Herring Happenings of 2025

Jun 6, 2025 | Events, Herring, Project Update

On Thursday May 22nd, the MSI hosted ‘Herring Happenings of 2025’ at the Brackendale Ary Gallery (BAG) in Squamish.

This annual event coordinated by MSI and the wonderful people at the Brackendale Art Gallery brought together volunteers, partners, contractors, funders, and interested community members for an evening of learning and reflecting on this season’s herring spawn monitoring. The event featured:

    • Stories and research about herring in Átl’ka7tsem / Howe Sound
    • Results from our 2025 Search for Slhawt’ / Herring Program
    • Trivia and prizes for volunteers and participants

We were excited to welcome nearly 70 people to this event. Seasoned volunteers, newly inspired community-scientists and our valued partners attended for the evening of talks. The BAG and their staff continue to be amazing hosts, keeping everyone well supplied in food and drink in a beautiful space.

Several speakers shared their stories and knowledge about slhawt’ / herring during the event:

  • Jasmine and Virginia, Squamish Nation members – provided an introduction and shared about their experiences reconnecting with Átl’ka7tsem and traditional food systems.
  • Matthew Van Oostdam, MSI Search for Slhawt’ Program Coordinator – shared results from the 2025 Search for Slhawt’ Program.
  • Virginie Chalifoux, PhD Student at UBC Aquaculture & Climate Change Lab – presented about her research on climate change impacts to herring eggs. Specifically, impacts to larvae development under continuous light conditions, and the effects of spawning substrate on survival and resource consumption.
  • Gwyn Taylor, MSI Program Coordinator – presented on behalf of Eron Macartney, Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management student, UBC, on his research on spawning timing in Átl’ka7tsem.

We thanked our volunteers with exclusive limited edition “I searched for Slhawt'” stickers made by local artist, herring volunteer, and teacher Sarah Keller. Participants had the chance to win RUX bags and herring printed tote bags also made by Sarah Keller, through trivia questions about herring and Átl’ka7tsem.

Virginie Chalifoux, PhD student in the Aquaculture and Climate Change lab at UBC, has been testing the impacts of light and spawning substrate on the mortality of herring eggs. Virginie reported on three main questions:

  • Does 24 hour light impact larval development and resource consumption?
  • Does substrate material impact mortality rate?
  • Does substrate material have an effect on the light impacts?

Results so far:

  • Protected (on seaweed) herring eggs under high CO2 conditions fared better than unprotected (not on seaweed) herring eggs.
  • Unprotected (no seaweed) herring eggs under a 24 hour light regime experienced higher rates of mortality
  • Protected (attached to seaweed) herring eggs under the same light regime had lower rates of mortality

This research contributes to the understanding of impacts of shoreline development on spawning habitat, as well as the restoration and conservation potential of seaweeds. 

Eron Macartney, a UBC Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management student, worked with MSI data to ask these questions:

  • What is the influence of sea surface temperature, photoperiod, and lunar cycles on the spawn timing of Pacific herring in Átl’ka7tsem?
  • Is there a trend in spawn timing?

Results:

  • Spawning events peaked during the Waxing Crescent phase.
  • The Waxing Crescent phase had a  predicted spawning probability of 36%. ​
  • The Full Moon and First Quarter phases were nearly significant predictors, with probabilities of 28% and 30%.

These insights will inform future MSI herring spawn surveys!

This year we had 89 volunteers searching for slhawt’. Volunteers walked and paddled shorelines diligently looking for herring eggs from February to May, logging a total of 309 volunteers hours.

MSI staff, contractors, and BC Parks staff logged an additional 278 hours on boats and snorkling kilometers of remote shoreline, coming to a whopping total of 587 hours searching for slhawt’!

Sarah Keller surprised MSI staff with beautifully made herring-inspired t-shirts! Sarah hand carves linocut designs and prints them onto t-shirts using textile paint. We at MSI are very thankful for such thoughtful gifts.

Thank you very much to everyone who made this event possible, and all who attended. From by-donation tickets we raised $345 !

We are overjoyed to see how many community members care for these little super fish.

Related links: