WHO WE ARE
The PSF Marine Data Centre, formerly the Strait of Georgia Data Centre, is a centralized repository for marine data in British Columbia focused primarily on the Salish Sea and west coast of Vancouver Island.
The Data Centre is a collaborative program between the Pacific Salmon Foundation and the Institute for the Ocean and Fisheries at the University of British Columbia, which stores and maintains data, encourages data collaboration, and works towards preserving long term archives.
For more information, view our story here.
WHAT WE DO
Since 2011, we have been collecting and sharing marine ecosystem data through our online portal to support salmon recovery and resilience in the age of climate change and reconciliation. We work with researchers, community and stewardship groups, First Nations, academics, and non-profits to integrate their datasets into our centralized portal. We currently house a wide variety of products: tabular data, interactive and static maps, atlases, Story Maps, dashboards, and additional informational resources. We also create visual products to allow for increased visibility of the datasets housed in the Data Centre.
WHY WE DO IT
The Salish Sea is an extremely rich ecosystem, which supports approximately 3400 species and provides habitat for all species of Pacific salmon. But, the Salish Sea and its watersheds face serious environmental problems caused by population growth, urganization, and extensive resource use.
We consider data to be fundamental to decision-making in relation to environmental stewardship. Data are often fragmented and difficult to find, so by collating it all in one place, we hope to aid future marine research and support conservation.
Watch this video to learn more about the work we do at the Marine Data Centre:
Our Partners
The Marine Data Centre has been supported by grants from the Sitka Foundation. We extend our sincere appreciation to every donor who has generously supported us over the years. Initial development was guided by the advice and assistance of Art Tautz MOE (retired), Terry Curran, IOS (retired), Alistair Blachford (retired), Brad Mason (CMN), Rob Knight (CMN), Gordon Miller (PBS library, DFO), Sally Taylor (UBC) and many others. We have also greatly benefited from the invaluable contributions of many co-ops and interns, Mathew Vis-Dunbar (Librarian services), and Mitch Miller (Miller Videography). Thank you to the ceaseless assistance of our web developer, Nick Murray of Mountain Air Web.
Last, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Marine Data Centre founder Dr. Isobel Pearsall, whose vision and dedication have been instrumental in advancing our understanding and management of the region’s marine environment.
