$2.25M taps into underwater research

Victoria, BC – Dr Kim Juniper has been appointed to the BC leadership chair in marine ecosystems and global change at the University of Victoria.

The $4.5-million chair, funded by a $2.25-million investment from the provinces Leading Edge Endowment Fund, will use Neptune and Venus, two undersea ocean-monitoring observatories, led by the University of Victoria, designed to track the impact of climate and environmental changes. The province is contributing $38.5 million to Neptune, the North-East Pacific Time-series Undersea Networked Experiments, and $4 million to Venus, the Victoria Experimental Network Under the Sea.

Dr Juniper is an internationally recognized marine ecologist whose work brings together biology, geology and marine chemistry. He has already helped establish major research programs, including Neptune Canada, and developed cutting-edge laboratory methods.

“I’m very excited to be appointed as the BC leadership chair for marine ecosystems and global change and have the technology of Venus and, very soon, Neptune to help me conduct oceanographic research in a way thats never been done before,” he says. “We will be able to better determine how climate is affecting our oceans, what aspects are human-induced, and what we can do to mitigate the harmful effects.”