$2.5M investment to chart future health of Canada’s oceans

UBC Fisheries Centre researchers have received $2.5 million to examine the future health and economic potential of Canada's oceans from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s (SSHRC).

OceanCanada is a research collaboration between 15 Canadian universities, non-governmental organizations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), and others and is supported by the SSHRC Partnership Grants program. It was one of 14 Partnership Grants awarded nationwide this year and the only one to UBC. The research council grants were announced today by Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology) at Brandon University.

“SSHRC’s support is crucial to advancing our understanding of the future of our oceans, a critical issue for the people of Canada,” says John Hepburn, UBC vice president, research and international.

The six-year project will look at both the challenges and opportunities facing Canada’s oceans and the coastal communities, including Aboriginal communities that depend on them. Previous research from the UBC Fisheries Centre suggests that as ocean’s warm, fish move to colder waters, indicating that more and more fish could move into Canada’s northern waters. Meanwhile stressors like ocean acidification, marine debris and pollution create new challenges for Canadian fisheries and coastal communities.

“Some regions will see new opportunities while others will likely see fewer fish,” says Rashid Sumaila, research director of OceanCanada and a professor in the UBC Fisheries Centre.

“OceanCanada will map out possible future scenarios for our coastal communities so we can prepare and plan for the challenges and take advantage of new opportunities.”

The Canadian economy remains closely tied to the oceans: industries working in, on and around the oceans employ about 315,000 Canadians and contribute more than $26 billion a year to the nation’s wealth.