Current Ocean History Lab members
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Dr. Loren McClenachan
Loren is an Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and History and Canada Research Chair in Ocean History and Sustainability at the University of Victoria. She has a PhD from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, a MA from the University of Oregon, and a BA from Middlebury College. Her research has spanned historical ecology, environmental history and marine conservation. A 2019 Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation, her current work primarily focuses on integrating historical data into fisheries management. She's lived in Victoria BC since 2021; prior to that she lived with her family on the coast of Maine. |
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Ilse Martinez
Ilse is a PhD student in Environmental Studies exploring pathways to integrate historical data into fisheries management in Mexico. She has an MSc in Natural Resources and Rural Development from El Colegio de la Fronter Sur (Mexico). Her main academic interests are artisanal fisheries and local and traditional ecological knowledge. Outside of the lab, you will find her trying as many new foods as possible and spending time with her partner and cats. |
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Dr. Patrick Hayes
Patrick is an Aspiration Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of History and School of Environmental Studies whose research is focused on applying digital methods to the study of historical fisheries in British Columbia with the aim of helping to restore sustainable and equitable fisheries in the province. He completed his PhD at Trinity College Dublin in 2020, and his first book examined the history of Ireland's marine fisheries from 1400 to 1600 and showed how a combination of conflict, colonization and climate change damaged the industry's long-term sustainability. |
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Elias del Valle
Elias is a lifelong Vancouver Island resident with an education in coastal resource management, archaeology, and cultural anthropology. He has a keen interest in the cultural, ecological, and management dimensions of Pacific salmon in BC. His PhD research In Environmental Studies focuses on understanding how BC commercial salmon harvesters are perceiving and adapting to environmental and policy changes. Outside of school, Elias works for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, partakes in typical Vancouver Island outdoor activities, and lives a mostly quiet life aboard his sailboat with his wife. |
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Kai Muir
Kai is a Master's student in Environmental Studies, and previous Honours student in Environmental Studies and Geography. Growing up on the West Coast as the child of two windsurfers sparked his early interest in marine ecology. This interest has become a central academic focus through involvement in interdisciplinary marine research at UVic and through summer field work in Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. Kai's honours research focused on reconstructing the historical dynamics of the Pacific cod fishery in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea and current research focuses on the historical ecology of BC fisheries. Ellie Batchelder Ellie is a Master's student in Environmental Studies researching offshore wind development and the role of commercial fishermen in the policymaking process. Originally from the coast of Maine, Ellie's connection to the landscape and communities that she grew up in has guided her research interests. She is interested in studying the political and social structures that guide community engagement and responses to marine management. While her past research has been focused in the Gulf of Maine region, she is interested in exploring how different engagement processes contribute to stakeholder's perceptions of management and the efficacy of policy decisions. In her spare time, Ellie is likely cruising around on a bike, trying to find skiable snow, or testing out a new pastry recipe. Ursula Dhillon Ursula is Master’s student in History, researching historical trends in kelp ecology. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Alberta, which included some kelp-related field work at Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. Her hobbies include reading, photography, and travel. Hameet Randhawa Hameet is a PhD student in Environmental Studies investigating linkages between historical logging practices and Pacific salmon habitats in BC, focusing on whether habitat alterations and wildfire-driven climate change disturbances have impacted salmon populations over time. She holds a Master of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo, where her research, supervised by Dr. Prateep Nayak, explored social-ecological regime shifts based in a Mexican marine protected area. With a professional background in forest carbon and climate policy, Hameet is currently a Senior Policy Analyst with the BC Ministry of Forests, supporting the implementation of provincial climate initiatives. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the stunning outdoors of Vancouver Island with her husband. |
Lab alumni
Karoline Moore successfully defended her Master's thesis in Environmental Studies in September 2024, which focused on drivers of decline in the 20th century Pacific cod fishery. Congratulations Karoline!
