For the finale of this season “More than a fish”, we’re switching it up! The roles are reversed – host Auston Chhor is interviewed by our podcast producer, Sofia Osborne, and is put in the hot seat to ponder some of the complex questions he’s thrown at guests throughout the previous episodes.

Auston is a Salmon Habitat Biologist for Raincoast’s wild salmon program, and a Registered Professional Biologist. He received a BSc in Biology from Queen’s University and went on to complete a Master’s of Science at Carleton University under Dr. Steven Cooke, where he studied how catch-and-release angling impacts the behaviour of fish – basically, what happens to fish when you catch them and let them go, and what fishers can do to minimize their impacts when doing this. Spoiler alert: fish don’t like being out of water!

Read more:

• Show notes
• Auston’s notes from the field working in the Nicola
• See how they fly the drone and snorkel survey the Coldwater River
• Learn more about Raincoast’s salmon program
• Keep up with Raincoast’s events calendar to see when Auston or others host meet-ups
• Subscribe to Raincoast’s newsletter

We’ve heard from experienced professionals with years of experience, but what about the next generation of those wading the rivers and asking the research questions?

In the previous episode of “More than a fish”, we dove into early career exploration in biology and conservation, and Jason Hwang provided some enlightening insight into what those flipping through resumes may look for. But we want this season to be as widespread and all-encompassing as the animal that inspired it — Pacific salmon — so if you’re a student, or considering graduate school, we hope this episode will serve as a useful reference.

Auston Chhor welcomes Arielle Koenig, a master’s student at the Pacific Salmon Ecology and Conservation Lab at the University of British Columbia, with her research focusing on flood plain habitats, fish passage, and invasive species. Before venturing into this graduate degree, Arielle worked as a field biologist at Pearson Ecological working in the lower Fraser, where she and Auston crossed paths (or more accurately, crossed streams).

When entering your master’s, it’s common to have a lot more questions than solely the one your work will center around: Is there a right time? How is financial stability even an option? What will a typical day look like? Wait, you mean YOU’RE in charge now?

For Arielle, her thesis explores overwintering fish growth and survival, specifically juvenile coho, in flood plain habitats situated near different types of flood gate structures. Basically, Arielle is looking at how young coho in their first one to two years of life use their habitat, and how they do during this time before heading to the ocean.

Beyond her research, the conversation flows into unexpected challenges of fieldwork, relationships with supervisors, and being exposed to the sociology side of biology as someone studying species as culturally centric as salmon.

Raincoast Radio is hosted by Auston Chhor and produced by Sofia Osborne. This podcast is a production of Raincoast Conservation Foundation, a team of conservationists and scientists empowered by research to protect the lands, waters and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. Learn more and support our work at raincoast.org

Additional resources

• Pacific Salmon Ecology and Conservation Lab
• Pearson Ecological
• Flood gate animation (shown at 1:25)

Are you a student or someone wanting to break into the environmental career sector? A 20- or 30-something grappling with the question of getting your master’s? This is the episode for you!

In this installment of “More than a fish”, host Auston Chhor sits down with Jason Hwang, Chief Program Officer and Vice President Salmon with Pacific Salmon Foundation. He is also joining the selection committee for the 2025 Raincoast Ocean Science Awards, happening on November 20th at the Vancouver Aquarium. Jason began as a habitat biologist at Fisheries and Oceans Canada for the BC Interior North region. Growing up in North Delta, he spent his weekends fishing and was naturally drawn to what was under the water’s surface. Now, he oversees and supports all PSF salmon initiatives, working with First Nations, crown government agencies, other NGOs, academia, and industry.

As Jason states early on in the conversation, he knows just as well as anyone else working in this realm that there is no “career in conservation for dummies” handbook. As someone who sifts through many resumes from hundreds of applicants, Auston asks what Jason looks for in potential hires. The response may not be what you expect … i.e., it’s not necessarily a MSc next to your name.

“Say I’m talking to you and your twin brother, and your twin brother went and got his master’s, and you spent two years carrying an electrofisher up through devil’s club streams in the middle of the North doing fish salvage for a pipeline… I start to ask you ‘How would you mitigate the effects of a road or a pipeline and maintain conservation priorities for natural resources?’… you are going to have a lot of hands-on knowledge to actually do something.”

Jason shares what stands out to him, and how getting a role in an environment that is solely academically oriented is like making the NHL … but the other roles are there for those who can find a way to take what they’ve learned in science and academic training and combine it with applied, real-world experience. This is a marketable skill that generally isn’t taught in a university classroom.

The reality? This career space isn’t black and white — it’s not academia versus industry, good versus evil. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, challenge common paths, and approach your next move with curiosity over rigidity.

Additional resources:

• Career opportunities with PSF
• Conservation Careers job board
• Interview with Jason for the Raincoast Ocean Science Awards
• Subscribe to Raincoast’s newsletter to be the first to hear about job opportunities!

Raincoast Radio is hosted by Auston Chhor and produced by Sofia Osborne. This podcast is a production of Raincoast Conservation Foundation, a team of conservationists and scientists empowered by research to protect the lands, waters and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. Learn more and support our work at raincoast.org