Viewing entries tagged
Current

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.

Publications:

Mora-Soto, A., Schroeder, S., Gendall, L., Wachmann, A., Narayan, G., Read, S., Pearsall, I., Rubidge, E., Lessard, J., Martell, K., Costa, M. (submitted 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      

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.

As a Master's student in the Spectral Lab, 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 for management of kelp forests in their traditional territories. With this project I am excited to explore how satellites, physics, marine ecology, and community engagement can come together to benefit local ecosystems and communities. 

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   

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.

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.

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.

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, Iran
BSc, Geomatics Engineering, University of Tehran, Iran
Contact

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. My previous research has mainly focused on synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites and SAR image processing.

Currently, 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.

This project integrates interdisciplinary knowledge in ocean science, remote sensing, machine learning, community engagement, resource management, and SBEO industry experience. These elements collectively support SBEO capacity development, addressing the needs of Canada's space-related and technology sector.  

 

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.

Jordanna Bergman

Jordanna Bergman

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

Hi! My name is Jordanna and 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 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.

Marta Konik

Marta Konik

Postdoctoral Fellow in Geography, University of Victoria    
PhD Natural Sciences, The Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, PL
MSc Oceanography, Marine Physics, The University of Gdansk, PL
BSc Physical Oceanography, The University of Gdansk, PL       
Contact     

I have a background in physical oceanography and remote sensing. I am particularly interested in the relationships between seawater properties and biological and physical processes in the ocean, which I observe using various satellite sensors. I have used optical imagery to analyze ocean colour and phytoplankton composition, as well as active microwave sensors to describe the sea surface and identify oil spills. My PhD research focused on the near-surface cyanobacteria blooms in the Baltic Sea, and characterizing their impact not only on the ocean colour, but also on the sea surface temperature and roughness observed with several types of satellite sensors.

During my postdoctoral research, I will apply my knowledge to map kelp beds with optical and SAR imagery (Synthetic Aperture Radar). Such a synergistic approach will provide more frequent information on the kelp bed extent since the SAR measurements are less sensitive to clouds. More detailed information on the seasonal kelp bed changes will help characterize their biomass fluctuations better and detect the alerting trends. 

 Publications:

Weitkamp, L., Barclay, A., Beamish, R.J., Costa, M., Farley, E., Freshwater, C., Gilk-Baumer, S., Graham, C., Howard, K., King, K., Konik, M., Murphy, J., Neville, C., Pakhomov, E.A., Radchenko, V., Riddell, B., Rondeau, E., Saunders, M., Schubert, A., VanDoornik, D., Yang, B. (in press). Highlights of the 2022 IYS Pan–Pacific Winter Expedition. North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission Bulletin.

Konik, M., Angelica Peña, M., Hirawake, T., Hunt, B.P.V., Suseelan Vishnu, P., Eisner, L.B., Bracher, A., Xi, H., Marchese, C., Costa, M. (2024). Bioregionalization of the subarctic Pacific based on phytoplankton phenology and composition. Progress in Oceanography, 228, 103315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2024.103315

Pramlall, S., Jackson, J., Konik, M., Costa, M. (2023). Merged multi-sensor ocean colour chlorophyll product evaluation for the British Columbia coast. Remote Sensing, 15, 687. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15030687

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. 


Aidan Wright

Aidan Wright

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

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.  

 

Loïc Dallaire

Loïc Dallaire

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

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.  

My studies should produce a spatiotemporal inventory of the spawning events of the Pacific herring along BC coast. A magnificent phenomenon!


Shown above are herring spawning sites along the BC coasts!

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.  

 

Alena Wachmann

Alena Wachmann

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

Ahoy! My research involves working with Pacific Rim National Park, Redd Fish Restoration Society and other local groups interested in harnessing archived satellite imagery to generate a time series of kelp forest dynamics along the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Additionally, I’m stoked to learn how remote sensing tech can support local data sovereignty in marine spatial planning.

Catch me out climbing rocks or up a mountain when not on the water!

Romina Vanessa Barbosa

Romina Vanessa Barbosa

Postdoctoral Fellow in Geography, University of Victoria

Contact  

PhD, Marine Ecology, Université de Bretagne, Brest, France

MSc, Oceanography, Instituto Oceanográfico da Universidade de São Paulo (IO-USP), Brazil.

BSc, Biology, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba (UNC), Cordoba, Argentina.      

I am a marine ecologist interested in the relationship between the environment and species distribution and dynamics. I aim to understand how environmental conditions affect the species at different levels of biological organization and spatial scales. That is, how environmental conditions affect the species' individuals by conditioning their performance on diverse physiological processes such as growth and reproduction, as well as how such environmental conditions affect population-level processes such as recruitment and mortality rate. The same environmental conditions could affect at different levels of organization in a contrary way, making complex patterns emerge. In order to understand such complex relationships, I integrate diverse sources of observation (such as aerial images and field sampling) and experimental data into correlative and mechanistic models. They allow me to reproduce the observed distribution and dynamic of species and infer the potential effects of particular environmental conditions such as the high temperatures during heat-wave events. 

Currently, during my postdoctoral research, I work with the First Nations of the Broughton Aquiculture Transition Initiative (BATI), the Spectral lab, the Kelp Rescue Initiative, and the Salmon Coast Field Station (SCFS). Our goal is to improve our knowledge about the distribution and state of kelp in the Broughton area (northeast of Vancouver Island) and how it could help in the recovery of wild salmon populations in the area by giving them better habitat conditions. My specific objectives in the project are to perform field observations and species distribution model predictions to map the distribution of bull kelp in the Broughton area. Furthermore, I will calibrate a Dynamic Energy Budget model for the bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana, to identify the main drivers of its temporal changes and the physiologic processes involved. Finally, I will participate in assessing the use of kelp habitat for juvenile salmon for evidencing the potential importance of kelp for salmon population recovery in the area.

 

Lauren Man 文朗晴

Lauren Man 文朗晴

MSc Candidate in Geography, University of Victoria
BSc Marine Biology, University of California, Los Angeles

Contact


Lauren Man is a Master’s candidate with interests in using novel technologies to enhance ecosystem monitoring efforts, particularly in kelp forests. Kelp forests are extremely productive and diverse ecosystems that support a huge variety of marine creatures and provide a myriad of ecosystem services to coastal communities. Lauren’s project is focused on characterizing the spatial and temporal resilience and identifying the drivers of change of kelp forests in the territories of three of the Kwakwakawakw’ Nations: the ‘Namgis, Mamalilikulla and the Kwikwasut’lnuxw Haxwa’mis First Nations, in what is now known as the Broughton Archipelago of British Columbia, Canada. In this region, kelp forests are important habitat for juvenile salmon, and conserving kelp forests is a vital part of a larger effort to bring back healthy wild salmon runs in an area of sea lice and virus epidemics caused by salmon farming industries. This project is a collaboration between the SPECTRAL remote sensing laboratory and the Broughton Aquaculture Transition Initiative (BATI) and will help improve the management of kelp ecosystems in the Broughton area.

Lauren is from Hong Kong and has a BSc in Marine Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Throughout their undergraduate degree, they primarily conducted research on the spatial and temporal dynamics of environmental DNA (eDNA) in the kelp forest ecosystems of Southern California, aiming to improve the utility of eDNA as a biomonitoring method of kelp forest ecosystems. She also researched threat discrimination in skinks on the island of Moorea, French Polynesia and oyster ecophysiology in the face of changing climatic conditions in Hong Kong. Aside from research, they also love snapping pictures on their camera and have worked as a photographer for an environmental education centre, a newspaper, and a recreation centre. She also loves to climb rocks, snorkel, and enjoy what the planet has to offer.

Alejandra Mora-Soto

Alejandra Mora-Soto

Postdoctoral Fellow in Geography, University of Victoria

2021, PhD in Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, UK. 2012, MSc. in Environmental Monitoring, Modelling and Management, King's College London, UK.

2006, Geographer, Universidad de Chile, Chile


Contact | alemoras@uvic.ca |

My background is in geography and remote sensing. My PhD research was on the distribution and changes of the giant kelp forest ecosystem, with focus on the sub-Antarctic latitudes of South America. I developed kelp mapping techniques using Google Earth Engine and Sentinel-2 imagery, validated with UAV and underwater surveys. I also compared current and historical kelp distributions using nautical charts from the 19th century, and analysed their future trends through the frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves and marine cold-spells around southern Patagonia.

My current postdoctoral research is on the resilience of the kelp forests along the British Columbia coast. The aim of this project is to determine the long-term distribution patterns of kelp forests (giant and bull kelp), to define their spatial-temporal resilience to environmental and biotic drivers. This project also employs a large amount of datasets, from satellite imagery to nautical charts to define how kelp canopies are changing over time.

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

Google Scholar

ResearchGate

 

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.