Tracee Geernaert is a biologist at the Halibut Commission. We asked her some questions about her job. Here’s what she said…

How long did you have to go to school to become a scientist?

I spent 5 years at the University of Victoria taking marine biology and graduated with a Bachelor of Science.

How and when did you get your job at the Halibut Commission?

I got my job in the summer of 1986 – I was 26 years old – after hearing about the position from my co-worker Joan Forsberg .  Ironically I had thought to apply for the job and then forgot.  Joan and I were at a party when she told me she had been hired. I quickly sent off a resume knowing I was past the deadline for applications.  I was hired because they had someone quit unexpectedly and my boss knew one of my references. It was certainly one of those circumstances where I was in the right place at the right time.

What do you spend most of your time doing at your job?

It sort of depends on the time of year. In the summer I am often at sea, working on one of our survey vessels. When the halibut season opens, I am in one of the ports where the first fish is delivered for sale.  At that time, I’m working with our port samplers collecting data.  During the winter, I am responsible for editing fishing logs and landing information from the commercial halibut fleet. This information is part of our stock assessment and essential to the management and health of the halibut population.

What is the best part about being a biologist?

I really enjoy being outside, whether it’s collecting data at-sea or touring a port or talking to the skippers. I love traveling.

What is the worst part about being a biologist?

I guess I can say sometimes it’s difficult to sit at my desk and edit data all day, so I think it would be the data editing.

When you study halibut, are they alive or dead?

We study both the alive and dead halibut. One of our old timers used to say, "we have to sacrifice some to help the many".  Any fish that we collect earbones or other biological information from  have to die in order for that to happen. We use a lot of it for many different projects. In fact, some of the earbones we collected back in the 1920’s are still being used in experiments today. In some of our research experiments we are catching and tagging halibut. It’s a lot of fun to bring them aboard a boat and then be able to drop them over the side and watch them swim away with a tag attached. I often wonder what the other fish think of their new jewelry.

What advice would you give to students who are interested in getting a job like yours someday?

Work hard and make a lot of contacts in the field you are studying. It means sometimes that you have to put in the extra hours or volunteer without getting paid, but it’s those contacts that will help you get the job you love.