environment

“Genius grant” helps secure Okanagan habitats for at-risk species

University of British Columbia zoologist Sarah Otto is using her MacArthur “genius grant” toward preserving fragile habitats in the South Okanagan region of British Columbia.

Nov 2, 2012

How to make global fisheries worth five times more: UBC research

Rebuilding global fisheries would make them five times more valuable while improving ecology, according to a new University of British Columbia study, published today in the online journal PLoS ONE.

Jul 13, 2012

Seabirds study shows plastic pollution reaching surprising levels off coast of Pacific Northwest

Plastic pollution off the northwest coast of North America is reaching the level of the notoriously polluted North Sea, according to a new study led by a researcher at the University of British Columbia.

Jul 4, 2012

UBC experts and story ideas for Rio+20 UN sustainability conference

UBC experts are available to comment on the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Brazil (June 20-22), including two researchers who will attend in person.

Jun 14, 2012

Jellyfish on the rise: UBC study

Jellyfish are increasing in the majority of the world’s coastal ecosystems, according to the first global study of jellyfish abundance by University of British Columbia researchers.

Apr 18, 2012

How to make high-end perfumes without whale barf

University of British Columbia researchers have identified a gene in balsam fir trees that could facilitate cheaper and more sustainable production of plant-based fixatives and scents used in the fragrance industry and reduce the need for ambergris, a substance harvested from whale barf.

Apr 5, 2012

UBC, Fraunhofer formalize partnership among world’s top clean energy researchers

The University of British Columbia today forged a formal partnership with Germany’s Fraunhofer, Europe’s largest research institution for applied research, to focus on renewable-energy technologies.

Mar 8, 2012

Iconic marine mammals are “swimming in sick seas” of terrestrial pathogens: UBC researchers

Parasites and pathogens infecting humans, pets and farm animals are increasingly being detected in marine mammals such as sea otters, porpoises, harbour seals and killer whales along the Pacific coast of the U.S. and Canada, and better surveillance is required to monitor public health implications, according to a panel of scientific experts from Canada and the United States.

Feb 18, 2012

Ocean acidification turns climate change winners into losers: UBC Research

Adding ocean acidification and deoxygenation into the mix of climate change predictions may turn “winner” regions of fisheries and biodiversity into “losers,” according to research released today by University of British Columbia researchers.

Feb 18, 2012

UBC experts available to comment on Enbridge and Keystone debates

UBC experts are available to provide media commentary on two controversial pipeline projects to carry Alberta bitumen to U.S. and foreign markets.

Jan 6, 2012

UBC experts available to comment on UN climate change conference

UBC experts are available to speak about the 17th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17/CMP7) in Durban, South Africa, beginning Nov. 28.

Nov 25, 2011

UBC researcher part of $4-million NSERC effort to measure and plan for Arctic climate change

A UBC Arctic expert will help to identify the impacts of the rapid environmental changes in Canada’s North and develop an adaptation strategy, as part of a team of researchers that has received a $4-million grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Sep 9, 2011

UBC receives Canada’s first ‘gold’ in new university sustainability ratings

Pioneering clean energy projects, an aggressive carbon-reduction strategy and North America’s greenest building have helped UBC to garner Canada’s first gold rating in a new international program that assesses sustainability achievements in higher education.

Aug 19, 2011

“David and Goliath” viruses shed light on the origin of jumping genes: UBC study

University of British Columbia researchers have identified a small virus that attacks another virus more than 100 times its own size, rescuing the infected zooplankton from certain death. The discovery provides clues to the evolutionary origin of some jumping genes found in other organisms.

Mar 3, 2011

Single-cell marine predator’s unique survival mechanisms revealed: UBC research

University of British Columbia researchers have uncovered the unique survival mechanisms of a marine organism that may be tiny, but in some ways has surpassed sharks in its predatory efficiency.

Feb 8, 2011

Arctic fisheries catches 75 times higher than previous reports: UBC research

University of British Columbia researchers estimate that fisheries catches in the Arctic totaled 950,000 tonnes from 1950 to 2006, almost 75 times the amount reported to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) during this period.

Feb 4, 2011

Genome of blue stain fungus evolved to bypass tree defense in mountain pine beetle epidemic: UBC research

The genome of the fungus that helps mountain pine beetles infect and kill lodgepole pines has been decoded in a University of British Columbia study.

Jan 24, 2011

Deer causing rapid environmental change on B.C.’s and Washington’s Gulf islands: UBC study

Growing deer populations are fundamentally changing the environment of the Gulf Islands off the coast of B.C. and Washington, leaving the region susceptible to invasion by foreign species, says a study by researchers in the Faculty of Forestry at UBC.

Jan 17, 2011

"No fish left behind" approach leaves Earth with nowhere left to fish: UBC researchers

The Earth has run out of room to expand fisheries, according to a new study led by University of British Columbia researchers that charts the systemic expansion of industrialized fisheries.

Dec 2, 2010

UBC gains $20M in 29 Canada Research Chairs

Research at the University of British Columbia has received a $20-million boost with the appointment and renewal of 29 Canada Research Chairs (CRC) last week.

Dec 1, 2010