The ocean is changing fast. The actions that we take as individuals and as a society have consequences for the path it follows.
To understand where we are heading, we need to better relate our actions to their ecological impacts. The Future of Marine Ecosystems Research Lab develops novel approaches for projecting the future of marine ecosystems and understanding how differing choices impact marine biodiversity.
We contribute towards developing improved projections of ecosystem and biodiversity change in the ocean, and use these findings to help the transition towards a more sustainable marine environment.
Marine Biodiversity
We combine models, data, observations, and ecological theory to help understand the distribution of marine biodiversity and how it is changing. Through building projections and understanding change from the deep past to the future ocean, we will be better able to identify marine ecosystem trajectories and tipping points.
Marine Conservation & Environmental Policy
Human impacts such as overfishing, climate change, and pollution are all affecting marine life. Marine conservation science uses a range of tools to help limit these changes and build towards recovery. We develop approaches to measure human impacts, tools to help inform conservation efforts, monitor progress towards international goals, and provide scientific input to policy. For example, ongoing work examines how to build climate resilience into the global marine protected area network. We also explore ways to ensure that these ideas are practical and can be operationalized.
We work with colleagues at organizations such as the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre to translate science into practice.
Policy & Outreach
Public awareness remains a crucial component of tackling global-scale environmental problems. We conduct media outreach, and members of the lab have made numerous appearances on TV, in print, on the radio, and on the web. We are committed to communicating the results of our research to as broad an audience as possible.
We also set up the EnviroVote Canada website to provide a non-partisan platform for citizens to quickly and easily compare the environmental platforms of federal Canadian parties for the 2019 and 2021 elections.
We have also contributed and continue to contribute to numerous international environmental policy reports.
