I am a PhD Candidate at Simon Fraser University, in the Earth to Oceans Group, working with the Salmon Watersheds Lab. I am both an ecologist and geomorphologist interested in landscape changes, watershed science and Pacific salmon. It remains a challenge to understand how river systems, consisting of interconnected people, landscapes, and fish respond to current and future climate change. This uncertainty of climate impacts challenges policy makers, decision-makers, and communities that are involved with salmon conservation. With my research, I hope to provide some insight into these topics. 
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I have been conducting fieldwork in the Skeena Watershed, northwest British Columbia. Previously to starting my PhD, I worked in various positions with First Nation communities, BC Ministry Staff, and NGOs. I completed a MSc at the University of Victoria in Physical Geography with a focus on climate and glaciers. 
 
​Want to get in touch? Email me: karapitman[at]gmail.com

News

Apr 17, 2019: "When the glaciers disappear, those species will go extinct". Our work (and others) was written about in a beautiful photo essay by the New York Times! See here.
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Nov 15-16, 2018: Participated in Science Communication Compass Workshop - "Grad #SciComm Fellows Workshop." led by Nancy Baron.  

July 21, 2018: Presented "Glacier retreat creates new salmon habitat in Alaska" at the Canadian Society of Ecology and Evolution (CSEE) conference, held in Guelph ON.

June 20, 2018:  "New Streams of Thought: Glacial Retreat Creates New Salmon Habitat". Our working ideas covered in Biobriefs, a section of Bioscience, see here. 

June 10-15, 2018: Presented "Glacier retreat creates new salmon habitat in Alaska" at the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) conference, held in Victoria BC. 

Dec 5, 2017: Read my Notes from the field, 2017. Check out other Moore lab members notes as well! 
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​Nov 9-12, 2017: Myself, Matt Sloat (Wild Salmon Center), and Jonathan Moore led a workshop on glacial retreat and salmon futures. Participants were experts in glaciers, hydrology, climate change, and salmon from Alaska to California to the United Kingdom.
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May 2017: Participated in Science Odyssey Week by giving a lunch hour talk and hosting an "interactive cart" at the Vancouver Aquarium.

May 7-11, 2017: Presented "Glacier Retreat and Salmon Futures" at Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution (CSEE) conference, held in Victoria BC.