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Nelson Gouveia

Nelson Gouveia

Postdoctorial Fellow in Geography, University of Victoria
PhD Remote Sensing, National Institute for Space Research (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais – INPE), Brazil
MSc Remote Sensing, National Institute for Space Research (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais – INPE), Brazil
Contact

Spectral Lab Research:

As part of the Sargassum Project, I am developing a predictive model to forecast the influx of Sargassum along the northern coast of Brazil. The objective is to better understand how oceanographic, continental, and atmospheric variability influences the dynamics, transport pathways, and coastal landfall of Sargassum. The project also aims to assess the vulnerability of affected coastal regions, with a focus on environmental, social, economic, and public health impacts.

Background:

I am a scientist dedicated to understanding interconnected processes that link continental hydrology and biological and physical processes in the oceans and atmosphere. My work focuses on understanding the interactions between these systems to address pressing environmental challenges. With a strong interdisciplinary background, I am passionate about leveraging advanced data analysis techniques, modeling, and remote sensing to tackle environmental issues. I hold a PhD and a Master's degree in Remote Sensing, with expertise in data science, machine learning, hydrodynamic modeling, and Lagrangian ocean modeling.

expertise and experience:

remote sensing, modeling, hydrology, data science, machine learning

Publications:

Rosa, E. B., Pezzi, L. P., de Quadro, M. F. L., Carvalho, J. T., Santini, M. F., Gouveia, N., & Lorenzzetti, J. A. (2025). Oceanic mixed layer depth variability forced by South Atlantic convergence zone episodes. Climate Dynamics, 63, 307. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-025-07801-w

Issac, J. V., Castello, L., Gouveia., N. A., et al.(2025). Size spectra assess social-ecological impacts on Amazonian fish assemblages. Ecological Indicators, 173, 113360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2025.113360

Vidal, T. J., Gouveia, N., Müller, M. N., Da Silveira, C., Maida, M., & Ferreira, B. P. (2024). Mortality patterns and recovery challenges in Millepora alcicornis after mass bleaching event on Northeast Brazilian reefs. Marine Environmental Research, 106864. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106864

Furtado, M. D. S. C., Queiroz, J. C. B., Bentes, B., Gouveia, N. D. A., de Lima, M. J. A., Ruffino, M. L., & Isaac, V. (2024). How does climate change affect small scale fisheries? A case study of the Lower Amazon in Brazil. Fisheries Management and Ecology, 31(1), e12654. https://doi.org/10.1111/fme.12654

Trindade, D. G., de Almeida de Gouveia, N., da Mescouto, N. L. D. C., de Sousa Moura, H. T. G., da Silva, U. I. P., & Bentes, B. (2024). Effects of marine climate variability on the relative abundance of Lutjanus purpureus (Poey, 1866) on the Amazon continental shelf. Fisheries Oceanography, 33(2), e12662. https://doi.org/10.1111/fog.12662

Moura, H. T. G. D. S., Trindade, D. G., Gouveia, N. D. A., Nunes, Z. M., & Bentes, B. (2024). Impacts of climatic and oceanographic variability on the landing of Cynoscion acoupa (Lacepède, 1801) captured on the Amazon continental shelf. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 76, 103608. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2023.103608

Mota, L. D. F., Gouveia, N. A., Paes, E. T., Watrin, O. D. S., Costas, I., & Parise, F. D. O. (2024). Análise multicritério em ambiente SIG na indicação de áreas adequadas à piscicultura no Nordeste do Estado do Pará. Revista Brasileira de Geografia Física, 17(2), 1200–1212. https://doi.org/10.26848/rbgf.v17.2.p1200-1212

Gomes, L. D. M., Garcia, G. S., Cordeiro, C. A., Gouveia, N. A., Ferreira, C. E., Bender, M. G., ... & Gherardi, D. F. (2023). Complex phylogenetic origin and geographic isolation drive reef fishes response to environmental variability in oceanic islands of the southwestern Atlantic. Ecography, 2023(8), e06559. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.06559

Garcia, I. M. W., de Almeida Gouveia, N., de Melo Junior, D. R., da Silva Gonçalves, C., Rabelo, F. G., & de Oliveira Parise, F. J. (2023). Avaliação do uso e cobertura do solo e seus impactos na região sul de Macapá, Amapá, Brasil entre 1985 e 2022. Revista Brasileira de Geografia Física, 16(4), 2171–2183. https://doi.org/10.26848/rbgf.v16.4.p2171-2183

Peixoto, U. I., Mesquita, E. M., Cintra, I. A., Klautau, A. G., Gouveia, N. A., Paes, E. T., & Isaac, V. J. (2020). Population dynamics and sustainability of the spiny lobster (Panulirus meripurpuratus Giraldes & Smyth, 2016) fishery on the Amazon continental shelf. Marine and Freshwater Research, 72(1), 99–109. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF19364

Gouveia, N. A., Gherardi, D. F. M., & Aragão, L. E. O. C. (2019). The role of the Amazon River plume on the intensification of the hydrological cycle. Geophysical Research Letters, 46, 12221–12229. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084302

Gouveia, N. A., Gherardi, D. F. M., Wagner, F. H., Paes, E. T., Coles, V. J., & Aragão, L. E. O. C. (2019). The salinity structure of the Amazon river plume drives spatiotemporal variation of oceanic primary productivity. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 124, 147–165. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JG004665

Gouveia, N. A., Alves, F. C., & Pereira, L. O. (2019). Pre-processing of Sentinel-1 C-band SAR images based on incidence angle correction for dark target detection. Remote Sensing Letters, 10(10), 939–948. https://doi.org/10.1080/2150704X.2019.1634300

Di Paolo, I. F., Gouveia, N. A., Neto, L. C. F., Paes, E. T., Vijaykumar, N. L., & Santana, Á. L. (2019). Data mining of spatio-temporal variability of chlorophyll-a concentrations in a portion of the western Atlantic with low performance hardware. Journal of Software Engineering and Applications, 12(5), 149–165. https://doi.org/10.4236/jsea.2019.125010

Gouveia, N. de A., Lima, F. A. de, Sousa, M. de C., & Santos, M. A. S. dos. (2015). O seguro defeso do pescador artesanal: evolução dos recursos e beneficiários no estado do Pará. Revista Monografias Ambientais, 14(2), 75–85. https://doi.org/10.5902/2236130817881

Julio Lara Hernandez

Julio Lara Hernandez

Postdoctoral Fellow in Geography, University of Victoria   
PhD Marine Sciences and Limnology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, UNAM, CDMX, Mexico
MRes Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
MSc Marine Sciences and Limnology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, UNAM, CDMX, Mexico
BSc Marine Biology, University of the Sea, UMAR, Oaxaca, Mexico     
Contact | ResearchGate

Spectral Lab Research:

I am a postdoctoral fellow focussed on developing and validating a digital monitoring and forecasting system specifically designed for the Mexican Caribbean to address the persistent challenge of massive Sargassum beach landings. My project combines numerical modeling, high-resolution satellite imagery, and field campaigns to monitor Sargassum at sea and predict its potential coastal arrivals. In the field, I use drifting buoys, drones, ADCPs, and other techniques to characterize winds, currents, and the distribution and trajectories of Sargassum. These measurements provide the critical data needed to calibrate, train, and validate the monitoring and forecasting system, ensuring that it delivers reliable and locally relevant information to support adaptive coastal management.  

Background:

My interest in ocean transport processes has persisted throughout my career. During my undergraduate research in Marine Biology at the University of the Sea (Mexico), I used numerical models to study how distant coral reefs remain connected via larval dispersal. At the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), my Master's work focused on modeling the complex larval transport of commercially important lobster populations in the Gulf of Mexico, developing custom particle-tracking algorithms to capture their unique behaviors. I also contributed to oil spill dispersion modeling at the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate Change, simulating the effects of windage and degradation on oil transport. During my PhD in Marine Sciences, I started to investigate the transport dynamics of Sargassum in the Mexican Caribbean involving a combination of different tools plus an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach. Now, my work at UVic bridges biology, oceanography, and computation to transform complex environmental data into practical forecasting tools that help address one of the region’s most urgent coastal challenges.

Expertise and Experience:

Lagrangian modeling, ocean modeling, marine ecology, larval transport, marine connectivity, oil spills, pelagic Sargassum, digital monitoring, forecasting

Publications:

Uribe-Martínez A, Allende-Arandía M, Lara-Hernández J, et al. (in press) Remote monitoring, modeling and early warning of sargassum: State of the art in Mexico. Book chapter in: Foundations of comprehensive management of massive sargassum landings in the Mexican Caribbean. National Council of Humanities, Sciences and Technologies, CONAHCYT, Mexico.

Lara-Hernández J, Enríquez C, Zavala-Hidalgo J, Cuevas E, van Tussenbroek B, Uribe-Martínez A (2024) Sargassum transport towards Mexican Caribbean shores: Numerical modeling for research and forecasting. J Mar Syst. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2023.103923

Pérez-Brunius P, Beron-Vera F, Kotzakoulakis K, Lara-Hernández J, et al. (2020) Possibly affected regions under different oil spill scenarios in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Vol. 1. Section 1. In: Pérez-Brunius P, Aguirre-Macedo M (eds) Regions, species and ecosystems vulnerable to large-scale spill scenarios in the Gulf of Mexico. Gulf of Mexico Research Consortium (CIGoM). https://escenarios.cigom.org/

Lara-Hernández J, Zavala-Hidalgo J, Sanvicente-Añorve L, Briones-Fourzán P (2019) Connectivity and larval dispersal pathways of Panulirus argus in the Gulf of Mexico: A numerical study. J Sea Res, 155: 101814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2019.101814

Anguiano-García A, Zavala-Romero O, Zavala-Hidalgo J, Lara-Hernández J, Romero-Centeno R (2019) High Performance Open Source Lagrangian Oil Spill Model. In: Torres M, Klapp J, Gitler I, Tchernykh A (eds) Supercomputing. ISUM 2018. Commun Comput Inf Sci, vol 948. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10448-1_11

Lara-Hernández J, Kim MO, Avolio AP, Butlin M (2018) Transfer function between intracranial pressure and aortic blood pressure and carotid blood flow. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc, 2018: 3169-3172. https://doi.org/10.1109/EMBC.2018.8512987

López-Pérez A, Cupul-Magaña A, Ahumada-Sempoal MA, Medina-Rosas P, Reyes-Bonilla H, Herrero-Pérezrul MD, Reyes-Hernández C, Lara-Hernández J (2016) The coral communities of the Islas Marias archipelago, Mexico: structure and biogeographic relevance to the Eastern Pacific. Mar Ecol, 37: 679-690. https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12337

PhD Dissertation: “Dynamics of pelagic sargassum transport in the Mexican Caribbean” [Link]

MRes Thesis: “An investigation of systemic haemodynamic correlates of intracranial pressure” [Link]

MSc Thesis: “Larval transport and potential connectivity of stony corals in the Mexican Pacific: study using numerical simulations” [Link]

Bachelor's Thesis: “Larval transport and potential connectivity of stony corals in the Mexican Pacific: study using numerical simulations” [Link].

Silven Read

Silven Read

Lab Manager, Geography Spectral Lab, University of Victoria
MA Biology, Cal Poly Humboldt
BSc Biology, Virginia Tech

LinkedIn | ResearchGate

Spectral Lab Research:

My main project compares methods of detecting encrusting bryozoans on kelp using action cameras attached to drop quadrats plus video collected from remote-operated vehicles. We selected a latitudinal gradient of sites along the British Columbia coast to compare variables such as sea surface temperature, salinity, and kelp community composition. My other responsibilities include helping run the Spectral lab: managing grant expenses to match outlined project budgets; copy editing manuscripts for peer-reviewed publications; scheduling meetings among stakeholders, including government, private, and First Nations entities; ordering equipment; and more.

Background:

I am a career lab manager and research technician. Having studied and worked at universities, government offices, and in the private sector, I have benefited from amazing opportunities to participate in many types of research. My past projects encompass a wide variety of topics in the sciences, such as: correlation of hormones with autism or schizophrenia; distribution of chytrid fungal disease among amphibian populations; kelp cryopreservation protocol development for Nereocystis luetkeana; social amoeba competition with conspecifics using symbiotic bacteria; and spread of genetically modified grass pollen in a vulnerable agricultural system.

Expertise and Experience:

Organization of labs and data; training others in protocols and novel techniques; identifying organisms; copy editing; MS Office; R statistics; DNA extraction; PCR; hormone assays; sterile technique; tissue culture; inventory; purchasing.

Latest Publications:

Coleman, L. J., Read, S., Sokhey, A. K., & Bisgrove, S. (2025). A simple and effective protocol for cryopreservation of germplasm of the bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana (Phaeophyceae). Journal of Phycology, 61(3), 623-632. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpy.70013

Mora-Soto, A., Schroeder, S., Gendall, L., Wachmann, A., Narayan, G., Read, S., Pearsall, I., Rubidge, E., Lessard, J., Martell, K., Costa, M. (2024). Back to the past: Long-term persistence of bull kelp forests in the Strait of Georgia, Salish Sea, Canada. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11, 1446380. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1446380

Mora-Soto, A., Schroeder, S., Gendall, L., Wachmann, A., Narayan, G.R., Read, S., Pearsall, I., Rubidge, E., Lessard, J., Martell, K., Wills, P., Costa, M. (2024). Kelp dynamics and environmental drivers in the southern Salish Sea, British Columbia, Canada. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11, 1323448. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1323448

 

Piper Steffen

Piper Steffen

MSc Candidate in Geography, University of Victoria    
BASc Engineering Physics, Queen's University       
Contact      

Spectral Lab Research:

I am part of the Satellite-based Kelp Mapping project (SKeMa) which will develop a software framework for First Nation communities to leverage satellite imagery (Sentinel-2) and machine learning for management of kelp forests in their traditional territories. Detecting kelp forests in imagery often relies on accurate spatial and temporal delineation of the coastline to improve accuracy of kelp mapping by understanding where kelp cannot grow, above the low tide line. However, a comprehensive map of British Columbia’s coast at low tide does not exist at sufficient resolution and accuracy for kelp mapping with Sentinel-2 satellite data.

My research aims to develop an automated software method for coastline extraction from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery by leveraging global tide models and image processing algorithms including deep learning. Although numerous studies have evaluated methods for coastline extraction, the vast majority of work has focused on uniform, sandy beaches at local and regional scales. How these methods perform when applied to heterogeneous and geomorphologically complex coastlines such as those found in BC, is unknown. This work will improve the accuracy of the SKeMa tool by reducing false-positive kelp detections over spectrally similar land cover types such as intertidal green algae. Further, the coastline extraction method developed can be applied broadly to other coastal ecosystem mapping projects such as eelgrass restoration or monitoring sea level rise.

Background:

My professional background is in the Canadian space industry, most recently as a software developer at Rocket Lab in Toronto, ON. My role focused on designing test facilities and ground software applications for satellite ADCS components (reactions wheels and star trackers) in a production and R&D context. I also completed an internship at GHGSat in Montreal, QC, where I focused on optimizing software processes to convert raw multispectral satellite and aircraft data into observations of point-source methane emissions worldwide.

In my free time I am most likely train running, knitting, or generally spending time outside with my dog.

Expertise and Experience:

satellite remote sensing, software development, engineering, physics, Sentinel-2, tide modelling

Santiago Ramirez Said

Santiago Ramirez Said

Sargassum Project Manager, Geography, University of Victoria    
MSc Natural Resource Sciences, Forestry and Climate Change, McGill University. Quebec, Montreal, Canada.
Post Graduate Specialization, Geographic Information Systems, University of California, Davis. Davis, California, United States.
BSc Biology and Microbiology, Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá, Colombia.
Contact   

Spectral Lab Research:

Currently, as a project manager in the SPECTRAL LAB, I work on a fascinating international collaboration between the University of Victoria (Canada), the University of Miami (U.S.), the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), and the UNAM University (Mexico). Our project, “Increasing Local Preparedness to Sargassum Tides in the Amazon and Mesoamerican Reef through Enhanced Monitoring and Blue Economies,” is an NFRF- and FAPESP-funded project in the Atlantic Coasts of Mexico and Brazil. This project seeks to develop holistic AI monitoring algorithms for Sargassum seaweed, train local community collaborators in drone monitoring and remote sensing interpretation, better understand the health impacts of decomposing Sargassum on humans, explore the most cost-effective ways for communities to transform the seaweed into products of economic importance, and co-design challenge-based educational methodologies with local partners to increase local knowledge on Sargassum, its origin, and ways to mitigate its impacts.

Sargassum as seen from an aerial drone.

Background:

I am a Colombian and Lebanese biologist, storyteller, and educator who works on interdisciplinary initiatives to address socio-environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, massive Sargassum landings, deforestation, and the refugee crisis. I have been a National Geographic Explorer since 2021, working on projects that involve (1) collaborating with Indigenous leaders in Latin America for Traditional Plant Knowledge revitalization, (2) implementing photography and storytelling workshops for Indigenous Youth in Panama, (3) educational and technological co-design with coastal communities to re-purpose Sargassum seaweed in Colombia and Puerto Rico, and (4) leading drone and storytelling workshops for park rangers and youth conservation groups in Peru towards the conservation of the critically endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkey. I have previous experience as a project and community engagement manager in Future Earth, leading the engagement with First Nations in Canada and working to incorporate their perspectives into our research aiming to find better avenues for the implementation of equitable Nature-based Solutions in Canada.

Mangroves and rivers.

Beyond my work in sustainability science, social justice, climate change, and conservation, I am a collaborator for Witness Change, a Photo Ambassador for Ponant, and a Destination Expert for National Geographic Expeditions and Lindblad.

Sargassum.

Expertise and Experience:

climate change, biodiversity loss, education, deforestation, drone monitoring

Publications:

Ramírez Said, S. (2021). Spatial and temporal variation in soil biogenic silicon, total nitrogen and total carbon over a twenty-one-year period in a hardwood forest of southwestern Quebec. Master’s Thesis, McGill University.

Mohsen Ghanbari

Mohsen Ghanbari

Postdoctoral Fellow in Geography, University of Victoria    
PhD Systems Design Engineering, Vision and Image Processing
Lab, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
MSc Remote Sensing, Khajeh Nasir Toosi University of Technology,
Tehran, Iran
BSc Geomatics Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Contact

Spectral Lab Research:

As a postdoctoral fellow in the SPECTRAL lab, co-supervised by Dr. Maycira Costa (Department of Geography) and Dr. Neil Ernst (Department of Computer Science), I am focused on developing machine learning methods for kelp mapping. In partnership with VERTEX Resource Group and the Hakai Institute, I am working on creating software that leverages deep learning approaches to determine the aerial extent of floating kelp using optical satellite images. The software, called Satellite-based Kelp Mapping (SKeMa), will be primarily used by the First Nations in British Columbia to monitor kelp in their marine Traditional Territories.

In line with the Space Strategy for Canada and Canada's Strategy for Satellite Earth Observation, this project aims to use Space-Based Earth Observation (SBEO) satellite images to aid First Nations in monitoring critical kelp ecosystems impacted by climate change. The active participation of the First Nations in the software development process will be crucial to ensure the final software is as user-friendly as possible. The developed framework will significantly enhance the use of SBEO imagery by the First Nations, enabling them to monitor essential habitats for Pacific salmon, a species of ecological, cultural, and economic significance in British Columbia. Furthermore, it will help identify key conservation areas, potential sites for kelp restoration, and planning for wild kelp harvest and aquaculture, contributing to the Blue Economy.

Background:

My previous experience includes the development, implementation, and optimization of machine learning-based algorithms for processing remote sensing images to extract useful information through image segmentation, classification, and change detection. I have also been involved in the development, implementation, and optimization of algorithms for satellite systems. Previous research has mainly focused on synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites and SAR image processing.

Expertise and Experience:

remote sensing, synthetic aperture radar, systems engineering, machine learning

Publications:

Ghanbari, M., Xu, L., Clausi, D., A. (2023). Local and Global Spatial Information for Land Cover Semi-Supervised Classification of Complex Polarimetric SAR Data. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing.

Ghanbari, M. (2021) Classification of Compact Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar Images. PhD Thesis, University of Waterloo.

Ghanbari, M., Clausi, D., A., Xu, L. (2021).CP-IRGS: A Region-Based Segmentation of Multilook Complex Compact Polarimetric SAR Dat. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing.

Ghanbari, M., Clausi, D., A., Xu, L., and Jiang, M. (2019). Contextual Classification of Sea-Ice Types Using Compact Polarimetric SAR Data. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

Ghanbari, M., and Akbari, V. (2018). Unsupervised Change Detection in Polarimetric SAR Data With the Hotelling-Lawley Trace Statistic and Minimum-Error Thresholding. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing.

Ghanbari, M., and Akbari, V. (2015). Generalized Minimum-Error Thresholding for Unsupervised Change Detection from Multilook Polarimetric SAR Data. IGARSS 2015, IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, Italy, Milan, 26–31 July 2015.

Julia Mayer

Julia Mayer

PhD Candidate in Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia   
MSc Geography, University of British Columbia
BSc Geography and Environmental Science, The University of Dundee, UK 
Contact     

https://oceans.ubc.ca/2023/06/01/mayer-julia/

Spectral Lab Research:

Julia’s PhD project, a collaboration between UBC’s Changing Oceans Research Unit, UVic’s Spectral Remote Sensing Laboratory, and Ocean Wise, investigates the potential for kelp seaforestation in British Columbia under climate change. Using an ensemble of species distribution models, Julia estimates future kelp distributions and identifies refugia under different climate change scenarios. Taking into account ecosystem services, she focusses on determining potential conflicts and synergies between human activities and these predicted kelp refugia. Her findings directly inform the NGO Ocean Wise in their seaforestation efforts by enabling informed decisions on restoration sites that support the long-term success of these projects.

Background:

Julia has a background in oceanography, climate science, and coastal ecosystems. Her MSc thesis assessed past extreme wave events in Tarawa (Republic of Kiribati) and examined the potential vulnerability of its shorelines to sea-level rise and coral reef degradation. The findings provided a rare insight into the differences in vulnerability between lagoon-facing and open-ocean-facing shorelines of atolls during inundation events.

Outside work, Julia is passionate about exploring British Columbia’s diverse landscape. She is an avid runner, hiker, backpacker, and diver.

Expertise and Experience:

coastal ecosystems, species distribution modelling, climate change, kelp restoration

Jordanna Bergman

Jordanna N. Bergman

Postdoctoral Fellow in Geography, University of Victoria
PhD in Biology, Carleton University    
BSc in Marine Biology, University of South Florida
Contact  

Spectral Lab Research:

Hi! For my postdoc, I have the privilege of working with Drs. Maycira Costa and Anne Salomon to evaluate the spatial-temporal dynamics of kelp-encrusting bryozoans ("KEB") across British Columbia's coast. In close collaboration with Indigenous, government, and research partners spanning from Haida Gwaii to Victoria, we seek to evaluate the abiotic and biotic variables that may be influencing KEB presence, abundance, and distribution within kelp forests. Encrustation by bryozoans may not only affect kelp forest health and resilience, but could also influence the diverse ecological communities they support. By weaving together ecological theory and Indigenous Knowledge to better understand how kelp forests tolerate and recover from KEB, amid phenological shifts due to climate extremes, we hope to illuminate their current and future health, and persistence.

Background:

I'm a Canadian-American aquatic ecologist and conservation scientist. My love for the outdoors fueled a passion to learn how to take care of our beautiful world, and encouraged my desire to pursue a career in environmental research. For more, see:

https://jordannabergman.wixsite.com/jordannabergman

Expertise and Experience:

biodiversity, ecology, conservation, scientific diving

Alyssa Allchurch

Alyssa Allchurch

PhD Candidate in Resource and Environmental Management,
Simon Fraser University
MSc Resource & Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University  
BA, Western University     
Contact    

Spectral Lab Research:

For her PhD, she is a part of the kelp-encrusting bryozoan (KEB) team, a project co-lead by Dr. Anne Salomon at Simon Fraser University and Dr. Maycira Costa at UVic. The project focuses on understanding the spatial and temporal drivers of kelp encrusting bryozoans up and down the BC coast. She investigates the ecological drivers of KEB in kelp forests, with a focus on the benthic kelp communities.

Background:

Alyssa is a coastal ecologist with a passion for nearshore ecosystems. She was raised on the prairies in Treaty 7 territory, where her family first settled four generations ago (from Ukraine & Britain). Her work on kelp-human relationships focuses on co-produced, community-based research that upholds diverse knowledge forms and Indigenous governance. She earned her Masters in Resource Management in 2023, where she worked alongside the Kwakiutl Nation to better understand how commercial kelp harvest was affecting kelp forests in Kwakiutl territory and how those kelp forests were reacting and recovering after harvest. Formerly she worked for a non-profit that focused on increasing the capacity and skillsets of marine managers globally to initiate conservation and management action in their communities. Broadly, her PhD explores how ecological interactions, traditional and experimental management practices, and climate-adaptive policy can collectively enhance the resilience of kelp forests to climate change. She is at her happiest when diving through a kelp forest, running down a beach or teaching someone a cool ocean fact.

Expertise and Experience:

ecological modelling, social ecological systems, kelp forest resilience, climate solutions, mariculture

Publications:

Starko, S., A. Allchurch, Neufeld, C. 2025. Asynchronous shifts in the demographics of two wave-swept kelp species (Laminariales) after nearly four decades. Journal of Phycology 61, 250-254.

Mehrotra, R., A. Allchurch, C. Monchanin, C. M. Scott. 2022. Recruitment of hard coral communities on giant clam shells (Cardiidae: Tridacna) differ from surrounding reef habitats at a tourist destination in the Gulf of Thailand. Journal of Molluscan Studies 88 (4), eyac031.

Allchurch, A., R. Mehrotra, H. Carmody, C. Monchanin, C. M. Scott. 2022. Competition and epibiosis by the sponge Pseudoceratina purpurea (Carter, 1880) on scleractinian corals at a tourism hotspot in the Gulf of Thailand. Regional Studies in Marine Science 49, 102131.

Mehrotra, R., A. Allchurch, C. Monchanin, C. M. Scott. 2021. Assessment of spatiotemporal variability of giant clams (Cardiidae: Tridacna) from 11 years of monitoring at Koh Tao, Thailand. Journal of Molluscan Studies 87 (4), eyab042.

Monchanin, C., R. Mehrotra, E. Haskin, C. M. Scott, P. U. Plaza, A. Allchurch, S. Arnold, K. Magson, B. Hoeksema. 2021. Contrasting coral community structures between natural and artificial substrates at Koh Tao, Gulf of Thailand. Marine Environmental Research 172, 105505.*
*December 2021 Editors Choice Article  

Kaullysing, D., R. Mehrotra, S. Arnold, S. Ramah, A. Allchurch, E. Haskin, N. Taleb-Hossenkhan, R. Bhagooli. 2020. Multiple substrates chosen in mass in situ egg deposition by Drupella in Mauritius, a first record for the western Indian Ocean­­­. Journal of Molluscan Studies 86 (4), 427-430.


Aidan Wright

Aidan Wright

MSc Candidate in Geography, University of Victoria
BSc Physics, Simon Fraser University
BEd Secondary, University of Victoria      
Contact 

Spectral Lab Research:

Aidan Wright is a Master’s candidate who will be mapping the spatial and temporal distribution of kelp-encrusting bryozoans on the BC coast. Kelp-encrusting bryozoans are very small, parasitic, invertebrate colonies that live on the surfaces of aquatic plants. Bryozoans can completely cover the surfaces of bull kelp and break them apart. Due to the ecological, sociological, and economic importance of kelp, these bryozoans are of great interest to researchers. Aidan will be using remote sensing data to distinguish between kelp with and without bryozoans, and create a methodology for identifying environmental clusters more significantly affected.  

Expertise and Experience:

remote sensing, machine learning, spatial and temporal distribution

Loïc Dallaire

Loïc Dallaire

MSc Candidate in Geography, University of Victoria
BSc Marine Geography, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)      
Contact

Spectral Lab Research:

Analysis of the Pacific Herring population spawning areas using satellite remote sensing along the British Columbia coast. A magnificent phenomenon!

https://marinescience.psf.ca/salmon-herring-interactions/

Background:

Having graduated in marine geography from Quebec, I am deeply passionate about the intersection of marine geography and biology and I am dedicated to unravelling the secrets hidden beneath the waves through sailing and remote sensing. I believe my connection with the sea comes from my britany ancestors! However, I also find solace and inspiration in the lush forests and majestic mountains of British Columbia. When I'm not immersed in the marine realm, you'll often find me pursuing various outdoor adventures. My passion for marine life and terrestrial wonders, coupled with my enthusiasm for active exploration, shape the core of who I am and drive my constant pursuit of knowledge and connection with the natural world.

Expertise and Experience:

remote sensing of aquatic environment, teaching assistant for GEOG228 and GEOG319 in the Geography department, professional sailor for Voile Mercator, QC

Shown above are herring spawning sites along the BC coasts!

Alena Wachmann

Alena Wachmann

Msc Candidate in Geography, University of Victoria  
BSc Honours Geography, University of Victoria      
Contact 

Spectral Lab Research:

Alena’s Master’s research focuses on mapping the long-term persistence and resilience of kelp forests on the West Coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI) in the face of ocean warming and marine heatwaves. As part of the British Columbia Kelp Resilience NSERC Alliance, and in collaboration with Indigenous Nations, government agencies, and local NGOs, she combines five decades of satellite imagery (ex., Landsat, SPOT, Sentinel-2, PlanetScope) with historical datasets from the 1800s, oceanographic records, and local ecological knowledge to understand how these ecosystems have responded to environmental change across a heterogeneous coastline.

Background:

Alena is a spatial ecologist with a passion for marine conservation and the application of remote sensing to inform management and support local knowledge. Raised in Horseshoe Bay, British Columbia, she has worked extensively with geospatial analysis, satellite data processing, and in-situ nearshore ecosystem monitoring. Her work supports evidence-based decision-making for marine protected areas, restoration strategies, and sustainable harvest management. She is happiest when out on the water mapping kelp beds, processing imagery in the lab, or climbing, hiking, and biking in BC’s coast mountains.

Expertise and Experience:

remote sensing of coastal ecosystems, GIS, collaborative fieldwork, drone surveys, kelp forest ecology, geospatial analysis, climate change resilience

Publications:

Gendall, L., Hessing-Lewis, M., Wachmann, A., Schroeder, S., Reshitnyk, L., Crawford, S., ... & Costa, M. (2025). From archives to satellites: uncovering loss and resilience in the kelp forests of Haida Gwaii. Frontiers in Marine Science, 12, 1504701.

Man, L., Barbosa, R. V., Reshitnyk, L. Y., Gendall, L., Wachmann, A., Dedeluk, N., ... & Costa, M. (2025). Canopy-forming kelp forests persist in the dynamic subregion of the Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia, Canada. Frontiers in Marine Science, 12, 1537498.

Mora-Soto, A., Schroeder, S., Gendall, L., Wachmann, A., Narayan, G., Read, S., ... & Costa, M. (2024). Back to the past: long-term persistence of bull kelp forests in the Strait of Georgia, Salish Sea, Canada. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11, 1446380.

Mora-Soto, A., Schroeder, S., Gendall, L., Wachmann, A., Narayan, G. R., Read, S., ... & Costa, M. (2024). Kelp dynamics and environmental drivers in the southern Salish Sea, British Columbia, Canada. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11, 1323448.

Wachmann, A., Starko, S., Neufeld, C. J., & Costa, M. (2024). Validating Landsat analysis ready data for nearshore sea surface temperature monitoring in the Northeast Pacific. Remote Sensing, 16(5), 920.

Alejandra Mora-Soto

Alejandra Mora-Soto

Postdoctoral Fellow in Geography, University of Victoria
PhD Geography and the Environment,
University of Oxford, UK
MSc Environmental Monitoring, Modelling and Management,
King's College London, UK
BA Geography, Universidad de Chile, Chile

Contact | LinkedIn | Google Scholar | ResearchGate

Spectral Lab Research:

My projects at the Spectral Lab aim to determine the long-term distribution patterns of kelp forests in British Columbia. We employ large datasets, from satellite imagery to nautical charts, to define how kelp canopies are changing over time in response to environmental drivers. 

My first postdoctoral research at the lab was on the resilience and persistence of bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) forests in the Salish Sea, funded by an MITACS fellowship in collaboration with the Pacific Salmon Foundation. 

A second project, funded by NSERC Alliance Grants, looks at kelp forest trends and ocean warming patterns in Haida Gwaii.

Background:

I am a marine geographer specializing in mapping and understanding the distribution patterns of kelp forests, from the Sub-Antarctic Ocean to British Columbia. I work with mapped kelp derived from satellite imagery, drones, in-situ surveys and old cartography records. My goal is to describe the natural history and geographic diversity of kelp forests from their past to their future trends in the current context of a warming ocean. I am a frequent user of GIS software, R, and JavaScript (Google Earth Engine) programming languages, and like exploring old analogue cartography.

My PhD research was on the distribution and changes of the giant kelp forest ecosystem, with a focus on the sub-Antarctic latitudes of South America. I continue working in collaboration with other institutions in Chile (Rewilding Chile, Instituto IDEAL) on kelp forest research.

I am also associated with the Scott Polar Research Institute, in Cambridge (United Kingdom), where I explore the use of old nautical charts from polar regions to expand our baselines of environmental change.

Before getting into kelp research, I worked with foundations (Foundation to overcome poverty, Chile, 2008), government (National Statistics Institute, 2009-2011), and lecturing at different universities in Chile from 2013 to 2017.

Outside of my work, I enjoy knitting and drawing. I’m also an amateur accordionist, always willing to learn and play more songs.

Expertise and Experience:

marine geography, kelp forests, cartography, GIS, remote sensing

Publications:

McHenry, J., Okamoto, D. K., Filbee-Dexter, K…. Mora-Soto A., et al. (2025). A blueprint for national assessments of the blue carbon capacity of kelp forests applied to Canada’s coastline. npj Ocean Sustainability 4, 30. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44183-025-00125-6

Arafeh-Dalmau, N., Villaseñor-Derbez, J. C., Schoeman, D. S., Mora-Soto, A., Bell, T. W., Butler, C. L., Costa, M., Dunga, L. V, Houskeeper, H. F., Lagger, C. (2025). Global floating kelp forests have limited protection despite intensifying marine heatwave threats. Nature Communications, 16(1), 3173. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58054-4

Arafeh-Dalmau, N., Olguín-Jacobson, C., Earle, S., Bello, M., Lagger, C., Mora-Soto, A., Pantano, C., Palacios, M., Barbosa, R. V., Fica-Rojas, E., Guajardo, E., Aburto-Oropeza, O., Eger, A., Dayton, P., Giraldo-Ospina, A., Cavanaugh, K., García-Pantoja, J., Montaño-Moctezuma, G., Possingham, H., … Micheli, F. (2024). Protect kelp forests. Science, 386(6722), 629. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adr4814

Mora-Soto, A., Schroeder, S., Gendall, L., Wachmann, A., Narayan, G., Read, S., ... Costa, M. (2024). Back to the past: Long-term persistence of bull kelp forests in the Strait of Georgia, Salish Sea, Canada. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11, 1446380. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1446380

Arafeh-Dalmau, N., Cebrian, E., Dunga, L. V., Horta, P., Layton, C., Macaya, E. C., Mangialajo, L., Moore, P. J., Mora-Soto, A., Reddy, M. M., Smit, A. J. (2024). Introducing the Seaweed Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. Oryx, 58(2), 147–148. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003060532300193X

Mora-Soto, A., Schroeder, S., Gendall, L., Wachmann, A., Narayan, G. R., Read, S., Pearsall, I., Rubidge, E., Lessard, J., Martell, K., Wills, P., Costa, M. (2024). Kelp dynamics and environmental drivers in the southern Salish Sea, British Columbia, Canada. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1323448

Mora-Soto, A., Aguirre, C., Iriarte, J. L., Palacios, M., Macaya, E. C., Macias-Fauria, M. (2022). A song of wind and ice: Increased frequency of marine cold-spells in southwestern Patagonia and their possible effects on giant kelp forests. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 127, e2021JC017801. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JC017801

Barnes, D. K. A., Bell, J. B., Bridges, A. E., Ireland, L., Howell, K. L., Martin, S. M., Sands, C. J., Mora Soto, A., Souster, T., Flint, G., Morley, S. A. (2021). Climate mitigation through biological conservation: Extensive and valuable blue carbon natural capital in Tristan da Cunha’s giant Marine Protected Zone. Biology, 10, 1339. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10121339

Mora Soto, A., Cadiz, A. (2021). Capítulo 4. Dilemas de representación cartográfica en los espacios transfronterizos. In Azcoitía, A., Nicoletti, M. A., Lanza, M. (Eds.), Araucania-Norpatagonia III: Tensiones y reflexiones en un territorio en construcción permanente. Viedma: Editorial UNRN. https://books.openedition.org/eunrn/5974

Mora-Soto, A., Capsey, A., Friedlander, A. M., Palacios, M., Brewin, P. E., Golding, N., Dayton, P., Tussenbroek, B. V., Montiel, A., Goodell, W., Velasco-Charpentier, C., Hart, T., Macaya, E., Pérez-Matus, A., Macias-Fauria, M. (2021). One of the least disturbed marine coastal ecosystems on Earth: Spatial and temporal persistence of Darwin’s sub-Antarctic giant kelp forests. Journal of Biogeography, 00, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14221

Mora-Soto, A., Palacios, M., Macaya, E. C., Gómez, I., Huovinen, P., Pérez-Matus, A., Young, M., Golding, N., Toro, M., Yaqub, M., Macias-Fauria, M. (2020). A high-resolution global map of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) forests and intertidal green algae (Ulvophyceae) with Sentinel-2 imagery. Remote Sensing, 12, 694. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12040694

Mora, A. (2015). Dinámicas de resiliencia en la zona de Constitución (Maule, Chile) después del terremoto y tsunami de 2010. Revista Espacios 08, 4. ISSN 0719-0573 Mora, A. (2015). Dinámicas de resiliencia en la zona de Constitución (Maule, Chile) después del terremoto y tsunami de 2010. Revista Espacios 08, 4. ISSN 0719-0573

Mora, A. (2013). Una larga tradición y una herencia: la geografía física y su entrelazado con las ciencias ambientales. Revista Espacios 05, 3. ISSN 0719-0573

Armesto, J. J., Manuschevich, D., Mora, A., Smith-Ramírez, C., Rozzi, R., Marquet, P. A. (2010). From the Holocene to the Anthropocene: A historical framework for land cover change in southwestern South America in the past 15,000 years. Land Use Policy, 27, 148–160.

Mora, A. (2006). Territorios culturales en lugares aislados: el caso del Parque Nacional Torres del Paine. Anales de la Sociedad Chilena de Ciencias Geográficas.

Sarah Schroeder

Lab Technician, USRA

PhD Candidate in Geography, University of Victoria
MSc Geography, University of Victoria
BSc Biology, University of Victoria

 

In summer 2016, we acquired two satellite images covering Cowichan Bay and the Gulf Islands, at the same time that three groups of volunteers from Pender Island Conservancy, Mayne Island Conservancy, and Cowichan land trust led by Leanna Boyer from Sea Change mapped the exact location of kelp beds using kayaks and GPS. From this data we are able to ground truth what we define as kelp in the satellite images.

 

 

 

 

In the spring and summer of 2017, in situ surveys of kelp beds were conducted to understand how juvenile salmon from the Cowichan River use kelp bed habitats as they migrate north.

Snorkel survey and remote underwater video was used to compare the use of kelp beds to adjacent no kelp habitat.