News
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Duo of Titanic Galaxies Captured in Extreme Starbursting Merger
November 13, 2017
New observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have uncovered the never-before-seen close encounter between two astoundingly bright and spectacularly massive galaxies in the early universe. These so-called hyper-luminous starburst galaxies are exceedingly rare at… read more
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A warbler's flashy yellow throat? There are genes for that
November 8, 2017
Birds get their bright red, orange and yellow plumage from carotenoid pigments—responsible for many of the same bright colours in plants. But how songbirds turn carotenoids into the spectacular variety of feathered patches found in nature has remained a mystery. Now University of British… read more
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50-years of data from a 'living oxygen minimum' lab could help predict the oceans' future
November 2, 2017
Canadian and US Department of Energy researchers have released 50 years’ worth of data chronicling the deoxygenating cycles of a fjord off Canada’s west coast, and detailing the response of the microbial communities inhabiting the fjord. The mass of data, collected in two new Nature… read more
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We can’t eat our way out of the global jellyfish boom
October 24, 2017
A surge in jellyfish populations has many fisheries experts concerned. But could we solve the problem by serving them up for dinner? UBC zoologist Lucas Brotz (BSc’ 00, MSc’ 11, PhD’ 17) explains why it’s not as easy as making jellyfish pie. There are a lot more jellyfish… read more
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UBC fisheries expert wins Volvo Environment Prize
October 16, 2017
The 2017 Volvo Environment Prize has been awarded to Rashid Sumaila, professor in UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and School of Public Policy, Director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit (FERU) and OceanCanada Partnership, for his innovative work in fisheries economics and… read more
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New materials, astronomy research at UBC get boost from CFI
October 13, 2017
Almost $10 million in new research infrastructure funding announced today will enable UBC physicists and chemists to explore the potential of emerging quantum materials and search for remnants of the Big Bang. Four UBC Science-led projects are among 15 funded at UBC by the Canada Foundation for… read more
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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