Latest news with #Beaulieu
Observer
2 days ago
- Science
- Observer
How healthy are the oceans? Ask a whale shark
On a calm morning in May, Brianna Beaulieu, a master's student in marine biology at the University of Western Australia, and several researchers from around the world boarded two research vessels bound for Ningaloo Reef on Australia's west coast. The scientists have invested months of planning to spend just a few minutes in the water collecting data on one of the ocean's most mysterious animals. Whale sharks are not whales. They are fish, the largest in the sea, growing up to 60 feet long. Yet, surprisingly little is known about their life cycle. Researchers still don't know where whale sharks mate, how often they breed or where they go to give birth. Beaulieu and her colleagues hope to gain at least some insights into these giants. A whale shark can easily be spotted from the air, cruising just below the surface of the crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean. In May, they gather off the reef in numbers so high that, for the half-dozen spotter planes overhead, finding them is simple. For 20 years, a team from the University of Western Australia has conducted annual fieldwork at Ningaloo Reef. Ningaloo is one of the world's longest fringing reefs, formed unusually close to shore, and is listed as a Unesco World Heritage site. At the reef, the scientists measure the lengths and dimensions of the animals and collect tissue samples for chemical analysis. They also use drones to assess the body condition of the whale sharks: Are they getting fatter? Thinner? 'Whale sharks can live for over 100 years and grow very slowly,' Meekan said. 'By monitoring them, we're not just learning about the sharks, we're learning about ocean health more broadly,' he said. 'These animals travel thousands of kilometres, so each one is like a sentinel or autonomous sampling unit moving across the Indian Ocean and returning to Ningaloo each year to tell the tale.' Much of Beaulieu's research focuses on measuring the overall health of whale sharks and the impact of human-made threats on them, including boat strikes and 'forever chemicals' in the water. Whale sharks gather at Ningaloo Reef to feed on plankton that appear each year when coral spawn. Beaulieu dives into the water, taking a compact underwater camera to document a whale shark's appearance. Her colleague Sophie Jones often joins her in the water, gripping a yard-long reference pole that provides a crucial scale to help researchers precisely determine the animal's size, while a drone captures the scene from above. The whale shark typically remains relatively calm as Beaulieu swims beneath it and holds a small ultrasound device above the surface of its skin, just behind the dorsal fin. The data, which measures skin depth and the condition of the muscles, is sent to a veterinarian to assess the whale shark's internal health and reproductive status. The encounter lasts just a few minutes, before the whale shark disappears again into the deep blue. Beaulieu and the other researchers then swim to the surface and signal for pickup. Then they do it all again. The team repeated the sequence 11 times that day: spotting, diving, documenting and collecting data. These few minutes with the whale sharks are the culmination of a year's planning, a gigantic logistical effort to shadow a giant. In the 12 days of fieldwork, the researchers documented 101 whale shark encounters — a bumper year. In 2023, after their boat broke down, they had only four. Researchers have developed tools that allow the public to contribute to whale shark science. Platforms such as Shark Guardian and Wildbook for Whale Sharks invite divers, tour operators and marine tourists to upload their photographs of whale sharks, ideally with a clear view of the area just behind the gills, where the spot patterns are most reliable. Sophisticated pattern-matching algorithms then compare these images with an international database of more than 8,000 individual whale sharks, improving the ability of scientists to monitor their movements, residency, growth and health. — The New York Times
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Elite triathletes hope SuperTri race will inspire more Canadians to take up sport
Two of Canada's top triathletes hope that a new race in Toronto will inspire more people to take up the sport. Charles Paquet and Mathis Beaulieu will be racing in SuperTri Toronto this Saturday, kicking off the international league's season. They feel the short-course version of the multisport race is more exciting for spectators and, ideally, will lead to a new generation of Canadian triathletes. 'I think it's starting to be more popular, starting to be more known,' said Paquet, who is from Port-Cartier, Que. 'When I started the sport, I think people didn't really know what triathlon was but now it's starting to be more and more popular. 'Hopefully there's going to be a lot of people watching and I can inspire a few people to give it a try.' Beaulieu, from Quebec City, has similar hopes, noting that there hasn't been an elite triathlon race in Canada for years. 'I think it could be really huge. I think it could be massive because there's not a lot of short-course racing in Canada,' he said. 'I think SuperTri is super light, dynamic, intense. 'I feel like it's fresh, it's new.' SuperTri has shorter and faster formats, often with multiple short races in quick succession. An Olympic triathlon follows a standardized distance of 1.5-kilometre swim, 40-kilometre bicycle ride, and a 10-kilometre run. The league will also hold races in Chicago in August and in Toulouse, France, in October. In Toronto, competitors will do the Olympic distances but on shorter loops to stay within sight of spectators. That includes swimming in the sheltered waters of Ontario Place, biking on closed roads, and running along Lake Shore Boulevard and the Gardiner Expressway. Beaulieu has one recommendation for spectators hoping to catch the best view of the race. 'Everything happens in transition,' he said. 'They're going to get to see us all get from the swim to the bike then from the bike to the run. 'Some people say that we take our time in transition, but it's the most important thing in the triathlon. You go as fast as you can in the transition to get any advantage you can.' Paquet and Beaulieu will both be in the professional race, but the triathlon festival will also have categories for amateurs. Paquet hopes that fans will be inspired not just by the elite of the sport but also the amateurs trying their best. 'I think that should be, hopefully, a good event to introduce people to triathlon like I was introduced to in the past,' said Paquet, who represented Canada at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 'Then hopefully they can join the sport.' The 20-year-old Beaulieu is on pace to represent Canada at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.
Vancouver Sun
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Former Montreal Canadiens defenceman Nathan Beaulieu announces retirement
Former Montreal Canadiens defenceman Nathan Beaulieu has announced his retirement after an 11-year career in the NHL. A 17th overall pick by the club in 2011, Beaulieu played 471 games in the NHL for four different clubs: the Habs, Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets and Anaheim Ducks. He played 225 of those games with the team that drafted him, along with 17 playoff games. The Jets wished him well in retirement on their X account. Congratulations on a great career, and all the best in your retirement Beau! Beaulieu hangs up his skates with 12 goals and 98 points. He spent the last two years playing in Europe, first in Switzerland for Kloten HC where he was teammates with Habs top prospect David Reinbacher, followed by an eight-game stint in the KHL to close out his career. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. In 2017, Beaulieu was traded by Montreal to the Sabres in exchange for a 2017 third-round pick. Beaulieu also had an illustrious career in the QMJHL, where he won two QMJHL championships and a Memorial Cup with the Saint John Sea Dogs.
Ottawa Citizen
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Former Montreal Canadiens defenceman Nathan Beaulieu announces retirement
Former Montreal Canadiens defenceman Nathan Beaulieu has announced his retirement after an 11-year career in the NHL. Article content A 17th overall pick by the club in 2011, Beaulieu played 471 games in the NHL for four different clubs: the Habs, Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets and Anaheim Ducks. He played 225 of those games with the team that drafted him, along with 17 playoff games. Article content Congratulations on a great career, and all the best in your retirement Beau! — Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) July 23, 2025 Article content Beaulieu hangs up his skates with 12 goals and 98 points. He spent the last two years playing in Europe, first in Switzerland for Kloten HC where he was teammates with Habs top prospect David Reinbacher, followed by an eight-game stint in the KHL to close out his career. Article content Article content In 2017, Beaulieu was traded by Montreal to the Sabres in exchange for a 2017 third-round pick. Article content Beaulieu also had an illustrious career in the QMJHL, where he won two QMJHL championships and a Memorial Cup with the Saint John Sea Dogs. Article content
Montreal Gazette
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Montreal Gazette
Former Montreal Canadiens defenceman Nathan Beaulieu announces retirement
Montreal Canadiens Former Montreal Canadiens defenceman Nathan Beaulieu has announced his retirement after an 11-year career in the NHL. A 17th overall pick by the club in 2011, Beaulieu played 471 games and had 12-86-98 totals in the NHL for four clubs: the Habs, Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets and Anaheim Ducks. He played 225 of those games with Montreal, along with 17 playoff games. The Jets wished him well in retirement on their X account. Congratulations on a great career, and all the best in your retirement Beau! — Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) July 23, 2025 Beaulieu spent the last two years playing in Europe, first in Switzerland for Kloten HC, where he was teammates with Habs top prospect David Reinbacher, followed by an eight-game stint in the KHL to close out his career. In 2017, Beaulieu was traded by Montreal to the Sabres in exchange for a 2017 third-round pick. Beaulieu also had an illustrious career in the QMJHL, where he won two QMJHL championships and a Memorial Cup with the Saint John Sea Dogs. This story was originally published July 23, 2025 at 12:10 PM.
