UVic scientist Julia Baum is bringing her expertise in blue carbon to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). She has been selected as a Lead Author for their Methodology Report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies, Carbon Capture, Utilization & Storage.
www.uvic.ca/science/home...
Extreme weather events come fast and with little warning, and we need to be proactive about managing them. If not, species will die out as the areas they live in cease to be habitable for them.
Learn about the ecological impacts of BC's 2021 heat dome👇
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/03/30/n...
All animals and plants engage in intimate and important associations with microbes, and humans are no exception. In April's Café Scientifique talk, we're going to be introduced to the most abundant host-associated microbe on the planet.
April 14 | 7 p.m. | The Mint
https://ow.ly/5PTc50YAqSw
Luc Simard (PhD in Physics, 1996) is the Director General of the Herzberg Astronomy & Astrophysics Research Centre and has helped shape Canada’s role in some of the most ambitious astronomy projects ever undertaken. He is also a 2026 UVic Presidents' Alumni Award recipient. https://ow.ly/unGK50YyX7H
It's no secret that we are seeing an erosion of trust in science.
Join us to hear from Nobel laureate Donna Strickland on why science literacy is important, why trust in science is eroding and how we can restore that trust.
March 25 | 3:30 p.m. | BWC A104
https://ow.ly/ata150YwzJL
The perspective of deep time can provide a powerful lens to view the changes that we are living through today.
Come explore what we know about sea-level rise during warm periods in history and what that tells us about the future ahead.
March 30, 2026 | 7 p.m. | BWC B150
https://ow.ly/3pPc50Ywzlr
“As extreme heat waves become more common in B.C., we need to prepare for broad impacts on wildlife, as well as agricultural and aquaculture species, and proactively develop new management approaches.” - Dr. Julia Baum
Wildfire activity surged 37% during the heatwave and 395% the following week, underscoring how heat waves often lead to other climate disasters.
Streamflow from snow and ice melt increased 40% during the heat wave as the snowpack melted, before dropping below long-term averages later that summer.
Cooler, wetter areas of the province were able to absorb 30% more carbon than usual, while warmer, more arid areas absorbed 75% less than usual.
Heat waves have winners too. Sea lettuce increased its real estate on rocky shores by 65% after the heat wave, taking advantage of the death of more vulnerable seaweed.
Arctic lupine flowers wilted and died, preventing entire plant populations from reproducing that year.
Camera trap detections of many mammals dropped by half as the animals sought shelter from the heat in shadier areas.
Counts of surf scoter, a native sea duck, dropped by 56% post-heat wave.
Baby birds trapped in their overheating nests died or suffered injuries as they jumped out trying to escape the heat.
Millions of marine invertebrates baked on B.C.’s shorelines, including barnacles and mussels. Some populations declined by over 90%.
Over ¾ of plants and animals were negatively impacted by the heat dome, with many individuals dying or failing to reproduce as a result.
A composite of nine different images depicting impacts of the heat wave, including burnt leaves and forests, sick looking mountain goats, and baked mussels and sea stars.
In June 2021, B.C. experienced one of the most intense heat waves on record.
In a new study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, researchers, led by UVic ecologist Julia Baum (@baumlab.bsky.social), investigated the heat wave’s ecological effects.
🔗 news.uvic.ca/2026/extreme...
I am proud to be a recipient of this years Chem Comm Emerging Investigator Lectureship!
This recognizes the hard work and creativity of group members over the last few years both at Dalhousie Chemistry @dalchemistry.bsky.social and University of Victoria @uvicscience.bsky.social!
UVic scientists have identified unique sounds for 8 fish species.
Just like with birds, we can tell fish species apart based on sound alone! theconversation.com/scientists-h...
Dr. Lum wearing a white lab coat and blue tie.
What happens when a cancer immunologist and gut microbiome expert teams up with an award-winning chef?
You get a unique four-course guided dinner blending sensory experience and evidence-informed insights on how food connects to the gut, immune system and wellbeing!
https://ow.ly/FFml50Y561a
Cherry blossoms are already starting to appear in Victoria, and it's only January! What does this mean, and how does it relate to climate change?
Thoughts from UVic's Andrew Weaver (@ajwvictoriabc.bsky.social) and Barbara Hawkins are included in this CBC story: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
The Codcast, a UVic podcast about the science behind the noises Arctic cod make, made @cabinradio.ca's list of top northern stories from 2025! Have you had a chance to listen yet? cabinradio.ca/273669/news/...
📣 Calling all #Canadian grad students 📣
Receive $20,000 to support your research using ONC's ocean data!
Apply for the Roy Hyndman Ocean Observing Award by 31 January 2026 🌊 bit.ly/3rI4gHP
#CdnSci #SciSky
My take on why the proposed northern pipeline is incredibly risky without 1st doing some basic geological due diligence. BC’s N Coast & interior are criss-crossed with faults but seismic & geodetic monitoring is rudimentary and we simply don’t know what’s active.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
Canadian Journal of Chemistry cover, with a black header containing the Canadian Science publishing blaze and Volume 104, Issue 1. Main image: A 3D-printed perovskite crystal (red and white) rising behind a perovskite solar module, which has an illuminated white LED
This month's Issue features an Award Lecture (and cover image!) from the group of M. Saidaminov (UVic Science). They report a humidity-tolerant formamidinium Pb iodide (FAPbI₃) ink, advancing fabrication of scalable, climate-resilient perovskite photovoltaics.
https://ow.ly/NQqi50XNqYi
He's back.
After a year off on admin leave, Peter Loock is officially back as Dean of Science.
After a successful first term as Dean, he was reappointed for a second five-year term, which will run from Jan. 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2030.
Stop and say hi if you see him around the hallways!
Dense cluster of purple sea urchins covering rocky ocean floor beneath clear blue water.
🪸 2025 in review: We analyzed the widespread impacts of marine heatwaves.
The comprehensive overview of the 2014-16 marine heatwave’s ecological impacts highlighted how heatwaves dramatically impact marine ecosystems.
🔗 Impacts: https://ow.ly/HFbP50XN07F
🔗 Year-in-review: https://ow.ly/HFbP50XN07F
⚛️ 2025 in review: We shared the Breakthrough Prize.
30 physicists and engineers from UVic were among global researchers honoured for their work with the ATLAS collaboration at CERN.
🔗 Breakthrough Prize: https://ow.ly/9x5z50XN042
🔗 Year-in-review: https://ow.ly/boyR50XN03U
Caren kneeling on rocks in a lush forest, collecting water sample with a dropper into a clear container.
🧬 2025 in review: We brought eDNA Explorer to Canada.
Caren Helbing received a $1.5 million grant from Genome BC to develop a platform that will bring together eDNA projects from around the world.
🔗 eDNA Explorer: https://ow.ly/kf4B50XN01N
🔗 Year-in-review: https://ow.ly/kuXp50XN01H