Research roundup

Researchers studying killer whales off British Columbia unexpectedly documented northern-resident killer whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins cooperatively hunting Chinook salmon. Using drones and suction-cup biologging tags, the team observed the species synchronizing movements, echolocating together, and traveling side-by-side as whales followed dolphins to deeper prey. The dolphins appeared to act as scouts, while scavenging leftover salmon. The paper, published in the journal , was led by ±«Óãtv University, along with colleagues from the University of British Columbia, the Leibniz Institute and the Hakai Institute.

—Alison Auld

Researchers are investigating why Atlantic Canada, and particularly New Brunswick, has the country’s highest rates of chronic prescription sedative use among older adults, reaching up to two to three times the national average. Dr. David Gardner, a professor in Dal's Department of Psychiatry and College of Pharmacy, explored the phenomenon through a clinical trial called . A mailed information package that promoted safer sleep strategies was found to reduce sedative use for at least a year. New data show sedative use varies dramatically by region and is linked to higher risks of falls and fractures. Dr. Gardner argues that sociological norms and prescribing habits drive overuse, and emphasized shifting toward evidencebased, nonmedication treatments.

—Alison Auld

±«Óãtv researchers have mapped how Arctic aquifers are responding to thawing permafrost and how they may shift as the climate warms. Today, shallow Arctic aquifers drain slowly and support wet ecosystems, but rising temperatures and changing rainfall could deepen water tables in some regions and raise them in others, altering over 15 per cent of Arctic land. These shifts may reshape ecosystems, carbon cycling, freshwater availability, and coastal aquifers already threatened by sea-level rise. The researchers outlined their findings in a study published in . It highlights areas likely to experience major change, as well as regions where better data is needed to understand future groundwater behaviour.

—Alison Auld

A national research team led by ±«Óãtv is investigating how biological and social factors shape health outcomes for Canadians living with multiple sclerosis (MS). With $2 million in CIHR funding, the project will recruit 500 diverse participants to study how genetics, age, sex, environment, and lived experience influence MS progression and quality of life. The team aims to address gaps in past research by engaging underrepresented groups, including men, racialized communities, rural residents, newcomers, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals.

—Alison Auld

Canadian researchers have shown that ocean acidity can be measured by analyzing deep-sea sound recordings collected with Deep Sound, an autonomous acoustic profiler developed at ±«Óãtv University. By examining ambient noise from 2009 to 2021 in the Philippine Sea and the Mariana and Tonga trenches, scientists found that changes in how sound loses energy to dissolved salts reveal shifts in seawater chemistry. As oceans absorb more atmospheric COâ‚‚, acidity increases, altering these acoustic signatures. The technique offers a new way to monitor ocean acidification, which threatens marine ecosystems, especially vulnerable tropical species.

—Alison Auld