Larger, safer, rigid-hull inflatable boat for year-round research on island ecology

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The study of animals inhabiting oceanic islands has been central to our understanding of evolution and ecology ever since Darwin because travel over water represents a barrier to the movement of most birds and mammals, resulting in the creation of unique assemblages of species with unique characteristics. Because travel over water also represents a barrier to humans, conducting research on oceanic islands requires a boat. It is difficult to imagine a more indispensable piece of equipment for this type of work. We are requesting funds to replace a now unusable inflatable boat, purchased with NSERC RTI funds in fiscal year 2002-3, with a larger, safer, rigid-hull inflatable boat, necessary to permit year-round research. Delaying the acquisition of this equipment will jeopardize the research of five (3 MSc, 2 PhD) current graduate students and significantly impair the research program of an integrated team of five highly active investigators from four universities (U Western Ontario, U Toronto, U Victoria, Simon Fraser U) with complementary expertise in genetics, physiology, behaviour and ecology, who are addressing questions concerning predator-prey relationships, introductions and extirpations, and partial migration, in birds and mammals, on islands. We expect to make major advances in understanding: indirect predator effects on prey demography, the genetic implications arising from islands having fewer predators, the significance of 'mesopredator release' on islands, and how island prey come to 'forget' their predators (prey naiveté). All of the research will be conducted in the B.C. Gulf Islands to take advantage of the team's long experience doing research here and the unusual logistical opportunity provided to address phenomena at a whole-archipelago scale. Over the next 5 years we expect to supervise at least 12 MSc and 6 PhD students, and 15 undergraduate research assistants, all of whom will require the use of the requested research boat. These students will receive extensive training in the areas of molecular-, physiological-, behavioural-, and population-, ecology; as well as conservation biology. The resulting cadre of highly qualified personnel will thus be given the skills needed to contribute to the academic, government and private sectors.