Biography

Being an “ocean-o-holic” can be traced to my childhood.  When I was a little girl, I spent several years in a small fishing village by the sea in China.  That was where I developed my first hobby - fishing.  The fantastic music from the waves and the fishy smell of the sea always haunt my mind.  This wonderful feeling led me to complete my undergraduate study in Marine Fisheries at the Ocean University of China.  After several years of research and work in China, I pursued a Master’s degree in Fisheries Biology and Fisheries Management from the University of Bergen, Norway, where, under the supervision of Dr. Arild Folkvord,  I completed my thesis titled “Otolith growth and back-calculation of previous fish size based on individually tagged and marked Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) ”. I Began a PhD with Dr. Tony Pitcher in the PERF unit of UBC Fisheries Centre in January 2008.

My PhD work focuses on the food dynamics in the Strait of Georgia (SoG).  The SoG is a semi-enclosed estuarine ecosystem. Surrounded by several of the province’s biggest cities, it is the backyard of B.C.’s people. The Strait has historically been a highly productive ecosystem, and has experienced considerable changes in the last few decades.  From different aspects of food dynamics, outlined below, I hope to better understand ecosystem functioning and formulate some ideas about why these changes are occurring, in the context of environmental variability and anthropogenic stressors.

OBJECTIVE 1: Top-Down Control

The interactions between harbor seals and fisheries in the SoG using Ecopath with Ecosim ecosystem modeling were investigated. Harbor seal numbers increased following a harvesting ban in 1970, and have since remained stable, probably reaching the population’s carrying capacity in the 1990s. Opposite to most people’s expectation, we (Li et al. (2010)) found that the presence of harbor seals may in fact increase the SoG fisheries potential, based on a current comprehensive overview of predator-prey interactions.

OBJECTIVE 2: Invasive Species

Collaborating with Dr. Robert Devlin, I look at the potential ecological impacts of transgenic coho salmon on the SoG ecosystem, should they ever escape from laboratory facilities. Growth hormone (GH) transgenic fishes grow faster than non-modified salmon, and have the potential to greatly increase productivity in aquaculture. They are still restricted to the laboratory, however, due to the environmental concerns.  This study is expected to provide useful information for policy makers.

OBJECTIVE 3: Bottom-Up Control 

Along with Dr. Dave Mackas, and several scientists from UBC and DFO, I found a decadal shift in SoG zooplankton communities, especially a dramatic decline in calanoids and euphausiids, which are the main preys of many fish and invertebrate species. This noted decline in zooplankton may have prevented the recovery of several depressed fish populations. This study also highlights large-scale climate drivers in an estuary. I will further apply ecosystem modeling to examine large responses in the fish and invertebrate populations due to the bottom-up drivers.

I am always interested in hearing comments and feedback, and welcome collaboration. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you are interested in this work.

Awards and Honors

Four Year Doctoral Fellowship                                                      01/2008 - 12/2011

The University of British Columbia                                                                            

Annual value: Full tuition coverage (about $5,000, 01/2008 – 12/2010)                                                           

$16,000 stipend plus full tuition coverage (01/2011 – 12/2011) 

NSERC Post Graduate Scholarship                                             01/2008 - 12/2010

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)                               

Annual value: $21,000

NORAD Scholarship                                                                        08/2004 – 07/2006

Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs                                                                           

Annual value: about $18,000

NSERC Summer Programs in Taiwan                                         06/2010 – 08/2010    

NSERC Canada                                                                                                                

Value: $3,000 plus travel and living expenses

NMA Mobility Grant                                                                          12/2005

Nordic Marine Academy                                                                                          

Value: about $3,000

PICES Travel Grant                                                                           03/2011 

North Pacific Marine Science Organization                                                                    

Value: $700