Our meeting was held on February 18, 2010.  Minutes and photos to be posted shortly.

Marine Ecology of Burrard Inlet Featured at Noons Creek Hatchery Annual General Meeting

At the Annual General Meeting of the Port Moody Ecological Society (which operates the Noons Creek Hatchery), the guest speaker will be Rod MacVicar.  MacVicar, a Port Moody resident, will describe some of the many projects he has assisted with to elucidate marine life in the waters around Port Moody.  “Although, the geographical centre of Port Moody is Burrard Inlet, most people have no idea of the fascinating sea life that can be found here.  This is a truly remarkable ecosystem right here on our doorstep.” says MacVicar who spends much of his time out on these waters.  As a former biology teacher at Centennial High School in Coquitlam, he helped found the Mossom Creek Hatchery on Port Moody’s north shore in 1976.  As current Director of the Reed Point Marine Education Centre, MacVicar regularly teaches students about marine conservation and sustainability at the floating laboratory or on boat tours where participants can view sea stars, giant jelly fish, harbour seals, many varieties of small fish and the several species of seabirds that call the waters around Port Moody their home.

MacVicar is well aware of the amazement and delight many people experience when they have an opportunity to view these interesting marine creatures.  Over past decades, MacVicar worked with students to enhance salmon populations in local creeks.  In his presentation, MacVicar will discuss more recent projects to restore eelgrass beds (a project funded by Environment Canada), monitor the movements of Barrow’s Goldeneye (a duck that winters in local waters), assist with UBC’s Steller’s sea lion project at Reed Point, observe orcas and grey whales in Burrard Inlet and keep a watchful eye on

the shoreline as it recovers from an oil spill in Burnaby several years ago.  He will also describe the discovery of the largest sea star found in western Canada as well as that of the spiny lumpsucker, a small fish not previously known to be in Burrard Inlet.

This meeting will take place on Thursday, February 18 starting at 7 pm at the Port Moody Social Recreation Centre, 300 Ioco Road in Multipurpose Room 2.  MacVicar’s presentation will be preceded by a brief Annual General Meeting.  The meeting is free and open to the public.  Light refreshments will be served.  For further information, please phone 604-469-9106 or 604-937-3483.