Your local sea snail might not make it in warmer oceans – but oysters will
The frilled dog winkle may sound like a complex knot for a tie, but this local sea snail holds clues to our warmer future, including a dire outlook for species that can’t move, adapt, or acclimate as fast as their environment heats up.
IOF students visit Chilliwack
Students from the IOF’s FISH 520 course took a fieldtrip to Chilliwack with Dr. Jordan Rosenfeld, Honorary Professor, Applied Freshwater Fisheries Research Unit (AFERU)
Are viruses keeping sea lice at bay in wild salmon?
More than 30 previously unknown RNA viruses in sea lice have been identified by UBC researchers. Sea lice are parasitic copepods (small crustaceans) found in many fresh and saltwater habitats and have been implicated in the decline of wild salmon populations.
Jellyfish size might influence their nutritional value, UBC study finds
Researchers confirmed what was already known: jellyfish eat bigger prey as they grow, which means they also occupy a higher position in the food web as they grow. They also found that some of the concentrations of ‘healthy fats,’ increase as jellyfish grow. These changes might be influenced by their diet, and as they feed on bigger prey with higher levels of fatty acids, the jellyfish accumulate more of these fatty acids.
Food quality matters for southern resident killer whales, UBC study states
If southern resident killer whales ate just low-lipid salmon, they would have to eat around 80,000 more Chinook salmon every year than if they just ate high-lipid salmon.
Toxic toilet paper and long-lasting chemicals found in endangered killer whales
A chemical used in the production of toilet paper and ‘forever chemicals’ have been found in the bodies of orcas in B.C. , including the endangered southern resident killer whales.
The DNA of salmon heritage
Two UBC researchers are exploring the problem of dwindling salmon runs from opposite ends of the knowledge continuum—cutting edge genomics, and empirical evidence gathered over millennia by the Indigenous Peoples of the coast.
Food quality might be key for juvenile sockeye salmon growth and survival
The quality of food sockeye salmon eat along their migration routes is more important to their growth and condition than quantity, a new study has found, highlighting concerns about the effects of climate change on ocean conditions and salmon.
Expect shorter food chains in more productive coastal ecosystems
“We provided evidence for bottom-up omnivory in nutrient-rich temperate pelagic ecosystems, where food chain length is determined by the level of diatom production,” said Jacob Lerner. “This is very different from the global model for pelagic ecosystems.”
IOF finds fun fighting fire and fatigue in footslog up (and down) Frosty Mountain
“I’d walk through a burning building if there was a golden larch on the other side,” Adam Hicks remarked