Doctoral Citations for Graduation

Doctoral students are the University of British Columbia's top students, earning the highest degree bestowed by UBC and contributing to the institution and the world through their research.  In recognition of the accomplishments of its doctoral graduates, as of November 2008 UBC  instituted the reading of doctoral citations during graduation ceremonies.  The citation summarizes, in lay language and a maximum of 50 words, the nature of the independent research, the contribution to knowledge made by the candidate in the dissertation, and the intellectual and/or practical value of the work. The citation is read during the hooding for each doctoral graduate at the convocation ceremony.  Here are citations for doctoral research completed by recent UBC Fisheries Centre PhD graduates:

MAY 2010

Dr. Robert Ahrens, Doctor of Philosophy (Zoology)
"Depletion of tuna and billfish stocks globally was estimated as less severe than commonly believed when more suitable methods were used. However, these methods do indicate that many stocks are overexploited. A combination of fishing effort reduction and large spatial closures would maintain stocks at optimal levels and improve fishery value."

Dr. Eny Buchary, Doctor of Philosophy (Resource Management and Environmental Studies)
"Dr. Buchary examined a traditional Indonesian fishery that is influenced by El Nino. She found that trade-offs between economic and human dimension options are crucial in determining sustainabilty status of the fishery. This research illuminates the importance of tackling poverty to ensure effective and efficient management in developing world fisheries."

Dr. Sarah Foster, Doctor of Philosophy (Resource Management and Environmental Studies)
"Dr. Foster analysed the damage that shrimp trawling inflicts on the many many small fish species that are caught by accident in the nets. Her use of biological and social research techniques suggests that our best bet will be to close areas of the ocean to such destructive fishing practices."

Dr. Gakushi Ishimura, Doctor of Philosophy (Resource Management and Environmental Studies)
"Dr. Ishimura developed an economic model of transboundary fishery resources affected by climate change, and analyzed the stability of cooperative management among multiple countries. His research suggests policy strategies for robust cooperative management for shared fishery resources given climate change."

Dr. Michael Melnychuk, Doctor of Philosophy (Zoology)
"Dr. Melnychuk used acoustic tags to monitor the movements of migrating juvenile salmon and estimate survival rates of populations. He showed that high mortality occurred during the downstream migration and shortly after entering the Georgia Strait ecosystem. This research allows us to better understand causes for declines in salmon abundance."

Dr. Marivic Pajaro, Doctor of Philosophy (Resource Management and Environmental Studies)
"Dr.  Pajaro investigated how communities evaluate the marine protected areas that they established. Elsewhere, criteria have generally been set by outsiders. This study found that indicators changed over time as local conditions evolved. Such research argues the need for constant renewal of assessment approaches to meet needs of local stakeholders."

Dr. Erin Rechisky, Doctor of Philosophy (Zoology)
"Dr. Rechisky used a large-scale fish tracking array to track very small salmon in a very large ocean.  Using new technology, she found that the ocean can be a dangerous place for young salmon, as survival for some species is very low during the first month at sea."

Dr. Colette Wabnitz, Doctor of Philosophy (Geography)
"Dr. Wabnitz built ecological models to understand the role of green turtles in Pacific reef and Caribbean seagrass ecosystems, and developed new methods to map underwater habitats using satellite data.  Her findings highlight turtles' importance to ecosystem resilience and the current lack of habitat data to meet international conservation targets."

NOVEMBER 2009

Dr. Jonathan Anticamara, Doctor of Philosophy (Resource Management and Environmental Studies)
"Dr. Anticamara examined how fishes that live on coral reefs respond to protection in marine reserves. He identified which species benefit most and demonstrated that reserves farther from shore had more fish and more species of fish. This work will directly help improve the health of our oceans."

Dr. Jennifer Linn Jacquet, Doctor of Philosophy (Resource Management and Environmental Studies)
"Dr. Jacquet's research on fish as food deals with luxury seafood markets in the developed world and food security issues in the developing world. It contributes to our understanding of our relationship to marine wildlife, conservation efforts directed at the human appetite, policies related to seafood labeling, agreements that grant foreign countries access to fishing grounds, and global fisheries subsidies."

MAY 2009

Dr. Robyn Elizabeth Forrest, Doctor of Philosophy (Resource Management and Environmental Studies)
"Dr. Forrest developed models to estimate sustainable fishing rates for endangered Australian dogsharks. She also used ecosystem models to evaluate trade-offs associated with alternative management options: to protect sharks and achieve economic objectives. Her work provides new tools for managing data-limited sharks and helps clarify understanding of ecosystem-based fisheries management."

Dr. Joshua Korman, Doctor of Philosophy (Zoology)
"Dr. Korman showed that fluctuations in river flow caused by hydroelectric dams can reduce the growth and survival rates of early life stages of rainbow trout, and can alter their patterns of habitat use. His work provides important information for managing fish populations in large regulated rivers."

NOVEMBER 2008

Dr. Natalie Corinna Ban, Doctor of Philosophy (Resource Management and Environmental Studies)
"Dr. Ban looked at how society chooses where to put protected areas in the ocean. She showed that local people (in this case First Nations) have enough knowledge to select areas of value to conservation. Communities agreed, however, with Natalie's findings that incorporating available science into the planning produced an even better outcome."