SeaOMICS is a group created to share information and research we are doing about how changing ocean conditions affect marine ecosystem health and resilience, using molecular and ecological methods.

 

Our research group is interested in the coastal health, resilience, and productivity of marine populations, using shellfish as both socio-economically important aquaculture organisms and bioindicator species. Despite playing critical roles in the function of the marine environment, coastal and estuarine dominant species are being exposed to ever-increasing threats caused by human activities, environmental fluctuations, and climate change. In particular, a phenomenon known as ocean acidification is of significant concern as it can have negative impacts on a broad range of species, especially those with calcium carbonate shells such as shellfish. As the capacity for socio-economically important shellfish species to adapt to such changes is largely unknown, the focus of many of our research projects are to gain a better understanding of ecosystem health and resilience to these stressors using multiple techniques such as functional genomics, metabolomics and genetics.

 

This page is created by the Shellfish Health and Husbandry Group purely as a means of communicating scientific knowledge and program research, and does not reflect the views and opinions of Vancouver Island University.