IOF’s 10 Year Anniversary Symposium
The Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries (IOF) at The University of British Columbia is marking its 10th Anniversary in 2026. This milestone also commemorates over 70 years of groundbreaking research, policy engagement, education, and innovation in fisheries and ocean science at UBC.
To honour this occasion, we are holding a one-day symposium to look to the future of the field, to “Reimagine the Future of Oceans and Fisheries.”
Please join us as we critically reflect on where we are, envision where we need to go, and inspire a new generation of researchers and practitioners dedicated to sustaining oceans and aquatic systems.
| May 5, 2026 All Day 1st Floor, AERL Building (2202 Main Mall, UBC Vancouver) |
HERE Please RSVP by Friday, April 24. |
| Time | Event | |
| 8:00-9:00 am | Registration | |
| 9:00-9:15 | Welcoming Remarks
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| 9:15-10:45 | Bold Ideas for the Future of Oceans, Freshwater, and Fisheries This session will feature short, forward-looking presentations that challenge conventional thinking and present ambitious ideas about the future of oceans, freshwater systems, and fisheries. Speakers include:
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| 10:45-11:15 | Coffee Break | |
| 11:15-12:30 | PANEL: Science, Power, and Decision-Making This session will examine the forces that shape how knowledge informs policy and management in oceans and fisheries. Topics will include the role of artificial intelligence, navigating geopolitical dynamics, Indigenous knowledge and authority, land-sea and urban-ocean linkages, and gender equity.
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| 12:30-1:30 | Lunch and Poster Session | |
| 1:30-2:45 | Current Research in the IOF This session will provide ten IOF community members the opportunity to give short, 5 minute overviews of their current research activities, and how they will shape knowledge, inform policy, and management change in the field of oceans, freshwater, and fisheries. |
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| 2:45-3:15 | Coffee Break | |
| 3:15-4:30 | PANEL – Turning Knowledge into Action: Partnerships that Deliver This session will focus on how collaborations among researchers, governments, Indigenous communities, industry, and other partners can translate knowledge into meaningful outcomes for oceans, freshwater, and fisheries. |
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| 4:30-5:00 | Closing Reflections | |
| 6:00-8:00 | Evening reception | |
Dr. William Cheung, Professor and Director, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
Dr. Simon Donner, Professor, Department of Geography, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability
Dr. Rashid Sumaila, University Killam Professor, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, Canada Research Chair, Interdisciplinary Ocean and Fisheries Economics
Dr. Amanda Vincent, Founding Director, Project Seahorse, and Professor, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
Dr. Marie Auger-Méthé, Associate Professor, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries & Department of Statistics
Dr. David Rosen, Assistant Professor, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
Dr. Kristen Sora, Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
Dr. Christopher Harley, Professor, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries & UBC Zoology
Dr. Andrea Reid, Assistant Professor, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, Canada Research Chair, Indigenous Fisheries Science, & Principal Investigator, Centre for Indigenous Fisheries
Dr. Colette Wabnitz, Senior Researcher, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries & Senior Researcher, Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University
Dr. Juliano Palcios-Abrantes, Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
Greig Oldford, PhD student, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries