serves as a foundation for much more than scientific understanding; it drives engagement with policymakers, the public, and the marine transportation sector, raising awareness and promoting tangible conservation actions.
A standout example of SGIWSN’s outreach is the Critical Distance virtual reality presentation which vividly illustrates the impact of vessel noise on marine life. Shared with decision-makers and audiences across Canada, Critical Distance has brought a visceral awareness of ocean noise challenges directly to policymakers,, including members of Canada’s parliament, elevating public and political commitment to marine conservation.
SGIWSN’s dedication to public engagement also extends to organizing community events and educational initiatives that bring ocean science to life for a diverse audience. Their partnerships with non-governmental organizations like Straightwatch, the W̱SÁNEĆ Marine Guardians, and the Whale Report Alert System enhance their impact, while collaborations with DFO, Transport Canada, and Parks Canada further their influence on enforcement and conservation policy.
Through its efforts, the SGIWSN has not only enhanced public understanding but also galvanized support for the recovery of threatened whale populations in the Salish Sea.
Award sponsors
We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to some of the businesses, individuals, and community organizations supporting this year’s Raincoast Ocean Science Awards.
About the Raincoast Ocean Science Awards, 2024
These awards have served to celebrate ocean conservation in British Columbia since their establishment in 1995 as the Murray A. Newman Awards at the Vancouver Aquarium. Raincoast is proud to be able to continue this legacy.
Learn more about the award categories and past recipients here.
Join us on Wednesday, October 30th, 2024 at the Polygon Art Gallery (101 Carrie Cates Court, North Vancouver, BC), where we will share a three-course meal, drinks, meaningful ideas, and conversations around ocean conservation.
Ticket sales are closing soon.
You can help
Raincoast’s in-house scientists, collaborating graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and professors make us unique among conservation groups. We work with First Nations, academic institutions, government, and other NGOs to build support and inform decisions that protect aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and the wildlife that depend on them. We conduct ethically applied, process-oriented, and hypothesis-driven research that has immediate and relevant utility for conservation deliberations and the collective body of scientific knowledge.
We investigate to understand coastal species and processes. We inform by bringing science to decision-makers and communities. We inspire action to protect wildlife and wildlife habitats.
