SFU Biological Sciences

📅 The Outreach & Engagement Committee’s 2026–2027 outreach events and submission deadlines are here! Explore opportunities in photography, science communication, outreach, creative writing, and more. Check out the schedule and mark your calendar!

🎉 Congratulations to Yuvraj Kaura, recipient of the Spring 2026 Biological Sciences Merit Scholarship! Awarded to the Biology major with the highest academic standing after six terms of study, this honour recognizes outstanding academic achievement. Well deserved, Yuvraj! 👏📚🔬

A big congratulations to Ahmed Bshina and Yuvraj Kaura, recipients of the 2026 Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Award! Their contributions to developmental neurobiology and microbial pathogenesis research showcase the impact of undergraduate research. 🎉🧬🔬

Greenland's fishing industry is under pressure and that is bringing the slow-growing Greenland shark into conflict with fishers. @sfubiosciences.bsky.social professor @nickdulvy.bsky.social weighs in on a proposed shark cull: www.theguardian.com/environment/...

📸 The 7th Annual Biology Photo Contest is here! BISC faculty, students, staff, and postdocs are invited to share the beauty of their work, from cells to ecosystems and microscopes to fieldwork. Submit up to 3 photos by Nov. 5 for a chance to win prizes. Full details in the poster!

@sfubiosciences.bsky.social and environmental sciences major Caio Conradt completed an undergraduate research term with professor David Green studying the impact of human activity on the ecology and life history of spotted towhees. 🧵 🧪🌏

After taking some time off due to forest fire evacuations, @sfubiosciences.bsky.social professor Isabelle Côté and the Fraser Riverkeeper team are passing through Metro Vancouver on their way to Richmond this Friday! Follow along with their journey: fraserriverkeeper.ca/expedition2026 🧪🌏

Congratulations to @sfubiosciences.bsky.social prof Tanya Brown, @sfuphysics.bsky.social profs @quantumdan.bsky.social and Thomas Jennewein, chemistry prof Daniel Leznoff and earth sciences prof Xinyue Xu on receiving support through the John R. Evans Leaders Fund!

August 19 is World Orangutan Day. @sfubiosciences.bsky.social PhD candidate spoke with @cbcstephenquinn.bsky.social this morning about orangutans and working with legendary primatologist Biruté Galdikas. 🌏 www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

@sfubiosciences.bsky.social prof Isabelle Côté and the Fraser Riverkeeper team swam through Prince George yesterday, now heading south toward Quenesl. The group aims to raise awareness and funds for conservation by swimming the length of the Fraser: www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/f... 🌎

@sfubiosciences.bsky.social professor Isabelle Côté is embarking on a new adventure, starting today! Over the next 30 days she will swim 1,375 km from the Fraser River headwaters to the Pacific Ocean with Fraser Riverkeeper to raise awareness about watershed conservation. fraserriverkeeper.ca 🧪🌎

Deep sea mining poses many risks to ecosystems beyond the locations being mined. @sfubiosciences.bsky.social professor Nick Dulvy comments: 🧪🌎

What can we learn about ageing from butterflies? @sfubiosciences.bsky.social professor Arne Mooers and colleague Jayme Lewthwaite investigate.

A fascinating @radiolab.bsky.social episode on baby sharks featuring @sfubiosciences.bsky.social professor @nickdulvy.bsky.social: radiolab.org/podcast/baby... (do do do do do) 🧪🌏

SFU Biology postdoctoral researcher Anaïs Remili @anaisremili.bsky.social was recently featured in The News International, where she discussed the vital role whale falls play in sustaining deep-sea ecosystems. Learn more: www.sfu.ca/biology/news... 📸 Photo credit: Jared Towers - DFO MML 001

Some of our key findings: • Only 6 threatened sharks and rays have more than 10% of their range protected by no-take MPAs. • Only 24% of threatened sharks and 18% of threatened rays have over 1% of their species range covered by no-take MPAs @sfubiosciences.bsky.social @earth2ocean.bsky.social

We also built a free Shark & Ray MPA Explorer so researchers, managers, and conservationists can explore species-level MPA coverage for all 1,158 species. If you're interested in sharks and rays, take a look! tinyurl.com/SharkRayMPAExplorer @sfubiosciences.bsky.social @society4conbio.bsky.social

Pioneering primatologist Dr. Birute Galdikas has left behind a legacy of conservation and advocacy for orangutans, and a new generation of conservationists, including @sfubiosciences.bsky.social PhD candidate Ruth Linsky: nowtoronto.com/news/why-the... 🌏

Despite being banned for decades, PCBs, DDT and other pollutants are still circulating in marine ecosystems, and accumulating in the bodies of Arctic seals and the communities that rely on them, leading to negative health effects: https://ow.ly/H4vz50ZbotX 🧪🌎 #MarineEcology SFU Biological Sciences

Congratulations to Aaron Dhanda, PhD alumnus from Julian Guttman's Lab, whose photo "The mitotic meridian" is a finalist in the 2026 NSERC Science Exposed Photo Contest! Take a moment and follow the link to vote for Aaron's photo!: ow.ly/q5KM50Zbo1Z

The BC Parks Living Lab Program pairs scientists with provincial parks to study climate change and conservation. @sfubiosciences.bsky.social prof Chelsea Little spoke with @cbcstephenquinn.bsky.social about the work she and her colleagues are doing in Garibaldi Park: www.cbc.ca/listen/live-... 🧪

New research from @sfubiosciences.bsky.social professor Tanya Brown has found more than 200 contaminants in water and juvenile Chinook salmon in the Lower Fraser River estuary, including industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals and personal care products. www.sfu.ca/sfunews/stor... 🧪 #ecotox #yvr

A recent SFU-led study found dozens of chemical contaminants in Fraser River Chinook salmon. @sfubiosciences.bsky.social professor Tanya Brown explains that this is not just an issue for salmon, but could also affect #BC's Southern Resident Orcas: globalnews.ca/video/118588... 🧪 #ecotox

May is the middle of the spring migration for many species, and many are passing through Vancouver right now! Learn about birding and how you can contribute to science at an upcoming panel including @sfubiosciences.bsky.social prof @johnreynolds.bsky.social: stanleyparkecology.ca/event/your-o...

This recent collaboration between @sfuphysics.bsky.social and @sfubiosciences.bsky.social researchers is a great example of how interdisciplinary collaborations can lead to new insights and useful tools for understanding the natural world. 🧪⚛️ #bio

Pleased to announce that five science students have made it to the SFU 3MT finals. Congratulations to: * Stella Lin, BISC * Nima Tehrani, MBB * Jeremy Chiu, MATH * Grace Johnson, PHYS * Jonas A. Eschenfelder, EASC Cheer them on in person or via livestream at on April 9: shorturl.at/whIwA

Congratulations to SFU Biological Sciences professor Miranda Meents who has received a 2025 SFU Excellence in Teaching Award for her innovative teaching and leadership within the teaching community. www.sfu.ca/science/news...

On Friday April 10 the Biology Department gathered to celebrate a Botanical Drawing Showcase featuring the work of the students in BISC 337-Plant Biology. Congratulations to everyone for their amazing work! See more on our Kudos page: www.sfu.ca/biology/news...

UN World Water Day celebrates water and inspires action to tackle the global water crisis. A focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. Thank you to Stella Lin and Joyce Wong in the Fowler lab, for the images below!

Sixth Annual Biology World Poetry Day Contest It is our great pleasure to announce the winners of the sixth annual Biological Sciences Poetry Contest. Find out the winners and read the poems here: www.sfu.ca/biology/news...

Stella Lin (Fowler-lab) won First Place and People's Choice in the 2026 Faculty of Science 3MT Competition for "Characterization of psychrophilic microbial communities in small-scale decentralized anaerobic digestion for sanitation in the remote arctic"! Congrats, Stella! www.sfu.ca/biology/news...

@sfubiosciences.bsky.social major Jocelyn Heywood completed a USRA term and Honours project in Côté Lab, investigating densities and distributions of the invasive marine snail Batillaria attramentaria, identify hotspots and other information that can guide effective management strategies.

Climate change + legacy chemicals hit Arctic ringed seals with a one-two punch: New SFU study finds that just one unusually warm year can leave seals thinner, malnourished and less able to cope with toxic contaminants – raising risks for Inuit food security and Arctic ecosystems. 🦭

Canada is losing track of its wild salmon — just when we need that knowledge most. Research from @sfubiosciences.bsky.social profs mhprice.bsky.social and @jon-moore.bsky.social finds insufficient data on nearly half of Canada's Pacific spawning populations. theconversation.com/canada-is-lo...

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science! Meet two of our Canada Research Chairs, Lorena Braid and Ailene MacPherson and learn about their career journeys and advice for other women in science: sfu.ca/sfunews/stor...

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science. We celebrate the women in our department who make an impact every day. Thank you for the photos and stories. Photo descriptions: www.sfu.ca/biology/news...

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science! Grateful for the mentors, collaborators, and friends who make science stronger every day. #WomeninSTEM @rachhson.bsky.social @sfubiosciences.bsky.social @sfuscience.bsky.social

Congratulations to Ingrid van der Torre, recipient of the Fall 2025 Biological Sciences Merit Scholarship. Awarded to the Biology major with the highest academic record after six completed terms of study. A remarkable achievement💯🥳

Congratulations to our 2025 Undergraduate Research Award recipients. These Biology students are recognized for outstanding research, curiosity, and dedication, working with faculty mentors across diverse fields. We are proud of their achievements🙌🤩

✨Call for Submissions: Biology Poetry Contest! ✨ SFU Biological Sciences invites biology-inspired poems from lab, field, or research work. Submit up to 3 poems (incl. Haiku) for prizes + features. Open to BISC community. Deadline March 15. Submit to phollman@sfu.ca. See attached poster for details.

New paper out today in @natrevbiodiv.nature.com by the #GlobalSharkTrends team: Bending back the curve of shark & ray biodiversity loss; Read the paper here: rdcu.be/eZ9n9 @sfu.ca @sfubiosciences.bsky.social @earth2ocean.bsky.social

📚A new study led by Michael Price, adjunct professor in SFU’s Department of Biological Sciences, finds that Canada is failing in a decades-old pledge to monitor the health of Pacific salmon. www.sfu.ca/biology/news...