Migratory birds are in a conservation crisis, with accelerating population declines documented Canada-wide. It is a federal responsibility to protect migratory birds; however, a major gap in the ability to mitigate threats to these species is a lack of knowledge of their year-round movements. By using new tracking technology, our project will quantify movements and […]

Salt marshes are important coastal ecosystems because they provide many services to surrounding areas. However, due to their highly productive nature, they have a long history of being converted into farmland in Maritime Canada. In recent years, there has been strong interest in restoring salt marshes to protect against coastal erosion, mitigate sea level rise, […]

This research project will explore what barriers — economics, policy, or otherwise — exist to restoring unhealthy Douglas-fir forests in central British Columbia. These forests have reached a state where it is currently not feasible for timber companies to make any profit from harvesting timber in those stands, which only serves to worsen the problem. […]

The proposed project focuses on the research & development of efficient electrode materials for use in the Chlorate Process that produces bleaching agents used in the pulp & paper industry. As an electrochemical process, significant portions of the production costs of chlorate are attributable to electrical power consumption; therefore, improvements in energetic efficiency would result […]

The proposed research aims to develop general design parameters needed to optimize a large-scale landfill biocover for countering landfill methane emissions at Brady Road Resource Management Facility (BRRMF). The intern will conduct column studies aimed at determining the optimum combination of yard waste and leaf compost and biosolids compost for facilitating the growth of methane […]

Vancouver’s inner city is experiencing disproportionate levels of poverty and is under strong development pressure, with concern that few of the associated benefits are being captured by local communities and economies. An appetite exists for innovation in economic development but current community capacity to explore and support these ideas is limited. RADIUS SFU and Ecotrust […]

Ducks Unlimited Canada operates multiple fishways slated for replacement throughout Nova Scotia. Recent fishway passage studies on alewife indicate that identifying problem areas for fish passage, and altering fishway design accordingly, greatly increases fish passage. To assess fish passage at fishways, movements of fish will be monitored using passive integrated transponder tags and antenna systems. […]

The Honna River is the drinking water source for the Village of Queen Charlotte (pop. 950), and is also important salmon habitat. Sediment from unpaved forest roads near the river may be entering the channel in significant quantities, reducing water quality. In two previous internships, intern David Reid implemented a channel reach-scale study of all […]

The project is focused on study of commercial microbial cultures for biological remediation of soils and ground waters contaminated by chlorinated organic compounds. The successful elaboration and improvement of the products requires analysis on molecular-genetic level and detailed understating of organization of the microbial communities. The work benefits to industry partner by providing comprehensive information […]

This project will create a new framework that combines process simulations with environmental, economic, and social life cycle assessments to evaluate the sustainability of metal production and recycling processes. By extending current methods beyond environmental analysis to also include costs and social impacts, the project will provide a more complete understanding of how new metallurgical […]

Quiecean develops a Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) device that reduces underwater noise and pollutants to protect marine ecosystems. The project validates its technical design and business model for commercialization in Canada’s blue economy.

This project aims to convert seafood waste such as shells, bones, and seaweed trimmings into valuable nanoparticles using nanotechnology. Instead of discarding these materials, they will be transformed into eco-friendly products for use in agriculture, medicine, wastewater treatment, and renewable energy. The nanoparticles will help improve soil health, enhance crop nutrition, clean polluted water, and […]