Investigating Ecosystem Change in British Columbias Coastal Habitats

Nearshore marine ecosystems are undergoing change, with ecological, economical and cultural ramifications. Yet, we lack empirical understanding and observation of the nature of this change, over long periods of time and across continental coastlines. Additionally, the drivers of change in coastal systems are numerous: climatic forcing, predator recovery, and development of foreshore areas, amongst others. As such, deciphering the agents of change remains challenging. A clear need exists to determine the relative importance and magnitude of these agents of change in order to predict and mitigate change. Finally, resolving the factors that mitigate change, including species interactions, biodiversity and ecosystem processes, can also be complex. However, these needs and knowledge gaps can be addressed through synthetic research of nearshore marine species, communities and ecosystem-level attributes. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Chris Harley

Student:

John Cristiani

Partner:

Tula Foundation

Discipline:

Zoology

Sector:

Environmental industry

University:

Program: