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The Vancouver Aquarium is a recognized leader in connecting people to our natural world, and a self-supporting, non-profit association dedicated to effecting the conservation of aquatic life through displayand communication, public programs and education, research and direct action. We have been self-supporting since we opened in 1956.
We have been dedicated to conservation, research and education from the beginning. This can be seen through the many conservation and research programs that we operate, as well as through our accreditations, awards and involvement in international conservation and research projects.
We encourage the public to become actively involved in conservation by participating in our conservation-focused programs, which include: Ocean Wise; the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup; the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre; our Oregon Spotted Frog Recovery Program; the Marine Protected Areas; Killer Whale Adoption Program; and annual population surveys.
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We believe that it’s important to encourage conscious decisions that help protect our oceans from an early age. From Aqua Clubs and the AquaVan program to field trips and lesson plans for learning at the Aquarium, we encourage active learning both at the facility as well as in schools and community.
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The Vancouver Aquarium has a long history of research on marine life. Since 1956, Vancouver Aquarium researchers have been conducting original studies in the wild and on-site in order to advance knowledge and provide scientific information to ignite environmental conservation initiatives.
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The Vancouver Aquarium is recognized worldwide for its expertise and contribution to the scientific community, thanks to the many researchers and specialists that are a part of our team.
A professional biologist and public educator, Dr. Nightingale has been responsible for the development and operation of some of the world’s best aquariums. His background and lifelong work in public communications, and both formal and informal public education, make him a leader in the current rapid development of new conservation efforts in aquariums, zoos and museums.
During his seventeen years at the Vancouver Aquarium, he has guided the expansion of the Aquarium’s leadership in conservation and research while focusing operations on sustainability and solid fiscal performance. As a result, the Vancouver Aquarium is not only one of the “greenest” cultural institutions in Canada, it is the only one that is financially self-sufficient.
Clint has spent over twenty years working in aquariums and joined the Vancouver Aquarium in 1990. He has extensive experience in animal training and husbandry. Clint's technical expertise lies in aquatic animal management and he has overseen animal acquisition and transportation world-wide from killer whales to salt water crocodiles. He currently oversees and manages all aspects of animal management and care at the Aquarium, including the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre.
Dr. Marliave has been a part of the Vancouver Aquarium for over 30 years. He has been involved in research, fund-raising and construction project management. His ongoing studies have been on ichthyoplankton (the eggs and larvae of fish found mainly in the upper 200 metres of the water column). He is currently investigating the potential of aquaculture development for many species while also monitoring the prawn nurseries and glass sponge growth as an indicator of environmental quality in the Howe Sound fjord. Dr. Marliave has produced over 70 scientific and technical publications. The Association of Zoss and Aquariums has awarded the Vancouver Aquarium its top award, the Edward H. Bean Award, five times on the basis of Dr. Marliave’s propagation work (1979, 1981, 1983, 1994, 1996).
Eric has more than 15 years of experience working in the field of science and environmental education and communication with museums, science centres and public aquariums in the U.S. and Canada. He has dedicated much of his career toward improving communication of complex science and environmental issues to public audiences.
After nearly five years as the Aquarium’s Vice President of Conservation, Research and Education, Eric's focus is now on development and implementation of integrated approaches to advancing the Aquarium's mission and strategic priorities. One significant priority for the Vancouver Aquarium is creating greater public awareness of, and engagement in, the important issues facing Canada's north.
Eric holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Marine Ecology, and advanced graduate studies in Science Education.
Dr. Barrett-Lennard has a broad range of research experience in the field studies of marine mammals, with a particular focus on killer whales. He has been an active collaborator in the ongoing studies of the behavioural and population biology of killer whales in British Columbia and Alaska since 1984, and has also studied the species in Norway and the sub-Antarctic.
A molecular geneticist, Dr. Barrett-Lennard uses DNA analysis to resolve population identity, dispersal patterns, and mating systems. Some of his findings recently served as the basis for the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada's listing of southern resident killer whales as an endangered population. Dr. Barrett-Lennard is co-chair of the Killer Whale Recovery Team convened by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Recognized world-wide for his high standards of veterinary care, Dr. Haulena is the Vancouver Aquarium’s veterinarian. Dr. Haulena graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph in 1993. He completed a clinical internship in aquatic animal medicine at Mystic Aquarium in 1996 and a Master’s degree in pathobiology from the University of Guelph in 1999. He became a Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine in 2007. Dr. Haulena was the Staff Veterinarian at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, CA for nine years and has been the Staff Veterinarian at the Vancouver Aquarium for over five years.
Dr. Haulena's special interests are in the medical management of aquatic animals, particularly marine mammals, with emphasis on innovative diagnostic methods such as MRIs, endoscopy and sonography, developing safe anaesthetic protocols and improving surgical techniques. Veterinary students from around the world study aquatic animal medicine each year under the direction of Dr. Haulena. He serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University and Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia Fisheries Centre.
Dr. Haulena's professional affiliations include the International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine, Wildlife Disease Association and the American Association of Zoological Veterinarians. He has authored over 30 scientific journal articles and book chapters.
Mike has been part of the Vancouver Aquarium’s incredibly successful Ocean Wise program since its inception in 2005. Ocean Wise is a conservation program created to educate and empower consumers about issues surrounding sustainable seafood. Ocean Wise works directly with restaurants and markets to help them make ocean-friendly buying decisions based on the most current scientific information, and provides an easily recognizable eco-logo to mark these products.
Mike’s background includes 10 years of research, education and program development experience on marine and aquatic environments in British Columbia. He has conducted fisheries related research with the University of British Columbia, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment Canada, the British Columbia Ministry of Environment, and the Vancouver Aquarium. Mike’s knowledge of aquatic ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest, coupled with his passion for protecting these systems, will engage you and others to take a step in helping to conserve them.
Jill is the Manager of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, a nation-wide conservation initiative of the Vancouver Aquarium and WWF that encourages Canadians to improve their communities by removing litter from their local shorelines. Jill has worked previously with the Ontario Conservation Authorities conducting watershed inventories and as an Endangered Species Biologist in Arizona and Hawaii. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology and a Master of Science in Wildlife Ecology.
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Experience the Jelly Invasion at the Vancouver Aquarium
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Some dolphins travel in supergroups of more than 300.
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