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Hakai Institute @hakai.org · 2d

A new study in @natcomms.nature.com involving Hakai Institute researchers finds that marine heatwaves can reshape ocean food webs—slowing the transport of carbon to the deep sea and impacting the ocean’s ability to shield the Earth from climate change.
Full paper 🔗 tinyurl.com/222nk2k8

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Hakai Institute @hakai.org · 6d

On Calvert Island, nearly 370 diverse species of seaweed flourish where ocean currents and climate zones converge. Scientists are documenting this kaleidoscope of green, brown, and red algae using pressed specimens and DNA barcoding. Full story 🔗 tinyurl.com/e9yzacrx

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Reposted by Hakai Institute

UBC Oceans @ubcoceans.bsky.social · 6d

After 12 years of scientific dead ends searching for a cause of #seastar wasting disease, “it’s just shocking that we took that long to find Vibrio pectenicida,” said Dr. Alyssa Gehman. @rhizalyssa.bsky.social @hakai.org
undark.org/2025/09/29/s... via @undark.org

The Long Quest to Uncover a Sea Star Killing Bacteria

Scientists say they’ve found the cause of a marine epidemic more than 10 years after it started. What took so long?

undark.org

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Hakai Institute @hakai.org · 16d

A workshop on Calvert Island brought together divers from 6 First Nations to expand scientific diving skills and kelp habitat surveys. Supported by the Hakai Institute, @wwfcanada.org, @psfca.bsky.social, ECCC, and DFO, the program is building capacity for stewardship diving on BC's coast.

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Hakai Institute @hakai.org · 19d

A new multimethod study involving Hakai Institute researchers uses samples from 6400 BCE to 1500 CE to provide the most complete picture of parasite infections in past populations to date—revealing a major shift during the Roman and Medieval periods 🔗 tinyurl.com/9shazh42

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Reposted by Hakai Institute

WWF-Canada @wwfcanada.org · 19d

Strengthening Indigenous stewardship from the seafloor up! Last week, guardians from six coastal B.C. Nations joined a 5-day diving workshop at Calvert Island to build kelp survey + ID skills. Hosted by @hakai.org with support from WWF-Canada, @psfca.bsky.social, DFO & ECCC.

Smiles after a successful first dive of the day.

Dan Abbott of Reef Check (overseen by a humpback whale!) introduces kelp survey methods in the classroom.

Participants Carter Burtlake and Mariyah Dunn-Jones working on species ID skills between dives.

Dives provided opportunities to practice species ID, counts, and filling in datasheets underwater.

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Reposted by Hakai Institute

Curtis Suttle @virosphere.bsky.social · 20d

Two covers for papers published on the same day www.pnas.org/toc/pnas/122... & www.nature.com/natecolevol/.... Proud of the team, especially #MelaniePrentice & @kevinzhong2006.bsky.social with @ubcbiodiversity.bsky.social, @eoas.ubc.ca, @ubcoceans.bsky.social, @hakai.org and @science.ubc.ca

Table of Contents — August 19, 2025, 122 (33) | PNAS

View the Table of Contents for Volume 122, Issue 33

www.pnas.org

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Hakai Institute @hakai.org · 22d

Archaeological research at the Tsalwadi site on Vancouver Island reveals that people were fishing and making stone tools along the Woss River up to 14,000 years ago—offering one of the earliest records of human activity on the island's coastline. 🔗 tinyurl.com/59rzrn8y

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Hakai Institute @hakai.org · 27d

Fieldwork on BC’s coast is giving more than technical skills to ocean scholars from the Philippines, Egypt, Kenya, and beyond. The @pogo-ocean.bsky.social program immerses the next generation in Canada's coastal ecosystems—sparking fresh passion for ocean science. 🔗 tinyurl.com/47r9zryw

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Reposted by Hakai Institute

Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (OBON) @obon-ocean.bsky.social · 29d

Join us at the @imarest.bsky.social webinar on:
"Unlocking Ocean Secrets: Marine Mammal Monitoring Through eDNA"

22 Sept 2025 - 4pm UK time

Matt Lemay, from the OBON project "HI-BON" (led by @hakai.org) will be one of the speakers.

More info and sign up at: www.imarest.org/events/event...

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Reposted by Hakai Institute

UBC Oceans @ubcoceans.bsky.social · 27d

Worrying drop in #ocean #oxygen documented off #BC coast. The study, conducted by the @hakai.org measured oxygen levels in Queen Charlotte Sound to the southern tip of Haida Gwaii. | Globalnews.ca globalnews.ca/news/1139322...

Global News | Breaking, Latest News and Video for Canada

Globalnews.ca – Watch and read Canada’s Breaking news plus Business, Health, Politics and World News

Globalnews.ca

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Hakai Institute @hakai.org · Sep 3

Kawok—a digital health solution developed by TulaSalud—is helping to transform maternal and child health in rural Guatemala by combining smartphones, real-time data, and frontline worker outreach. Learn more 🔗 tinyurl.com/3sk75cnd

Hakai Institute @hakai.org · Sep 2

A new study involving Hakai Institute researchers finds that oysters shed more DNA when stressed by high CO2 levels—and that these genetic traces break down faster with more ocean acidification, showing the need to adjust how we track biodiversity in a changing ocean 🔗 tinyurl.com/yx55zwty

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Hakai Institute @hakai.org · Aug 28

"The specter of low-oxygen ‘dead zones’ is surfacing along BCs Central Coast, threatening the region’s rich marine ecosystems and fisheries,” writes @rochelle.bsky.social in @nationalobserver.com, exploring new research by a group of scientists including Hakai oceanographers🔗 tinyurl.com/3bebmnre

Threat of oxygen-poor 'dead zones' surfacing on BC central coast

Half of the seafloor in BC's Queen Charlotte Sound could be oxygen deprived by mid-century due to climate change, with potentially nasty ripple effects for marine life and fisheries, a new study shows...

tinyurl.com

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Hakai Institute @hakai.org · Aug 26

A new collaborative study involving Hakai Institute researchers finds that ocean acidification and food stress are affecting the survival of juvenile chum salmon—but new tools can help detect exposure to acidification in wild salmon populations 🔗 tinyurl.com/32psmuvv

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Hakai Institute @hakai.org · Aug 21

A new paper uses eDNA tools to confirm Chipewyan Prairie First Nations observations of geological changes in Cowper Lake, Alberta following a historical landslide in the 1940s 🔗 tinyurl.com/hcek4jfc

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Reposted by Hakai Institute

Ocean Networks Canada @oceannetworks.ca · Aug 18

ONC’s subsea cameras spotted the critically endangered sunflower #SeaStar at Hartley Bay & Campbell River in 2024/25 🎥

New research in @nature.com identified a bacterial strain as the culprit behind the disease that decimated the species for over a decade.

go.nature.com/3JmLaTF

@hakai.org

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Hakai Institute @hakai.org · Aug 20

Check out new science and technology stories in our second Tula Quarterly of 2025—from documenting the rich biodiversity of marine algae on the coast of Calvert Island, to exploring technology that’s improving maternal and infant health in the remote mountains of Guatemala 🔗 tinyurl.com/2vyha52a

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Hakai Institute @hakai.org · Aug 13

A new paper shows worrying declines in oxygen levels in BC’s Queen Charlotte Sound. Researchers project that its deep waters will be largely hypoxic by 2050, with serious consequences for marine life and fisheries 🔗 tinyurl.com/uca57fc2

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Hakai Institute @hakai.org · Aug 12

The breakthrough study revealing Vibrio pectenicida as the strain of bacterium responsible for sea star wasting disease has generated massive international media coverage, including stories by the CBC, @nytimes.com, @washingtonpost.com, @apnews.com, @theguardian.com, and more!

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Reposted by Hakai Institute

Dinah V. Pulver @dinahvp.bsky.social · Aug 6

This was a fascinating story to write, about an exciting advance in discovering the culprit behind sea start wasting disease, as well as an intriguing look at how the scientific progress moved forward even during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. @hakai.org www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

Scientists identify culprit killing sea stars in the Pacific Ocean

Sick sea stars are lethargic, lose their arms and disintegrate into gooey masses. More than 90% of sunflower sea stars were killed.

www.usatoday.com

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Reposted by Hakai Institute

UBC Oceans @ubcoceans.bsky.social · Aug 8

The #seastar wasting disease begins with lesions and ultimately kills sea stars - by the billions - by “melting” their tissues, reducing them to goo. oceans.ubc.ca/2025/08/04/d... @rhizalyssa.bsky.social @hakai.org @science.ubc.ca

The #seastar wasting disease begins with lesions and ultimately kills sea stars - by the billions - by “melting” their tissues, reducing them to goo. https://oceans.ubc.ca/2025/08/04/disease-detectives-discover-sswd-cause/ @rhizalyssa.bsky.social @hakai.org @science.ubc.ca

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Hakai Institute @hakai.org · Aug 5

After a decade of carnage, we finally know what’s devastating sea stars along North America’s west coast. For the most in-depth coverage of this breakthrough finding, don't miss this piece by @craigwelch.bsky.social in @biographic.bsky.social 🔗 tinyurl.com/2bmjdjex

Unmasking the Sea Star Killer

After a decade of carnage, we finally know what’s devastating sea stars along North America’s West Coast. Does that mean scientists can save them?

tinyurl.com

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Reposted by Hakai Institute

Jude Isabella @judeisabella.bsky.social · Aug 4

For @biographic.bsky.social, writer @craigwelch.bsky.social followed @hakai.org scientist @rhizalyssa.bsky.social's quest to unveil the the killer that decimated populations of sea stars off the West Coast. It took a few years but the lab's hard work paid off: www.biographic.com/unmasking-th...

Unmasking the Sea Star Killer

After a decade of carnage, we finally know what’s devastating sea stars along North America’s West Coast. Does that mean scientists can save them?

www.biographic.com

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Reposted by Hakai Institute

Edward Gregr @ejgregr.bsky.social · Aug 5

Congratulations @rhizalyssa.bsky.social and @hakai.org for this valuable, groundbreaking work in coastal disease #Ecology. Clearly, we shld be checking w Alyssa for all things #Seastar. :)

Check out the press …

www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/e270ff4...

#SeastarWasting #NorthPacific

Vibrio pectenicida strain FHCF-3 is a causative agent of sea star wasting disease - Nature Ecology & Evolution

The causative agent of sea star wasting disease has been elusive. This study used genetic datasets and experimental exposures to demonstrate that a strain of the bacterium Vibrio pectenicida caused di...

www.nature.com

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