UBC's Ocean Pollution Research Unit - OPRU

10/12/2026

We are pleased to share an Opinion article on 'Logistical and Economic Barriers Drive a Global Divide and Hinder Equity in Marine Mammal Ecotoxicology Research' led by early-career marine mammal scientist José Ángel Ortega Borchardt, in close collaboration with several Latin American colleagues:

Ortega-Borchardt, J. Á., Alava, J. J., Schramm, Y., Avila, I. C., Cáceres-Saez, I., Gallo-Reynoso, J. P., Szteren, D., Perez-Venegas, D. J., Cuevas, C., Barba-Acuña, I. D., & Heckel, G. (2026). Logistical and Economic Barriers Drive a Global Divide and Hinder Equity in Marine Mammal Ecotoxicology Research. Marine Mammal Science, 42(4), e70293.https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.70293

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.70293

Click on the article title to read more.

10/07/2026

SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
FALL 2026 SEMINAR SERIES

FINDING WHALES, SLOWING SHIPS: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE IN THE SALISH SEA – Dr. Ruth Joy – October 7, 2026

The ocean is becoming noisier, and that noise can have serious consequences for marine mammals. In the Salish Sea, endangered Southern Resident killer whales depend on sound to communicate with one another and to locate their prey. Noise from commercial ships and ferries can make it harder for whales to detect the sounds returning from their echolocation clicks, meaning they may have to get much closer to prey to successfully hunt. This is especially concerning because their preferred prey, Chinook salmon, have already declined, leaving the whales with fewer food options.

In this talk, I will describe how we are combining statistical ecology, underwater acoustics, artificial intelligence (deep learning), and observations from scientists and members of the public to detect Southern Resident killer whales in near real-time. I will talk about how we are using this information to develop a (near) real-time system that serves to alert commercial ships approaching the Port of Vancouver when whales are nearby, allowing vessels to slow down and reduce underwater noise and the risk of collisions. This work illustrates how we bring together environmental science and people to address a complex conservation problem.

Speaker Bio: Ruth Joy works in the School of Environmental Science at Simon Fraser University as an Assistant Professor. Her research interests are in modelling aspects of the marine environment. She is working on developing statistical models that assess the relative impact of anthropogenic stressors on marine species-at-risk in oceans around the world. She has recently been focusing her research on ways to reduce potential impact of underwater noise and commercial vessel traffic on the foraging habitat of the endangered southern resident killer whale.

Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Pre-seminar mingle: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Seminar Start: 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Location: ASB 10900

09/30/2026

We are pleased to share a perspective piece on “In Plasticene Seas: Towards Equitable Solutions Concerning Societal Plastics Impacts on Marine Mammals,” by Juan Jose Alava published via the Ocean Nexus FATHOM Blog.

This perspective article examines the escalating impacts of plastics pollution on marine mammals and the coastal communities connected to them, while highlighting threats including entanglement, plastic ingestion, microplastics, and toxic exposure, and calling for community-grounded equitable approaches to plastics prevention, fisheries management, and marine conservation.

Plastic pollution now reaches virtually every part of the ocean, threatening marine mammals. Drawing on decades of research and field experience, this perspective examines the impacts of the “Plasticene era” on marine mammals and coastal communities, including the escalating impacts of plastics pollution on marine mammals and the coastal communities connected to them, highlighting threats including entanglement, plastic ingestion, microplastics, and toxic exposure to harmful chemicals, while emphasizing that effective responses must also address social and economic inequities and calling for community-grounded, equitable approaches to plastics prevention, fisheries management, and marine conservation.

In conclusion, it calls for solutions grounded in local fishing communities, traditional knowledge, and ocean equity to protect marine biodiversity and support more just and sustainable outcomes.

“Equitable interventions grounded in local fishing coastal community perceptions and traditional knowledge are essential."

Author: Juan José Alava, PhD.
Adjunct Professor, School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University
Ocean Nexus Collaborating Professor

The oceans are pervasively polluted by plastics, marking the onset of the “Plasticene era.” Marine mammals face severe threats from plastic debris, resulting in injury, death, and bioac…

09/03/2026

We are pleased to share our scientific Letter on "Combat Galapagos marine iguana trafficking", published today (September 3, 2026) in Science, led by Dr. Juan Jose Alava.

This letter includes the cases of iguanas found and rescued in May of this year (2026) in Guayaquil, and also includes the most recent case of illegal trafficking of Galapagos marine iguanas, in which 32 iguanas were found and confiscated at the Quito airport last Friday, August 28, 2026. Our colleague and co-author, Franklin Vega, has been following the case and has written an interesting and clear article on the Bitácora Ambiental blog/website https://www.bitacoraec.com/post/las-iguanas-marinas-no-llegaron-solas-4-juveniles-en-guayaquil-reactivan-las-alertas-por-tr%C3%A1fico-de).

We hope that our Letter contributes to raising awareness about the importance of national, regional, and global authorities implementing and strengthening regulatory and monitoring measures to combat the illegal trafficking of wildlife, not only of the endemic Galapagos marine iguana, but also of other threatened species, aiming to conserve and protect the species of our blue planet and future generations in the face of changing oceans.

Citation: Alava, J.J. Molineros, E., Vega, F., Jacquet, J., & Petrossian, G.A. (2026). Combat Galapagos marine iguana trafficking. Science, 393(6815): 981-982. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aek3898

https://www.science.org/eprint/ADDXEN7KPIKHQPW8NZPF/full?activationRedirect=/doi/full/10.1126/science.aek3898

On 28 August, 32 Galapagos marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) were confiscated in Ecuador’s Quito airport from a passenger bound for Iceland (1). Similar seizures took place in May, when 12 live marine iguanas were found at Guayaquil’s airport (2) and four more were rescued from a resident...

07/08/2026

We are pleased to share the chapter (Chapter 7) on "S***m whale Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758," by Sally Mizroch, Thomas A. Jefferson, Christine M.K. Clarke , Ana Eguiguren, Juan Jose Alava, and Dale W. Rice, published in the Ridgway and Harrison's Handbook of Marine Mammals, Volume 3: River Dolphins and Larger Toothed Whales (Edited by Thomas A. Jefferson).
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-13669-6.00011-X
Please, feel free to request a pdf copy of the chapter from Juan Jose Alava

07/08/2026

Sharing a piece written by Dr. Zeinab Zoveidadianpour and Dr. Juan Jose Alava that presents a narrative of our research on fibreglass particle pollution in the Cowichan Estuary (Vancouver Island, BC, Canada), in close collaboration with colleagues from the Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association (CERCA), published in The Conversation Canada.

Zoveidadianpour, X., & Alava, J.J. (2026). Fibreglass: How this emerging contaminant is polluting our coasts. The Conversation Canada. July 8, 2026. https://lnkd.in/gEzvVY5R
https://lnkd.in/gGKgsfS2

07/08/2026

Sharing a piece written by Dr. Zeinab Zoveidadianpour and Dr. Juan Jose Alava that presents a narrative of our research on fibreglass particle pollution in the Cowichan Estuary (Vancouver Island, BC, Canada), in close collaboration with colleagues from the Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association (CERCA), published in The Conversation Canada.

Zoveidadianpour, X., & Alava, J.J. (2026). Fibreglass: How this emerging contaminant is polluting our coasts. The Conversation Canada. July 8, 2026.https://doi.org/10.64628/AAM.6qhs4c6qw

07/08/2026

Sharing a piece written by Dr. Zeinab Zoveidadianpour and Dr. Juan Jose Alava that presents a narrative of our research on fibreglass particle pollution in the Cowichan Estuary (Vancouver Island, BC, Canada), in close collaboration with colleagues from the Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association (CERCA), published in The Conversation Canada.

Zoveidadianpour, X., & Alava, J.J. (2026). Fibreglass: How this emerging contaminant is polluting our coasts. The Conversation Canada. July 8, 2026. https://doi.org/10.64628/AAM.6qhs4c6qw

07/08/2026

Sharing a piece written by Dr. Zeinab Zoveidadianpour and Dr. Juan Jose Alava that presents a narrative of our research on fibreglass particle pollution in the Cowichan Estuary (Vancouver Island, BC, Canada), in close collaboration with colleagues from the Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association (CERCA), published in The Conversation Canada.

Fibreglass is denser than seawater, and it sinks quickly and accumulates in sediments where many coastal organisms live and feed.

07/01/2026

Watch out for these superfans – they CAN bite!
While you might spot them out and about during the world’s biggest soccer tournament, it’s against Canada’s Marine Mammal Regulations (and the soccer fan code of conduct) to swim with, feed, move, disturb or touch them.
Learn more: https://ow.ly/jlPH50Zic2h

Watching marine wildlife