Welcome
Research in the Baum Lab is motivated by a desire to understand the impacts of climate change and other human activities in the ocean, and to work towards solutions.

We are researching: 
  • How are marine heatwaves impacting coastal marine ecosystems, from temperate kelp forests to tropical coral reefs?
  • How does climate change interact with other stressors, such as fishing and pollution, to alter coastal marine ecosystems? 
  • To what extent can Canada’s oceans serve as ‘natural climate solutions’, through the natural carbon sinks provided by kelp forests, seagrasses and salt marshes?
To answer these questions, we work in partnership with academic, eNGO, First Nations and government collaborators, and apply a suite of tools including synthesis of large data sets using statistical models, field observations, experiments, molecular analyses and bioinformatics, stable isotope analyses, interviews, historical ecology, and meta-analyses. We are committed to making science a more equitable, diverse and inclusive enterprise, to open science and data sharing, and to outreach aimed at enhancing public understanding of our research, ocean conservation, and science in general.

Our overarching goal is to make scientific discoveries that advance understanding of the ocean under climate change, and to inform and inspire effective solutions for ocean conservation.

Lab News
Julia, and a great team of women led by new UVic Impact Chair Amanda Bates, Sarah Davies and Hollie Putnam publish 'Promoting inclusive metrics of success and impact to dismantle a discriminatory reward system in science’ in PLoS Biology, advocating for a paradigm shift in scientific values towards justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. Read it here!, June 2021


Support
Passionate about our oceans and wish to aid our research? Please consider making a contribution here.

Picture
Top image: Warming stripes graphic depicting annual mean global temperatures (1850-2018, from World Meteorological Organization data) by Ed Hawkins, climate scientist at the University of Reading.
Bottom image: Before-after of the mass mortality event showing the transition of a once pristine coral reef to a mostly-dead coral reefscape. 
University of Victoria, Department of Biology, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada