This presentation will introduce you to a small cryptic, and eclectic fish, the Pacific sand lance, Ammodytes personatus. Sand lance are pretty interesting; they lack swim bladders, they hibernate, and they even like sex on the beach! They are also important members to the ecosystem with over 100 known predators in the Pacific Northwest. Sand lance are the preferred prey for several culturally, and economically important species like lingcod and marbled murrelets, however our knowledge of the population abundance, distribution, density, diet and life history is limited and lacking. Jacqueline will discuss how machine learning techniques were used to map critical beach habitat in the Canadian Salish Sea, and share some of the preliminary results of an expert-opinion based analysis assessing the sand lance population, and their threats throughout the Salish Sea.

This presentation will be aired via Zoom Video Conferencing. (See https://naturevancouver.ca/zoom-videoconference-instructions/ for more information about Zoom). On Monday, January 9, Nature Vancouver members will receive the Zoom link in the weekly e-News. To join, click on that link after 7pm. The talk will begin as usual at 7:30pm.