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Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

Healthy oceans and seas are essential to our existence.They cover 70 percent of our planet and we rely on them for food, energy and water. Yet, we have managed to do tremendous damage to these precious resources. We must protect them by eliminating pollution and overfishing and immediately start to responsibly manage and protect all marine life around the world.

Engagement

QENTOL, YEN Marine Biologist Shelly Selivanov, SFU Assistant Professor for the School of Environmental Science Dr. Ruth Joy, and QENTOL, YEN Senior Manager David Dick

Assessing ecological, social, and economic trade-offs between Indigenous kelp fisheries and mariculture to inform climate-resilient and socially just ocean governance

Aiming to utilize the economic opportunities of wild kelp harvest and mariculture for coastal First Nations, Masters of Resource Management students Sarah Gutzmann and Alyssa Allchurch have received funding to aid their partnership with the Kwakiutl Nation. They will collaboratively conduct research to understand wild kelp harvest and kelp aquaculture (farming) as ecologically sustainable, economically viable, and socially just uses for the natural resource.

The research will inform future Indigenous led management of kelp and empower decisions related to the social, economic and ecological effects of harvesting kelp.

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MARINE GUARDIANS AND SFU PARTNER UP TO TRACK ORCAS ON THE MOVE

A partnership between SFU’s School of Environmental Science and the QENTOL, YEN (W̱SÁNEĆ Marine Guardians) is playing a vital role in supporting research and conservation efforts for the Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW).

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University-community collaboration extends reach of ancient clam gardens

Archaeology professor Dana Lepofsky studies the relationships of Northwest Coast Indigenous Peoples to their environments, past and present. She counts herself very lucky to work with First Nations as equal partners in research programs that have aided in the revitalization and appreciation of traditional knowledge, while also helping to educate future generations.

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Research, teaching and learning

SFU professor Jeremy Venditti, founding director of the School of Environmental Science, whose team carried out the study’s research activities in SFU’s River Dynamics Lab.

SFU & MIT Researchers find Science of sediment transport key to river conservation & protection

Researchers at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have devised a better way to measure how fast sediment flows in rivers—information that can help scientists and planners better prepare for flooding and weather-related events, understand salmon activity and even restore rivers.

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SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY-LED BIOBANK AIMS TO SAVE WEST COAST KELP FORESTS

Scientists at Simon Fraser University are racing against the clock to save British Columbia’s disappearing kelp forests for future generations. Led by biologist Sherryl Bisgrove, and supported by the Pacific Salmon Foundation, the team has developed a cryogenic freezing technique to store germplasm, or “seed”, of at-risk bull kelp in a biobank.

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SFU researchers partner on interdisciplinary salmon conservation project

Reversing a 40-year decline in Pacific salmon populations requires a collaborative approach that combines traditional Indigenous knowledge with archaeology and genomics.

A new project, funded by Genome BC, involves a team of researchers from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, Simon Fraser University’s Department of Archaeology and the University of British Columbia’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries.

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Bamfield Marine Science Centre

SFU is one of five western-Canadian partner universites that operate the Bamfield Marine Science Centre. The centre provides SFU students and researchers access to a wide variety of coastal, marine and rainforest environments and is host to SFU Faculty of Science's Marine Science Program

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RESEARCH CENTRES AND LABS

FACTS AND FIGURES

  • 417 research publications relating to SDG 14, 2017-2022 (source: SciVal)
  • 74 active research projects related to SDG 14 funded from 2017-2022
  • Since the 2018/19 academic year, SFU has offered 3 courses relating to SDG 14, representing over 305 students

 

Operations

STORMWATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

Through engagement with the SFU community and our neighbouring stakeholders, SFU’s consultants have identified seven main objectives related to how the university manages its rainwater, while proposing 15 action items to guide SFU through the implementation of the strategy.

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COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

As a coastal university, SFU has long been committed to sustainable fisheries. Part of SFU’s criteria for dining services vendors has been a commitment to sustainable fisheries. The Compass Group is SFU's primary food vendor and is committed to 50% of their fish and seafood being certified sustainable.

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