The IOF Oceans and Fisheries Seminar Series is open to the public. Everyone is welcome!
The IOF Oceans and Fisheries Seminar Series invites speakers to present the latest research in a wide range of disciplines related to freshwater systems, the oceans, and fisheries. Past speakers have included public communicators, economists, ecosystem modellers, anthropologists, and ecologists. These seminars draw a diverse audience, leading to thought-provoking discussions and a sharing of new ideas and perspectives.
Academic Year 2020/21
These seminars, which are also part of the FISH 500 course, will be offered online via ZOOM every Friday, from 11:00am to 12:00pm.
Term 2, 2020/21
DATE | SPEAKER | TITLE |
January 29 | Dr. Nyawira Muthiga, Director, WCS Marine Program Kenya, Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association | The marine and coastal resources of the East African region provide ecological, economic and social resources for millions of people. Anthropogenic pressures including overfishing and climate change threaten these resources. Contrary to expectations that the ecological and social diversity of the region will present insurmountable challenges, this very diversity provides opportunities for testing innovative ways to address management. Drawing on research from scientists in the Eastern African region, Dr. Muthiga will present a case study of the conservation of coral reefs, the most biodiverse and ecologically important marine ecosystem in East Africa. She will outline the changes that have occurred summarized from key findings from ecological and socio-economic studies focusing on the main pressures on reefs namely fishing and climate change. She will do this against the background of national and regional changes in governance of marine protected areas and small scale fisheries driven by the gradual change from top down management approaches to co-management. Lastly, Dr. Muthiga will present lessons learned and policy options to enhance the ability of coral reef communities in East Africa to sustainably manage SSF and coral reefs. |
February 5 | Sara Cannon, PhD candidate, UBC Department of Geography and IOF | Many natural and marine scientists work in places with long histories of occupation and colonialism, where the impacts of colonialism are still ongoing. No matter how well-intentioned, biodiversity conservation work can perpetuate those legacies. Most scientists working in conservation-related fields are not taught about the ways their efforts can impact local people and communities, which can undermine the goals of their work. In order to end ongoing harm to Indigenous communities, we need to start by understanding the many ways the work we do and the assumptions we make are informed by colonial frameworks. Effective and just conservation requires that non-Indigenous scientists step back so that Indigenous peoples can take the lead, and our efforts must support that leadership. In this talk, Sara Cannon will discuss the history of biodiversity conservation, challenge the assumptions that the field is based upon, and identify how these assumptions led to conservation approaches that continue to harm Indigenous peoples around the world today. She will end with case studies that illustrate potential ways that scientists working in conservation can decolonize our approaches to simultaneously improve conservation efforts and support Indigenous sovereignty. |
February 12 | Dr. Ibrahim Issifu, Postdoctoral Fellow, Fisheries Economics Research Unit, UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries | Economic implications of marine plastic pollution |
February 19 | READING WEEK | |
February 26 | Dr. Joey Bernhardt, Hutchinson Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University. | TBA |
March 5 | Dr. Rebecca Asch, Assistant Professor, East Carolina University | TBA |
March 12 | Drs. Philippa Cohen and Christina Hicks, Worldfish | TBA |
March 19 | Dr. Rashid Sumaila | TBA |
March 26 | Dr. Jesse Morin | New Insights Into Pre-Contact Coast Salish Salmon Fisheries and Implications for Modern Stewardship |
April 2 | GOOD FRIDAY | |
April 9 | IOF Student presentations | IOF Student presentations |
January 15 | Dr. Martin Wolf, postdoctoral associate, Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy | The Environmental Performance Index: What can data-driven analyses teach us about sustainability policy around the world? |
January 22 | Dr. Kristina Boerder, postdoctoral researcher, Dalhousie University | Protecting marine biodiversity in the Anthropocene |
DATE | SPEAKER | TITLE | September 11 | Dr. Dana Lepofsky, Simon Fraser University | The Clam Garden Network: Exploring the social-ecological contexts of clam management in the past, present and future |
September 18 | Dr. Robert Blasiak, Stockholm Resilience Centre | The ocean genome and future prospects for conservation and equity |
September 25 | Dr. Jessica Sparks, University of Nottingham | Modern slavery at sea: Working conditions in a changing marine environment |
October 2 | Dr. Andrea Reid | "Two-Eyed Seeing": An Indigenous framework to transform fisheries research and management |
October 9 | Dr. Thomas Froelicher, University of Bern | Ocean extremes: From marine heatwaves to compound events NOTE: This session was not recorded at the speaker's request. |
October 16 | Dr. Ryan Rykaczewski, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service | Projected impacts of anthropogenic climate change on the California Current pelagic ecosystem NOTE: This session was not recorded at the speaker's request. |
October 23 | Dr. Loren McClenachan, Elizabeth and Lee Ainslie Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Colby College | Warming waters, climate history, and adaptation: Lessons from Maine’s lobster fishery NOTE: This session was not recorded at the speaker's request. |
October 30 | Dr. Sarah Harper, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Victoria and Nature United | Closing the gender data gap to improve small-scale fisheries research and policy NOTE: This session was not recorded at the speaker's request. |
November 6 | Dr. Boris Worm, Dalhousie University | People and the Sea: A positive vision for 2050 |
November 13 | Dr. Dana Miller, Senior Policy Advisor, Oceana Europe | Fighting IUU fishing through improving corporate due diligence |
November 20 | Karen Sack, Ocean Unite | Collaborating on Financial Innovation to Build Resilience to Ocean Risk through Nature Based Solutions |
November 27 | Dr. Andrea Frommel, Postdoctoral Fellow, Pelagic Ecosystems Lab | Effects of environmental parameters on early life stages of commercial fishes and the implications for aquaculture |
Term 1, 2019/20
DATE | SPEAKER | TITLE |
September 13 | Rachael Sullivan Equity Facilitator UBC Equity & Inclusion |
Community Building Education: Diversity and Inclusion at UBC Video was not recorded |
October 4 | Dr. Alejandro Buren, Research Scientist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Science advice in the context of complex and changing ocean ecosystems |
October 11 | Dr. Laura Parfrey, Assistant Professor, UBC Departments for Botany and Zoology | Microbial community assembly on seaweeds Video was not recorded at the speaker's request |
October 18 | Dr. Scott Hinch, Professor, UBC Forestry | Touching salmon: When is it wrong? Consequences of release or escape from fisheries capture |
October 25 | Dr. Gideon Mordecai, Postdoctoral Fellow, UBC | A genomic view of viruses in farmed salmon in BC Video was not recorded at the speaker's request |
November 1 | Dr. Evelyn Pinkerton, Professor, School of Resource & Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University | Strategies and Policies Supporting Access and Conservation by Small-Scale Fishermen in a Neoliberal World |
November 8 | Dr. Patrick T. Martone, Professor, UBC Botany & Biodiversity Research Centre | The rise and fall of coralline algae: Evolutionary, morphological, and ecological trends |
November 15 | Jeroen Steenbeek, Software engineer, Ecopath International Initiative | Recent advances in the Ecopath with Ecosim food (EwE) web modelling approach |
November 22 | Marta Coll, Researcher, Institute of Marine Science (ICM–CSIC) (Barcelona, Spain) | Advancing food web modelling capabilities to analyse global ocean futures |
November 29 | Seth Wynes, PhD student, UBC Department of Geography | How academics can lead by example in a carbon constrained world Note: Video is available, however the sound cuts out at 28.08. Video continues to end so viewers can see the full slide deck. |
Term 2
DATE | SPEAKER | TITLE |
January 10 | Panellists: Peter Klein, Professor, UBC Journalism and Executive Director, Global Reporting Program Caroline Graham, IOF M.Sc. student (China) Thomas Smith, IOF M.Sc. student (West Africa) Moderator: Monique Rodrigues, UBC Journalism alum |
Panel Discussion: Fish You Don't Know You Eat |
January 17 | Nigel Haggan, MA, MSc, PhD | Unsettling fisheries science |
January 24 | Ian Urbina, New York Times investigative reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner | The Outlaw Ocean: A conversation with Ian Urbina |
January 31 | Dr. Dyhia Belhabib, Ecotrust Canada | Spying and snitching on fishy behaviour at sea |
February 7 | Kyra St-Pierre, Postdoctoral Fellow, Pelagic Ecosystems Lab | What happens on land doesn't stay on land: Downstream impacts of watershed changes in northern ecosystems. This session was not be recorded at the speaker's request |
February 14 | Sharon Wu, Managing Director, Research Support Services | Navigating Research Support Services at UBC This session was not be recorded at the speaker's request |
February 28 | Dr. Jennifer Sunday, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, McGill University | The ecological mechanics of range shifts in a warming world |
March 6 | Jeffrey Whiting, President & Founder, Artists for Conservation Foundation | Art as a force for conservation |
March 13 | Dr. Jessica Garzke, Postdoctoral Fellow, Pelagic Ecosystems Lab | Environmental changes influence coastal plankton communities with implications on food quantity and quality for fish |