B.Sc., M.Sc., PhD.
Former National Senior Scientific Advisor, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Canada
Adjunct Professor, NRPOP Lab, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University
Personal Profile
Dr. Kenneth Lee was a Senior Research Scientist (RES-5 level) under Fisheries and Oceans Canada responsible for the development and implementation of original and independent research projects in environmental impact assessment, ecotoxicology, and contaminated site remediation. He was the Founding Director of the Centre for Offshore Oil, Gas and Energy Research (COOGER) in 2002, a national Centre of Expertise (COE) under Fisheries and Oceans Canada responsible for the provision of scientific knowledge and advice (on the potential environmental impacts associated with the development of Canada’s offshore oil and gas and ocean renewable energy sector) to support policy, regulatory and operational decisions. From 2014-2017, he served as the Director, Wealth from Oceans Flagship and Business Unit Director Oceans and Atmosphere Business Unit, CSIRO (Australia’s national science agency) with the goal to provide the knowledge required to enhance Australia’s prosperity and wellbeing through research that will underpin sustainable economic, social, and environmental use of Australia’s marine estate and the management of its atmospheric environment.
Retired recently from his position as Research Scientist and National Senior Science Advisor for Oil Spill Research, Preparedness and Response for Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Dr. Kenneth Lee now continues his activities as the Science Lead for the Multi-Partner Research Initiative (MPRI) for Natural Resources Canada under Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan which supports collaborative research at the national and international level between academia, government and the private sector to advance oil spill response measures and science based decision making during oil spill response operations.
Recognized as a world expert in the assessment of environmental impacts associated with the development of offshore oil and gas sector and the development, evaluation and application of oil spill countermeasure technologies, with a record of more than 600 academic and technical publications; Dr. Kenneth Lee has influenced the development and revision of national policies, international standards and governance for the protection of the marine environment. Dr. Lee has served on multiple Science Advisory Teams for major oil spill response operations internationally. In 2015 he was appointed Chair of the Royal Society of Canada’s Expert Panel on the Behaviour and Environmental Impacts of Crude Oil Released into Aqueous Environments. International recognition of his knowledge on oil spill research, preparedness and response include four appointments on US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the Academies) Committees. In 2024, Dr. Lee was inducted Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineers, awarded the International Oil Spill Conference (IOSC) Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Senator Gary Peters Award for Innovation in Great Lakes Oil Spill Research. Other recent awards include the 2023 Timothy R. Parsons Medal for his accomplishments in multidisciplinary facets of ocean sciences; the 2022 “Hall of Fame” Discovery Center Award for Science and Technology, and the 2021 Legacy Award from the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force. The Government of Canada has bestowed upon him DFO’s “Prix d’Excellence” twice and the “Federal Partners in Technology Transfer – Leadership Award” for his research on the development and application of oil spill countermeasures.