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PhD Student

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     

I have a background in oceanography, climate science, and coastal ecosystems. My 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. This includes assessing the vulnerability of British Columbia’s kelp habitat to climatic hazards and predicting where kelp could thrive in the future under various climate conditions along the coastline. I employ predictive models and scenarios for my investigations to enhance the public understanding of how restoring kelp can address critical issues such as climate change, biodiversity conservation, and food security.

In my free time, I enjoy exploring British Columbia’s unique landscape. I thrive in outdoor activities, whether in the water, on the water, or by the water. When I need some alone time, I head to the mountains to go climbing or backpacking.

Alyssa Allchurch

Alyssa Allchurch

PhD Candidate, Simon Fraser University    
MSc Resource & Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University       
Contact    

Alyssa Allchurch is a coastal ecologist and a PhD student co-supervised by Dr. Anne Salomon and Dr. Maycira Costa. She is happiest when spending her days diving through kelp forests, and before her Master’s worked as a scuba diving and marine conservation instructor. Her Master’s work was in collaboration with the Kwakiutl Nation, studying the ecological and biophysical impacts of kelp harvest to help inform future kelp mariculture. She had the honour of spending many weeks in the summer of 2022 up in Kwakiutl territory surveying their vast kelp beds. Now for her PhD she is joining the kelp-encrusting bryozoan team to study ecological drivers of change in kelp forests up and down coastal British Columbia. 


Shawn Meredyk

Shawn Meredyk

PhD Candidate in Geography, University of Victoria  
MSc Environmental Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland
BSc Marine Biology, University of New Brunswick Saint John
BSc Electrical Engineering, DeVry       
Contact 

As part of the BCKelpR team, I`m investigating how biotic and abiotic environmental drivers have and will affect the kelp forests of Haida Gwaii with respect to climate change.

I use satellite imagery, traditional ecological knowledge, drone, kayak, and SCUBA diver-collected imagery combined with oceanographic datasets to help identify hotspots of resiliency which will contribute to kelp management strategies for Haida Gwaii.

I cycle-tour, hike, camp, fish, kayak, SCUBA dive, kite, and surf when I can. I am looking forward to exploring Vancouver Island backcountry and sailing around the island some day.

I was previously working for non-profit organizations in the capacity of oceanographic mooring program leader in the Canadian Arctic on IceBreakers for over a decade and studied Atlantic deep-sea coral and sponge ecology offshore Newfoundland and Labrador.  

 

Ziwei Wang

PhD. Student

PhD Candidate in Geography, University of Victoria
MSc Planetary Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan
BSc Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan
Contact

I received my master’s degree in planetary remote sensing at the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan). 

I have come to UVic for my PhD studies at the Spectral Lab and will be focusing on ocean remote sensing.  

Research Project

For my PhD research I will collecting in situ optical and biogeochemical samples of the surface waters in the Salish Sea using an instrumented BC Ferry and relate this information to data acquired by our autonomous radiometer systems.  More information about my project can be found here.  

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.