Curriculum Vitae of

Jennifer ONeill, M.Sc.

28 Bass St., Box Hill, Melbourne VIC 3128
Telephone: +61 4 1678 7293
Email: [email protected]
EDUCATION
2011 January

University of Victoria M.Sc. in Geography: Coastal Remote Sensing

2006 April

University of Victoria B.Sc. Double Major with Distinction

Biology major with marine focus
Geography major with remote sensing and GIS focus
Last 2 years GPA 8.06; Cumulative GPA 7.81

2004 Sept Dec

Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre Fall Program, with Directed Studies Research

2000-2003

University College of the Cariboo B.Sc., Biology Major (first three years)

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ADDITIONAL EDUCATION
2013 March

FARO (Fisheries Applications of Remotely-Sensed Ocean) Workshop:

Applications of Ocean-Colour Radiometry for the Study of Marine Ecosystems,
including Fisheries, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, B.C.

International Ocean Colour Coordinating Group (IOCCG) &

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) training course: Analysis and
Application of Satellite-Derived Ocean-Colour Data. St. Johns, N.L.
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2007 May

CONTRIBUTIONS TO RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Peer reviewed publications:
Sutherland, T.F., Elner, R.W., O'Neill, J.D. (2013). Roberts Bank: ecological crucible of the Fraser River
estuary. Progress in Oceanography, 115, 171-180. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/
pii/S0079661113000608
ONeill, J.D., Costa, M. (2013). Mapping eelgrass (Zostera marina) in the Gulf Islands National Park
Reserve of Canada using high spatial resolution satellite and airborne imagery. Remote Sensing of
Environment, 133, 152167. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0034425713000515
ONeill, J.D., Costa, M., Sharma, T., (2011). Remote sensing of shallow coastal benthic substrates: in situ
spectra and mapping of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve of Canada.
Remote Sensing, Special issue: Remote Sensing in Coastal Ecosystems, 3 (5), 975-1005.
http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/3/5/975/pdf
ONeill, J.D. (2010). Mapping of eelgrass (Zostera marina) at Sidney Spit, Gulf Islands National Park
Reserve of Canada, using high spatial resolution remote imagery. M.Sc. Thesis. University of Victoria,
Canada. http://dspace.library.uvic.ca:8080/handle/1828/3207
Technical / Professional Reports:
Linley, R.D., Doolittle, A.G., Chan, F.T., ONeill, J.D., Sutherland, T., Bailey, S.A. (2013). Risk
Assessment for ship-mediated introductions of aquatic nonindigenous species to the Pacific Region of
Canada. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2013/043.

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ONeill, J.D. (2012). Beggiatoa in operational monitoring of finfish aquaculture over hard seabed
substrates in British Columbia. Advice paper for the Program for Aquaculture Regulatory Research.
ONeill, J.D. (2011). Mapping of eelgrass using IKONOS imagery: Image processing protocol.
Protocol report prepared for Parks Canada, GINPRC.
O'Neill, J.D., Costa, M. (Aug 2006). Quantitative detection of chlorophyll concentration in temperate
coastal waters using Hyperion hyperspectral data: a case study in Cowichan Bay, British Columbia,
Canada. NSERC USRA independent research report.
ONeill, J.D. (2004). The effects of estuarine salinity gradient on zooplankton distribution: A case study
of zooplankton community structure in Sarita estuary, Barkley Sound, British Columbia. Student
Report Archives, BMSC Library.
Conference Presentations:
ONeill, J.D., Costa, M., Sharma, T. (2011). Using airborne and satellite imagery to map eelgrass
distribution in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, British Columbia, Canada. In: 34th International
Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment (ISRSE34): The GEOSS Era: Towards Operational
Environmental Monitoring, Sydney, Australia, Apr 10-15, 2011. http://www.isprs.org/proceedings/
2011/isrse-34/211104015Final00199.pdf
ONeill, J.D., Costa, M., Sharma, T. (2009). Using remote imagery to map eelgrass distribution in the Gulf
Islands National Park Reserve, B.C., Canada. In: 2009 Puget Sound Georgia Basin Ecosystem
Conference: The Future of the Salish Sea... A Call to Action, Seattle, WA, Feb 8-11, 2009.
ONeill, J.D., Costa, M., Sharma, T., Komick, N. (2008). The effect of spectral resolution on recognition
of eelgrass beds in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, British Columbia, using hyperspectral AISA
imagery. In: 2008 Coastal Zone Canada Conference 2008: Managing our Oceans and Coasts for a
Sustainable and Prosperous Future, Vancouver, B.C., May 25-29, 2008.
ONeill, J.D., Costa, M., Sharma, T., Komick, N. (2008). The effect of spectral resolution on
recognition of eelgrass beds in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, British Columbia, using
hyperspectral AISA imagery. In: 2008 ASLO Ocean Sciences Meeting, Orlando, FL, Mar 2-7, 2008.
ONeill, J.D., Costa, M., Sharma, T., Komick, N., Pereira Filho, W. (2007). Mapping eelgrass
distribution using hyperspectral imagery, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, British Columbia, In:
2007 Georgia Basin Puget Sound Research Conference, Vancouver, BC, Mar 26-29, 2007.
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PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT
2015 May present

Marine Protected Areas Research Group, University of Victoria, B.C.

Pintuyan, Southern Leyte, Philippines
Remote Sensing Scientist (consultant)

Project: Remote mapping of coral, seagrass, and mangrove distribution at Sogod Bay, Philippines, in
support of research evaluating the trade-offs between biodiversity conservation and
socioeconomic viability in systematic marine conservation planning within the Coral Triangle.
Duties: Prepare grant proposals for remote imagery acquisition; prepare digital images for participatory
mapping tool; integrate WorldView-2 images, bathymetry, and ground truth SCUBA survey data to
define spectral properties of benthic classes (seagrass, coral, mangrove, sand), define class
separability and create a benthic classification of Sogod Bay; acquire underwater video survey at
past groundtruth survey sites, provide advice for new groundtruth collection locations; present
remote sensing project to local government units (LGU).

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2015 Feb 2015 July

Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF), Vancouver, B.C.

Remote Sensing Scientist (consultant)

Project: Spatial temporal extent of kelp canopy area: satellite method development for detection of
Nereocystis luetkeana and further evaluation for a larger scale historical mapping project.
Partners: Dr. Maycira Costa, University of Victoria
Duties: Sourced ground truth and imagery data; liaised with participatory mapping groups; analysed
WoldView-2, SPOT-6 and Landsat imagery to produce a map of kelp distribution at case study
site; evaluated classification accuracy; compiled a summary report, and prepared grant proposals.
2014 June 2015 May
2011 April 2013 May

Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Centre for Aquaculture and

Environmental Research (CAER), West Vancouver, B.C., Canada
BI-02 Aquatic Research Biologist

Program overview: Examining the interaction between the environment and human activity, specifically
fin/shellfish aquaculture, port development, and ballast water management activities.
(1) Aquaculture: Conducted research to feed knowledge gaps in regulatory protocols
- Developed indicators of benthic impact for monitoring hard-bottom aquaculture sites
- Applied trace metal indicators with normalization to detect waste deposition and organic enrichment
- Explored fate of deposited aquaculture waste through particle transport studies in laboratory flume
- Exploratory benthic-water column statistics toward a framework for shellfish carrying capacity
- All projects providing advice for federal CSAS peer review of aquaculture regulation in 2015.
(2) Port Development:
- Exploring the ecological (physical-biological) interactions within eelgrass meadows and biofilm zones
at Roberts Bank, B.C. in the context of coal and ferry port development (see publications).
(3) Aquatic Invasive Species
- Provided advice relevant to the Pacific region, GIS mapping, and document edit for a federal CSAS
peer review of risk assessment for ship-mediated introductions of aquatic invasive species to Canada.
Duties:
- Field support for oceanographic research cruises aboard Coast Guard research vessel
- Statistical analysis and graphical representation of data
- Visualization and analysis of spatial data using ArcGIS
- Video image interpretation (ROV and drop camera)
- Data entry and data archiving (literature, digital footage, oceanographic data)
- Maintenance and technological troubleshooting of field equipment
- Stewardship of Atlantic salmon, shellfish, and phytoplankton cultures
- Writing and editing papers for peer review and technical documents
- Management of logistics for purchasing, contracted services, and instrument calibration
- Leading tours of the research program and facility for senior managers and external agencies
- Involvement with interviewing and hiring technical staff
- Member of the Health and Safety Committee
2004 2010 May Sept

B.C. Forest Service Wildfire Management Branch, Kamloops B.C., Canada

Wildfire Dispatcher / Communications - Wildfire

Duties:
- Responded to reports of wildfire, dispatched crews and rotary wing aircraft, monitored safety, and
mobilized supplies via phone and radio communications
- Transcribed all communications in real-time for legal purposes
- Operated geospatial software for monitoring aircraft, environmental indices, documenting fire activity
- Trained and mentored incoming dispatchers & guided tours of the facility
- Worked in temporary fire camps in remote field locations
- Teamwork paramount

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Western Industrial Clay Products, Kamloops, B.C., Canada

Lab Technician

2000 2003 Jan Dec

Duties:
- Conducted quality control testing of diatomaceous earth products
- Researched and developed methods for producing hydroponic products and natural pesticides
- Designed and implemented vegetation growth studies
- Maintained quality control databases & prepared internal reports
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FIELD EXPERIENCE
2011 Apr - 2014 Jun

Four field excursions aboard Canadian Coast Guard Vessel, CCGS Vector
Baynes Sound, Nodales Channel, Broughton Archipelago, Salish Sea, B.C., Canada
- Water column characterization: CTD casts and rosette water samples, oxygen
fixation for DO analysis, particle size distribution with LISST laser particle
sizer, GPS and ancillary data.
- Benthic characterization: Benthic grabs, sediment sieving for macro and
meiofauna, coring, sulphide analysis, drop camera and ROV video footage,
GPS & distance-bearing locational data, electronic archive of footage

2006 July Aug

2008 Jun Sept
& 2010 July

Marine benthic survey

Sidney Island Marine Protected Area, Gulf Islands Natl. Park, B.C., Canada
- Above- and in-water optical data acquisition
- Under-water videography with boat-towed drop camera
- Depth measurements and Secchi Disc casts
- Ancillary observations (weather, sea state, wind speed) & dGPS
- Surface water sampling with Niskin bottles
- Survey of benthic habitat, eelgrass density, leaf area index & epiphyte load

2006 April & July

Two one-week research cruises aboard the MSV John Strickland

Strait of Georgia, B.C., Canada
- Above- and in-water optical data collection
- On-site optical identification of euphotic boundary
- Multi-depth water sampling with Niskin bottles on winch apparatus
- CTD, fluorometer, Secchi disc casts, and phytoplankton net tows
- On-vessel filtering and preparation of water samples for CDOM, total
suspended matter, pigment, and phytoplankton composition analysis.

2008 June
2010 July

Seagrass Conservation Working Group & Mayne Conservancy Volunteer

Mayne Island, B.C., Canada
- Delineation of eelgrass meadow boundaries using GPS and videography
- Shoot density and leaf area index transects

2004 Oct Nov

Estuarine water properties and zooplankton sampling

Sarita Estuary, Barkley Sound, B.C., Canada
- Zooplankton net tows
- CTD casts

2004 Sept Dec

Bamfield Marine Science Station field courses

Bamfield, B.C., Canada
- Faunal and algal community sampling with quadrat transects
- ROV acquisition and data analysis

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RELEVANT SKILLS
Computer skills
-

ArcGIS
ENVI and PCI geospatial image processing software
SPSS, SYSTAT, SigmaPlot
Microsoft Excel: complex databases, VBA macros

- Endnote, Mendeley & Refworks

- R (introductory)
- Photoshop (introductory)

GIS
-

Spatial data query, visualization, mapping, and presentation

Basic spatial interpolation and multi-criteria modelling
Satellite and air-photo projection in ArcGIS with query of ancillary field data

Equipment Proficiency

Optical

Laboratory

Satlantic HyperSAS and handheld field spectroradiometers

Satlantic HyperPRO spectroradiometric water column profiler
Satlantic OCR-3000 total irradiance sensor
Wet Labs ac-s flow-through spectrophotometer
Sequioa LISST (Laser In Situ Scattering and Transmissometry)
Sea Sciences Acrobat water profiling instrument (introductory)

Dionex HPLC (pigments)

Bench-top spectrophotometer
Bench-top fluorometer

Physical

Field

CTD/rosette & Niskin line

Smith-Mcintyre and Petersen grabs
Gravity corer
Sediment screens
Plankton tow net and sample divider
Drop camera (proficient) and ROV (introductory)
dGPS (proficient) and surveying equipment (introductory)
Syringe water filter

Vacuum filter apparatus

Ovens and furnaces
Plankton culture apparatus
Fish & shellfish culture tanks

Laboratory Experience
-

Water sample filtration and preservation

Pigment composition analysis (HPLC method)
Chlorophyll-a analysis (fluorometric method)
Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) analysis (spectrophotometric method)
Total suspended matter (TSM) analysis (Dry Weight method)
Total Organic Carbon (TOC) analysis (Loss on Ignition method)
Sediment fraction analysis (sieve method)
Phytoplankton and zooplankton identification and enumeration

Supervision Experience
2011-2013

Supervised EG-2 technician staff

Provided direction and routine progress meetings

2010

Volunteer with Seagrass Conservation Working Group

Provided basic marine ecology education for primary and secondary school students

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2007-2008

Teaching Assistant
Instructed labs and seminars, planned and lead field trips, held office hours, marked
assignments, presentations, and exams for undergraduate courses at UVic:
- GEOG 420: Field Studies in Coastal Geomatics
- GEOG 328: Geographic Information Sciences for Natural Science
- GEOG 319: Remote Sensing of the Environment

2005 2009

BCFS Wildfire Emergency Dispatcher (see other employment)

Mentored, trained, and supervised new dispatchers

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CERTIFICATIONS
Occupational First Aid Level 1 with CPR-AED & TC Marine Basic First Aid
2015 January
2014 May
Eligible for Registered Professional Biologist designation
2013 February
Hazardous spill response certification
2013 January
WHMIS certification
2009 December
PADI Open Water Diver scuba certification
2006 May
Certificate of Radio Proficiency: Restricted Operator Aeronautical
2004 September
Recreational Boat Operator Licence
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AWARDS RECEIVED
April 2007
March 2007
April 2006
July 2007
April 2006
September 2004
September 2004
September 2000

NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship - Masters (PGS-M)

UVic Graduate Research Fellowship
NSERC Undergraduate Research Award
President's Research Scholarship
Deans List, UVic Geography Department
John J. Dobrocky Scholarship for outstanding potential toward a marine sciences career
Bamfield Marine Station Scholarship for fall semester
Government Exams Scholarship
Cedar Dental Clinic Science Scholarship
National Icelandic Society Scholarship

Travel grant to the 2008 American Society of Limnology and

Oceanography Ocean Sciences Meeting, Orlando, Florida.
May 2007
International Ocean Colour Coordinating Group scholarship for travel and
attendance of IOCCG/CSA training course: Analysis and Applications of
Satellite-Derived Ocean-Colour Data, St. Johns, Newfoundland
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March 2008