UVic Science
uvicscience.bsky.social
UVic Science
@uvicscience.bsky.social
From the atom to the universe, the cell to the ecosystem, the theoretical to the applied, we explore the reaches of modern science and mathematics. Dispatches from the Faculty of Science at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada.
This lack of monitoring has created the worst data gap for these stocks in 70 years, and makes it difficult for scientists to assess the status of fish populations, how climate change, industrial activity and fishing are impacting fish, and whether recovery actions by local groups are working.
September 11, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Read the story in The Conversation Canada (@ca.theconversation.com) to learn more and hear the authors' call-to-action. theconversation.com/the-worlds-l...
The world’s longest marine heat wave upended ocean life across the Pacific
The multi-year heat wave nicknamed ‘The Blob’ impacted thousands of kilometres of marine ecosystems from Alaska to Baja California.
theconversation.com
August 7, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Finding #4: DISEASES FLOURISHED

Diseases flourished in the warmer waters. The previously abundant sunflower sea star was hit particularly hard, with losses severe enough to have it listed as a critically endangered species. Increases in seagrass disease were also found.
August 7, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Finding #3: ECOLOGICAL DISRUPTION

The heatwave transformed coastal habitats, including kelp forests and sea grass beds. In some cases, local extinctions of these habitats have persisted for years, with sustained impacts on the critters that rely on them.
August 7, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Finding #2: RIPPLE EFFECTS

Impacts on one species can have ripple effects through entire ecosystems. E.g. the shifting availability of key forage fish like anchovies and sardines contributed to mass die-offs of starving seabirds and whales. Blooms of toxic algae led to closures of crab fisheries.
August 7, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Finding #1: SPECIES ON THE MOVE

240 different marine species, from fish and invertebrates to seabirds and marine mammals, moved outside their normal range, searching for cooler waters. More than 100 species were found further north than ever before, with some moving up to 1000 km north.
August 7, 2025 at 12:39 AM