Student Profile: Alex (Alejandro) Schmill
Alejandro (Alex) Schmill is a first-year MSc student, co-supervised by Dr. William Cheung and Dr. Margot Hessing-Lewis of the Hakai Institute.
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.
These bodies of water are right next to each other, but oceans apart
Areas of B.C.’s coastal ocean may look similar from above water, but under the water, they can be completely different worlds, in terms of temperature, salinity, ocean acidification, and nutrient concentrations.
Feast and famine for juvenile salmon as they navigate BC’s complex coastal waters
Zooplankton communities are profoundly shaped by BC’s complicated coastlines, creating a mosaic of foraging conditions for the juvenile salmon that depend on them for sustenance.
STUDENT PROFILE: Natalie Benoit
Benoit’s field research is based in the Strait of Georgia and Johnstone Strait, where she collects samples of environmental DNA – eDNA is microscopic pieces of genetic material left behind when the fish travel through water – from Pacific salmon.
Aerial drones offer new perspective on resident killer whale behaviour
Scientists got a rare glimpse into the underwater behaviour of killer whales off the B.C. coast, with the help of aerial drones.
HCI Marine Food Webs – Summer sampling trip to Quadra Island
Hakai Coastal Initiative Marine Food Webs Working Group (FWWG) undertook a 10-day sampling trip which looked at day/night behaviour of bacteria, protists, zooplankton, and parasites in the Strait of Georgia.
How climate-controlled growth flumes could help us explore unanswered questions about kelp and climate change
New equipment creates environmental conditions that mimic the projected future state of our oceans, allowing them play out “what if” scenarios for situations like climate change.
Super Salmon Science
Hakai Institute’s Juvenile Salmon Program investigates factors affecting juvenile salmon across the Discovery Islands and Johnstone Strait.
Hakai Coastal Initiative’s Marine Food Webs Working Group
This collaborative research unit aims to understand how marine food webs operate, with a particular focus on British Columbia’s coastal ocean.