Marine biodiversity conservation in a changing climate

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Climate change is a serious concern for life in the oceans, yet relatively little is known about the responses of species and ecological communities to climate-related threats like ocean warming and acidification. Moreover, few marine conservation strategies exist to protect species while their environment is changing. The long-term goal of my research program is to provide breakthroughs in marine conservation science to understand and better manage the intersection of climate change, species' and ecological communities' responses, and conservation strategies. Over the next five years, my short-term goal is to study the effects of climate change and other stressors on marine species and ecological communities in Canada's Pacific waters in order to improve marine conservation. I will achieve this short-term goal and advance towards my long-term goal by working towards three interrelated research objectives that synthesize new and existing data, create methodological innovations, engage Indigenous partners, and provide policy options: (1) Characterize patterns of past and future climate change in Canada's Pacific waters; (2) Evaluate responses of species and ecological communities to climate-related and other stressors; and (3) Incorporate these spatial dynamics and interactions into conservation strategies. Research will be carried out in Canada's Pacific waters because of the region's high vulnerability to climate change. We myself and HQP will characterize patterns of climate-related change by using and innovating the latest geographic information systems (GIS) technology. Satellite imagery allows characterization of recent decades of change, and downscaled climate projections provide anticipated future change. Building on my group's past methodological innovations in mapping cumulative impacts, we will analyze interactions between climate change and other stressors. We will analyze observational data that has been collected over the past ~10 years, coupled with longer-term observations by Indigenous peoples (historical marine ecology), to understand species' and ecological communities' responses to change. At local scales, we will partner with coastal First Nations. This research will provide novel syntheses of species' and ecological communities' responses to climate change and other stressors, thereby assisting scientists' understanding of ecological change, offering policymakers options for effective conservation strategies and policies, and engaging the public in the fascinating and diverse responses of nature to change. As Canada strives to be a leader in marine conservation, grasping the effects of climate change and its interaction with other stressors on species and ecological communities is essential. This research program will lead the future of marine conservation in Canada through science, partnerships with Indigenous peoples, policy recommendations, and training a diverse group of HQP.