Dr. Dan Baker

Office: Building 480, Room 206
Phone: 250.753.3245 Ext. 2296
Fax: 250-740-6482
Email: Dan.Baker@viu.ca

• Fish physiology
• Aquaculture and conservation
• Sturgeon biology
• Early life stages of fish
• Climate change biology
• Organismal performance in aquatic environments

Research Interests

In general, I am interested in how we can infer or mediate long term issues associated with rearing or culture conditions in aquatic organisms of conservation or culture importance. More specifically, I have been studying how exposure to thermal challenge (i.e., warmer temperature than normal) may alter the phenotype (or the way an animal functions) later on in life. Animals have an amazing capacity to acclimate to environmental conditions, allowing them to thrive in changing conditions, but when those conditions are encountered during early life stages, those acclimation process which may be temporary later in life, can be permanent. These two possibilities are often referred to as phenotypic (or impermanent) or developmental (permanent) plasticity.  There may be opportunities in many aquatic animals to rear them under conditions which will help them battle anthropogenic climate change driven changes in their environments or in culture scenarios later in life.

Courses

• FISH 127
• FISH 133
• FISH 231

Students

Education

1. Doctor of Philosophy, Zoology (PhD) 2010. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada Supervisor: Dr. Colin Brauner. Thesis: Physiological responses to elevated CO2 in white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus
2. Master of Science, Biology (MSc) (2004) UNBSJ Saint John, NB, Canada, Supervisor: Dr. Jim Kieffer. Thesis: The physiological and behavioural responses of shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon to forced exercise and hypoxia
3. BSc, Animal Biology (1996) University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Grants and other Research Funding

2021: Regional Innitiative Fund (~$18,000 CAD)

2020: CFI/BCKDF (total value of grant $548,973 CAD) PIs: Drs. Spencer Russell (Lead investigator), Tim Green and Dan Baker: "Canada's marine life is in hot water: laboratory for investigating heatwaves and aquatic animal health"

2019: VIU Research Award – Amplify: PI Dr. Baker ($2,000 CAD) Development of a digital tool for estimating Fraser River white sturgeon potential as an alternative aquaculture species

2019: VIU Research Award – Explore: PI Dr. Baker ($2,000 CAD) Thermal plasticity in larval stages if BC fishes

2019: VIU Research Award – Inquiry: PI Dr. Baker ($4,635 CAD) Thermal plasticity in larval stages if BC fishes

2019: VIUFA Travel Award ($320 CAD): Travel to Victoria for Aquaculture Canada Conference

2018: Regional Initiative Fund: PI Dr. Baker: ($20,000 CAD): Temperature tolerance and developmental phenotypic plasticity in early life stage salmonids

2018: VIUFA Travel Award: ($600 CAD) travel to SEB in Florence, Italy, to present on white sturgeon research

2017: NSERC Discovery Grant: Dr. Baker: ($23,000 CAD/annum for 5 years): Temperature tolerance and developmental phenotypic plasticity in early life stage fish

2017: VIU Research Award: Dr. Baker ($5,000 CAD) Thermal tolerance of salmonids

2017: VIUFA Travel Award to Dr. Baker: Travel to CSZ 2017 in Winnipeg, Manitoba to present on white sturgeon research

2016: VIU Research Award: PI Dr. Baker ($5,000 CAD)

2016: VIUFA Travel Award: ($720 CAD) Travel to ICBF 2016 in San Marcos, Texas, US to present on white sturgeon research

2015: Andy Spencer Bamfield Research Fellowship: ($2,500 CAD) Dr. Baker awarded to investigate hypercarbia tolerance in Pacific hagfish

2013: Andy Spencer Bamfield Research Fellowship: Dr. Morgan and Dr. Baker (co-PI) awarded to investigate hypercarbia tolerance in Pacific hagfish ($3,000 CAD)

2012: Travel grant for early-career scientists provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation (Grant ANT-1041028) to the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) to attend and present my current research to Third Symposium on The Ocean in a High-CO2 World in Monterey, California, US (~$3,500 CAD)

2012: Primary Investigator awarded Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF) Grant by the School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland to fund research examining pHi regulation in zebrafish (~$3,800 CAD)

2012: Associated Investigator of CPMG Grant by the School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland to fund metabolome development for larval sea urchins (~$3,800 CAD)

2012: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Section of the Canadian Society of Zoologists Travel Grant to attend and present an abstract at Woodstock 2012 in Italy ($500 CAD)

2012: Company of Biologists Travel Grant from the Society of Experimental Biologists to attend and present my research at the Annual Main Meeting of the Society of Experimental Biologists in Salzburg, Austria (~$400 CAD)

2012: Contestable Travel Grant from the School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland to attend and present my research at the Annual Main Meeting of the Society of Experimental Biologists in Salzburg, Austria (~$800 CAD)

2011: Primary Investigator awarded performance Based Research Fund (PBRF) Grant by the School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland to fund a research project on the effects of Ocean Acidification on larval development in the black sea urchin (~$4,000 CAD)

2011: Post-Doctoral Fellowship (PGS) from NSERC to fund ocean acidification effects on larval echinoderms ($80,000 CAD)