Kees Vermeer
The Pacific Seabird Group is honored to present Dr. Kees Vermeer with a Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of exceptional contributions to marine ornithology and to PSG.
His impact on seabird biology began with a 1963 publication on clutch size, from his MSc on Glaucous-winged Gulls. This paper, a Citation Classic, challenged accepted theory, including work by David Lack and Niko Tinbergen. After his PhD, he began a long career with the Canadian Wildlife Service. He initiated research on Triangle Island, the most important seabird colony in British Columbia, and several other colonies. This was the foundation of long-term research continuing today and
numerous key publications on Cassin’s Auklets, Rhinoceros Auklets, Tufted Puffins and more. At the same time Kees initiated at-sea surveys off BC, leading to the present atlas of pelagic birds off western Canada. He collaborated with plankton and fish biologists for the most intensive investigations at that time into diets and foraging of several Pacific seabirds. Overall, he published high-quality papers on diets, foraging, breeding biology and distribution of almost every seabird regularly occurring in BC.
With his wife Rebecca and other collaborators, Kees made major contributions to wildlife toxicology. Two 1974 bibliographies on wildlife oil pollution were the most complete documentation at the time and are still regularly cited today. Two 1975 reviews of oil pollution affecting seabirds off BC and Yukon followed. These early reviews brought to light key elements of oil pollution, subsequently supported by extensive research: e.g., susceptibility of diving seabirds to oiling; major impacts of chronic small spills. Kees also did ground-breaking research into organochlorides and other toxic chemicals affecting waterbirds.
For three decades Kees was the go-to person to review almost any aspect of seabird biology in BC, resulting in numerous book chapters and journal papers, including the first comprehensive review of the status of BC seabirds (Croxall et al. 1984: Status and Conservation of the World’s Seabirds). Kees convened symposia and edited five resultant multi-authored compendia to summarize regional information on seabirds in BC and the North Pacific.
Kees was an early supporter of the fledgling PSG and was active within the group through his career and into retirement. He was the Chair of PSG in 1981.
At age 89 Kees published an excellent autobiography detailing his career, childhood in Nazi-occupied Netherlands, emigration to Canada and more.
