Oceanographer Peter Galbraith recognized by his peers

Peter Galbraith, researcher at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute, receives the Québec-Océan 2021 Media Outreach Award.

The group of scientific research actors in oceanography wanted to highlight his forty or so interventions in various media last year, which delighted the main person concerned.

The topic of warming waters in the Gulf and Estuary of St. Lawrence continues to fascinate Galbraith, who has been with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada since 1995.

He says he has had a front row seat to the impact of climate change on these marine environments, describing his work in physical oceanography as a « happy mix of field work and scientific research ».

The consequences of climate change in the Gulf are significant, he says, and also affect the Islands.

The researcher points out that the average temperature of the Gulf’s deep waters has increased by 1.5 degrees Celsius between 2009 and 2021, and that the record-breaking underwater heat is accompanied by major shifts in fish species.

Although the picture is disturbing and retirement is approaching, Peter Galbraith does not plan to stop anytime soon, he says, still driven by the passion of the job.