Caitlin Birdsall

MERS Co-founder and Director of Development: Caitlin is a biologist and educator focused on marine conservation in British Columbia. She has worked as a project coordinator, research assistant and naturalist throughout British Columbia, Manitoba, the Philippines and Australia. Caitlin is interested in the application and role of citizen science projects in better understanding far-ranging and difficult-to-study species. She is also passionate about connecting people of all ages to marine environments and inspiring stewardship. Caitlin worked for Ocean Wise Conservation Association where she coordinated the North Coast Cetacean Research Initiative in Prince Rupert from 2014 to 2020 and the B.C. Cetacean Sightings Network from 2009-2013. She is also the founder and chair of the North Coast Ecology Centre in Prince Rupert.  She holds a BSc in Wildlife Biology from the University of Northern B.C. and is a a certified Heritage Interpreter. Caitlin is mother to Olin and Gus. 

Jared Towers

Jared was born and raised in coastal British Columbia and spent every summer on the ocean observing marine wildlife as far back as he can remember. In 2006, he co-founded the North Island Marine Mammal Stewardship Association and began to work as a Cetacean Research Technician for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Jared's current work for DFO includes managing the Bigg's (Transient) and Northern Resident Killer Whale population monitoring programs.  In 2010, Jared co-founded the MERS Marine Education and Research Society. He typically spends over 100 days a year at sea working for these organizations conducting field research on Killer, Humpback, Minke, Fin, Grey and Blue Whales. Jared has also studied Killer, Sperm and Sei Whales in the South Atlantic and Southern Ocean with colleagues at Falklands Conservation, Government of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, and NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Centre. Jared is a member of several marine mammal advisory groups in Canada, has published several scientific articles, and in addition to conducting conservation based field research also responds to cetacean incidents such as entanglements and strandings.   Photo credit: Yanick Rose. 

Emily Cowie

Emily is the Research Coordinator for the Marine Education and Research Society. She grew up in Ontario and moved to Vancouver Island to pursue her goal of studying whales. She holds a B.Sc. in Aquatic Resources and Biology from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and gained her M.Sc. at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario where her research focused on the social and ecological dynamics within a recreational fishery. Much of her field and research skills were gained through her previous work experience with Harkness Laboratory of Fisheries Research in Algonquin Provincial Park where she worked as a research technician. In her role with MERS, Emily is motivated to further understand potential threats to marine mammals and what actions can be taken to reduce or eliminate these threats.

Marieke Knierim

Marieke is the Education and Office Coordinator for the Marine Education and Research Society. She has a deep connection to MERS’ core study area. She grew up near Echo Bay, a remote community in the heart of the Broughton Archipelago with more whales and other wildlife as neighbours than humans.  After studying child psychology at the University of Victoria and working in the Vancouver Island North school district, she came to MERS to meld her love for education with her love of the sea. She has worked as a marine naturalist since 2015 and, right from the start, put great effort into documenting individual whales and contributing her data to MERS. She has spent her life on the coast, and is happiest out on the ocean and hiking through the forests of Vancouver Island.

Leah Thorpe

MERS Co-founder and Board Chair: Leah is a marine educator who has worked as a biologist and naturalist for various organizations in British Columbia and the Gulf of Mexico. She holds an undergraduate degree in biology and geography from The University of Victoria and a Master's degree in Environmental Education and Communications from Royal Roads University. Leah has worked closely with Cetacea Contracting to help collect, repair and reconstruct several whale skeletons including work on a Blue Whale skeleton for The University of British Columbia's Beaty Biodiversity Museum. She was previously the Director of Communications and Education for Cetus Research & Conservation Society and is currently working at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea as the Director of Operations.  Leah is mother to Arlen and Rowan. 

Jake Etzkorn

MERS Vice-chair: Jake was raised on a lighthouse station on the west coast of Vancouver Island and has worked, played and volunteered on and around the ocean most of his life. Jake spent several summers working for Cetus Research and Conservation Society as a park warden at Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve, and subsequently volunteered with Cetus both in the field and as a director. He has also worked as a Marine Planner for Living Oceans Society, based out of the small coastal village of Sointula, British Columbia, where he contributed to planning for the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area, the Marine Plan Partnership for the Pacific North Coast, and the Scott Islands Marine National Wildlife Area. He currently works as a Scientific Support Technician for the Hakai Institute, based on Quadra Island.  He has an undergraduate degree in Biology from Vancouver Island University.

Huddie Bennett

MERS Treasurer: Huddie’s love of the ocean solidified in 1979 with the National Geographic article on Songs of the Humpback. This inspired her to get certified for scuba when she was 15 on Vancouver Island, and 35 years later is completing her Dive Master training. Being a 70’s free-range farm kid, she explored Vancouver Island beaches and provincial parks by horseback giving her a healthy respect for nature and animals. She raised her kids on her organic farm in Saanich, BC before moving to Vancouver where she started her own business in 2006, Eye Candy Optical, a successful optical store in Vancouver. After selling the company in 2011 she started working in the film industry as a financial controller and facility manager for high-end post-production companies. Huddie currently also sits on the Board of the Marine Life Sanctuaries Society of BC as Treasurer and works with the Ocean Legacy Foundation fighting ocean plastic pollution. Photo credit: Nerina Black. 

Anita Blakley

MERS Board Secretary: Anita Blakley grew up in Ontario and spent the summers fishing in the Great Lakes. After visiting grandparents on Vancouver Island, her love for marine animals was solidified. Anita holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Victoria.  While at UVic, she completed five Co-op work terms at the Pacific Biological Station and attended classes at the Bamfield Marine Station. Anita joined LGL Limited - Environmental Research Associates in 1995 and has participated in a diversity of projects ranging from tagging salmonids to First Nations’ fisheries joint-management. Anita became a Registered Professional Biologist in 2003. In her off hours, she enjoys exploring the West Coast beaches with her family, cooking, and volunteering.  

Rhona Govender

MERS Board Member-at-Large: Rhona first fell in love with the ocean as a child in South Africa by exploring tide pools and all of the fascinating life found within them. This ultimately led her to work in several ecology-related fields, including as a Marine Conservation Analyst with Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) and as a steering committee member for SeaChoice. She has her M.Sc. in Zoology from UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries where she completed a global analysis of the contribution of small-scale fisheries, along with a B.Sc. in Animal Biology. She currently works in the recovery and conservation of marine Species at Risk with DFO's SARA team. She can often be found at the dog beach making new four-legged friends, and is still as excited now as when she was a kid exploring the intertidal and learning about nature.

 Don Gordon

MERS Board Member-at-Large: Don has worked for more than thirty years in the nonprofitsector as a senior fundraising and management executive. Don has also served as a volunteer director with a number of nonprofit organizations and was a founding Governor of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance. Don is an avid scuba divemaster and  amateur marine naturalist. He is a Certified Fund Raising Executive, holds the National Certificate in Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto.

Tasli Shaw

Tasli is a MERS Research Associate in support of her work maintaining a sightings database and catalogue for Humpback Whales sighted in the Salish Sea (cataloguing effort began in 1997 by Mark Malleson). These efforts also contribute to the Canadian Pacific Humpback Collaboration. Tasli does further work processing whale research data for Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) - Humpback Whale data for the DFO CeMoRe Project and Bigg’s Killer Whale data for DFO’s longstanding photo-ID project (in collaboration with Bay Cetology). She coauthored the most recent Bigg’s Killer Whale photo-identification catalogue and has over 11 years’ experience working on the Salish Sea as both a captain and naturalist. 

Mark Sawyer and Ashley Hoyland

Mark and Ashley are MERS Research Associates in support of their work to catalogue Humpback Whales off the west coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI). These sightings help inform the Canadian Pacific Humpback Collaboration. They produce a catalogue of "The Humpback Whales of Clayoquot & Barkley". In addition to their work as MERS Research Associates, their Grey Whale sightings data contributes to monitoring efforts up and down the coast, and for this they are members of the Pacific Coast Feeding Group Consortium. Prior to moving to Canada in 2014, Mark and Ashley were both school teachers in the United Kingdom. They now educate visitors to WCVI, working as captains and naturalists in Clayoquot Sound since 2015. They are proud parents of Arthur, who loves being on the water almost as much they do. 

Ali Gladwell

Ali is a MERS Research Associate in support of her work as a graduate student at the University of Victoria with the Applied Conservation Science Lab. Her project is exploring recreational boater behaviour around marine mammals. The study area is northeast Vancouver Island and the results will help guide MERS’ education efforts in the future regarding knowledge and compliance to the Marine Mammal Regulations and further best practices. Ali holds an undergraduate degree in Marine Biology from Dalhousie University, with a focus of population dynamics and monitoring of offshore seabird populations and Indigenous fishery management in the Maritimes. Her recent efforts include providing science communication and education to a wide variety of audiences. She lives in Victoria and gets out on the ocean on her kayak or into the mountains as much as possible!