New underwater research camera streaming live in Saturna Island urchin barren

REPORTS & PAPERS

SIMRES advances marine research and community-based initiatives to protect whales, native biodiversity, and coastal ecosystems. We collaborate with scientists, research institutions, and community members to collect ecological data, monitor marine species, and support habitat restoration. Our work integrates both academic and citizen science approaches to improve understanding of the Salish Sea.

By sharing our research and findings, we aim to deepen public knowledge, foster ecological stewardship, and inform conservation strategies. Explore the reports and publications below to learn more about the research we support.

Wonders of the Salish Sea: Saturna Island in the Centre of the Salish Sea

East Point on Saturna Island is a convergence of unique geography, biodiversity, and human activity. Learn more about this place where extraordinary natural systems and intense human activity exist side by side. Presentation by Maureen Welton, SIMRES

SGI Whale Sighting Network
2025 Annual Report

2025 was a landmark year marked by record levels of whale activity, significant growth in community participation, and increasingly clear evidence of gaps in marine protection measures. Read the full report here.

NoiseTracker: Tracking vessel noise and its implications for Southern Resident killer whales in the Salish Sea

This research report compares underwater noise in Boundary Pass in 2018, 2023 and 2025, using historical Saturna and Pender Island data. Learn how the underwater soundscape has changed in almost a decade and how this impacts killer whales.
Visit Raincoast website

Quantifying Vessel Noise and Acoustic Habitat Loss in Marine Soundscapes

A newly published paper, lead by Dr. Ben Hendricks, presents a computationally efficient framework that detects all vessel noise in hydrophone recordings and quantifies associated excess noise levels as well as acoustic habitat loss along the Pacific coast, comparing SIMRES hydrophone data to other sites of the BC Hydrophone Network.

SGI Whale Sighting Network
2024 Annual Report

The SGIWSN recorded 263 whale days in 2024, highlighting the continued importance of monitoring and stewardship efforts in the Southern Gulf Islands.Read about our academic + community science-based approach.

SIMRES 2024 Annual Report

From a foundational review of our community-led mission, to new and expanded research projects, read about the most recent work of SIMRES, our volunteer and collaborators.
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