SFU Biological Sciences
Department of Biological Sciences, 8888 University Drive, Shrum Science Building, B8255 V5A 1S6 Burnaby, BC, Canada

New paper out from the Williams' lab PhD student Mason King. Nice review paper on the important topic of the effects of petroleum exposure on birds. https://www.sciencedirect.com//artic/pii/S0048969720363646

Wondering why there are so many moths around right now? We're in year two of a 3-4 year-long outbreak of western hemlock looper. They tend to have population booms every 11-15 years or so here on the coast, or every 20 years or so in the interior of BC. https://www2.gov.bc.ca//forest-pests/defoliators/western-h

This photo contest submission came from undergraduate student Anthony Wong. Anthony took this photo in our first year introductory biology course in the teaching laboratory. The photo is a stained cross-section of a monocot stem.

Today we are taking a moment to remember long-time SFU Biological Sciences Senior Lecturer Cyril How Sik Thong (1947-2020) Cyril Thong first came to Canada in 1969 to start his MSc with John Webster, transferring into the doctoral program in his second year. Fortunately for Canada and for SFU, Cyril took a teaching position in Biological Sciences after completing his PhD in 1973, following a brief return to Singapore. True to his Singaporean roots, Cyril loved to play cricket...Continue reading

This photo was submitted by PhD student Jayme Lewthwaite in the Mooers research lab. Jayme's caption explains, "As part of a captive breeding effort to help restore populations of the severely endangered Mormon Metalmark butterfly (Apodemia Mormon), we captured adult individuals in the field and put them in enclosures with their host plant, Snow Buckwheat (Eriogonum niveum). Success! Several of the females laid eggs (pictured) on the plant, allowing us to incubate the eggs over winter and watch for larvae in the spring."