John Dower

John Dower is Professor of Biology at the University of Victoria, leading field-based research in biological oceanography. His Fisheries Oceanography and Zooplankton Ecology Laboratory investigates how bottom-up processes affect marine food webs in coastal British Columbia and the North Pacific.

Research examines zooplankton production dynamics as key trophic links between primary production and higher predators, including fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Current projects assess impacts of ocean climate change (warming, acidification) on ecosystem structure and function.

Field studies combine ship-based sampling with ecological modeling to understand how environmental variability drives seasonal and interannual changes in marine productivity. Recent work also investigates microplastic contamination in marine food webs.