Ecosystem modelling paints a devastating picture for top marine predators by 2099
Without effective carbon mitigation the ocean would lose 18% of animal biomass by 2099 relative to the present day.
PROFILE: Finding novel ways to use modelling to solve oceans, fisheries and social problems
GOM took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic, moving online, and connecting with researchers from 29 countries.
Blue herons identified as a significant juvenile salmon predator
Looking for predators that ate salmon, an Indigenous biologist suggested looking at heron. Discarded tags proved Pacific great blue herons could be scooping up as many as 3-6% of all juvenile salmon.
Orca Quest 2020: In Search of Killer Whales
In August 2020, Marine Mammal Research Unit (MMRU) researchers set sail to determine whether there are enough chinook salmon to support southern resident killer whales in the Salish Sea.
PROFILE: Ocean Leaders step outside the lab to connect with communities and solve ocean problems
Ocean Leaders teaches students from across disciplines in the natural and social sciences how to communicate marine research to a broad audience
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.
STUDENT PROFILE: Ana Pozas
Focusing her research on the diets of California sea lions, Pozas enjoys working with the ‘dogs of the sea’, proving that the “ocean is not such a scary place and that there’s so much to learn still.”
STUDENT PROFILE: Samantha Ramirez
I’m creating a model that will predict the hypoxic conditions of freshwater streams years from now. This will help governmental organizations know where to focus their conservation efforts in terms of which streams are going to be the most impacted by our changing environment, said Ramirez.
STUDENT PROFILE: Meaghan Efford
With a background in archaeology, Efford been able to put her unique skillset to use working with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation to create a model of the Burrard Inlet’s pre-colonial contact aquatic ecosystems.
Salmon diet database gives researchers a new “window into the lives of salmon”
The database fill gaps in scientists’ understanding of the late marine phase of the salmon life cycle