Make real change

Engineering thermal refuges for Atlantic salmon

Atlantic salmon spend most of their lives in the cool waters of the ocean, migrating up rivers only to spawn — but populations have been on the decline for decades, linked partially to increasingly warm water temperatures. That decline prompted PhD candidate Kathryn Smith and her supervisor, Dr. Barret Kurylyk in Dal's Department of Civil and Resource Engineering, to see if humans could create thermal refuges for the endangered species. "We wanted to see if we can help cold-water biodiversity in a warming world, by targeting key areas and time periods in the summer to help them cool down,” says Kathryn.

Digital video expert and documentary maker

Working from her office on the coast of Norway, journalist and documentary filmmaker Olivia Rempel uses her storytelling skills to help scientists share their work more effectively with the public. Since September 2020, Olivia has worked as a digital video expert for GRID-Arendal, a Norwegian non-profit communications centre with a mission to communicate environmental science to policy makers. “There’s a different story every day that needs to be told. They’re constantly changing. But I think, in terms of type of stories, we need more nuance,” says Olivia.��