We’re so excited to introduce the newest member of our Board of Directors, Laurie St. Aubin! SeaDoc Society’s Board plays a vital role in the work we do here in the Salish Sea. As you’ll see in our short chat below, Laurie brings a whole lot of talent, experience, and passion to our team!
Welcome, Laurie!
1. Where are you from and how did you discover the Salish Sea?
Following retirement, my husband and I made our home in the San Juan Islands. I was born in the USA Midwest but spent the last four decades living on or near the ocean. We originally discovered Orcas Island and the Salish Sea a couple decades ago when we purchased a sailboat from a local family. We subsequently sailed the boat to our home at the time in Alaska and later traversed several of the world’s oceans only to come full circle and back to Orcas Island.
2. What drew you to SeaDoc Society?
As a scientist, I am impressed by the detailed and peer reviewed research that is being progressed and published about the Salish Sea. The SeaDoc Society has a solid foundation. It is a locally based organization with amazingly talented staff and strong support from the community. Plus, the organization has the academic and institutional strength of the best veterinary school in the world, UC Davis. I also value and appreciate the SeaDoc Society educational outreach via their beautiful books, gorgeous and clever videos and inspiring blogs.
3. What’s your biggest concern about the health of wildlife, the Salish Sea, or the planet?
Key to a healthy Salish Sea is the viability and sustainability of the entire food chain in its ecosystem. On a global basis, all life in the entire biosphere is inextricably connected. As such, the pressure on the Salish Sea ecosystem will continue to mount due to population and urbanization expansion, especially in the context of a warming climate.
4. What do you hope to contribute in your role on the board?
As a very recent addition to the board, I look very much forward very much to working with my new colleagues to help the organization achieve success in ensuring the health of Salish Sea marine wildlife and their ecosystem through science and education. I am glad to offer my science, management and consensus building experience to the quest.
5. What’s your favorite species in our ecosystem?
Of course, I must give a nod to our Orca populations. But personally, squid have always fascinated me. They are a bit enigmatic, very beautiful in both form and function, dynamic, and often overlooked or simply unnoticed. Yet they are an important part of the ecosystem, and part of a year-round commercial fishery in the Salish Sea.