News
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Herbivores help protect ecosystems from climate change
October 10, 2017
Plant-eating critters are the key ingredient to helping ecosystems survive global warming, finds new UBC research that offers some hope for a defence strategy against climate change. “The herbivores created space for other plants and animals to move in and we saw much more diversity and… read more
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Sea bass show chronic impairment after exposure to crude oil
October 3, 2017
We may be underestimating the long-term impact of oil spills on fish, particularly their ability to tolerate low oxygen environments, according to research from the University of British Columbia (UBC), the Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO) and L'Institut Français de Recherche… read more
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Some marine species more vulnerable to climate change than others
September 26, 2017
Certain marine species will fare much worse than others as they become more vulnerable to the effects of climate change, a new UBC study has found. After analyzing the biological characteristics of 1,074 marine fish and shellfish, the study identified 294 species that are most at-risk due to… read more
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Going diving in the tropics? Don’t eat the reef fish!
September 21, 2017
Reducing tourist consumption of reef fish is critical for Palau’s ocean sustainability, finds a new UBC study that suggests other small island nations might also consider adopting this strategy. Climate change is expected to lead to sharp declines in Palau’s reefs, and this new… read more
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Royal Society of Canada awards medals to two UBC researchers
September 19, 2017
The Royal Society of Canada has awarded the 2017 Sir John William Dawson Medal to UBC fisheries researcher Daniel Pauly and the Rutherford Memorial Medal in Physics to astronomer Ingrid Stairs. Pauly is a fisheries biologist and Principal Investigator of the Sea Around Us Project, a large… read more
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Changes in Earth's crust caused oxygen to fill the atmosphere
September 18, 2017
Scientists have long wondered how Earth’s atmosphere filled with oxygen. UBC geologist Matthijs Smit and research partner Klaus Mezger may have found the answer in continental rocks that are billions of years old. “Oxygenation was waiting to happen,” said Smit. “All it may… read more
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Bird song could isolate species: UBC research
September 13, 2017
Two birds that look the same, but have songs so different they can't recognize each other, should be considered distinct species, suggests new University of British Columbia research. “Songs are important for birds and who they choose to mate with,” said Benjamin Freeman, a Banting… read more
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Small-scale fisheries have big impact on oceans
September 13, 2017
A new UBC study has found that small-scale fisheries may have a much larger impact on ocean ecosystems than previously thought, due to a lack of data on their development over time. “We found that the influence from small-scale fisheries is far from small,” said Jennifer Selgrath,… read more
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Two UBC Science researchers inducted into College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists
September 12, 2017
UBC zoologist Kai Chan and computer scientist Joanna McGrenere have been elected to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. Kai Chain is an interdisciplinary, problem-oriented sustainability scientist. He strives to understand how social-ecological… read more
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Federal investment helps UBC researchers and students push the boundaries of knowledge and innovation
September 8, 2017
UBC Science researchers have received more than $16 million in support as part of a half-billion-dollar Federal investment in scientific and engineering research across Canada. The University also received $6 million in support for postgraduate student scholarships and fellowships. The Minister… read more