PDF Freshwater Fish Physiology
PhD Elasmobranch Physiology
BSc Marine Biology - Honours, Co-op
A Brief History of Me
Marine Biologist and Shark Lover
My fascination with sharks began in 2002 during an encounter with a brown reef shark while scuba-diving in Florida.
Sharks are beautiful, fierce, misrepresented animals that are dying by the thousands
because of human greed and ignorance
​
Undergraduate education: Bachelor of Science with Honours in Marine Biology, Cooperative Program from Dalhousie University (2012).
My research focused on marine mammal ecology. I worked in Dr. Hal Whitehead's Cetacean lab at Dalhousie University where I studied sperm whales
Graduate education: Ph.D. in the Biological Sciences Department at the University of Manitoba working with Dr. W. Gary Anderson.
My research focused on elasmobranch physiology, and how the intestinal spiral valve is involved in osmoregulation and nutrient acquisition in the spiny dogfish and cloudy catshark
Continuing education: Post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto Scarborough with Dr. Cosima Porteus. I am investigating how lake whitefish tolerate carbon dioxide in an effort to improve aquaculture production
"The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man"
~ Charles Darwin ~
Journal of Experimental Biology
Early Career Researcher Spotlight Interview
Link to website with the interview:
pdf version of the interview:
The ECR spotlight interview was published in JEB in conjunction with the journal article I published with Dr. Gary Anderson: Using 15N to determine the metabolic fate of dietary nitrogen in North Pacific spiny dogfish
My Research
My Postdoc research at the University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada, investigates the tolerance of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) to carbon dioxide. Whitefish are an important stock for Indigenous communities and sport-fishing. Current research on rising carbon dioxide levels tends to focus on ocean acidification and its consequences for marine aquatic organisms, with less research aimed at understanding the effects on freshwater species.
My Ph.D. research at the University of Manitoba, Canada, focused on nitrogen transport across the intestinal spiral valve of marine elasmobranchs, with an emphasis on the overall whole-body nitrogen balance. For sharks and skates, nitrogen is an important component of osmoregulation (balance an animal balances their internal water and salts to resist dehydration). I investigated the presence and abundance of ammonia and urea transporters, the effect of excess dietary urea, and the metabolic fate of exogenous nitrogen. I discovered the intestinal spiral valve to be an important organ for the nitrogen acquisition, mostly in the form of ammonia.
Following my undergraduate degree, I conducted research on basking sharks in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. I was awarded an Environment Canada - Science Horizons Youth Internship Grant to fund the project. Using the photo-identification of unique markings, the shape of the dorsal fin, and a database of photographs spanning ~30 years, I created the first catalogue of basking sharks in the Bay of Fundy. We identified 98 individual sharks that have used the Bay since 1994. Our study highlighted both the longevity of dorsal fin markings on basking sharks and the yearly use of the bay by individuals. Our longest re-sighting of an individual was over 9 years, indicating that individual basking sharks find their way back to the Bay over multiple seasons
My undergraduate Honours thesis examined markings that accumulate on the flukes of sperm whales. Working with Dr. Hal Whitehead at Dalhousie University, Canada, I used his catalogue of sperm whales photographs, which spans more than 30 years, to compare the abundance of markings on the flukes of sperm whale in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The Pacific Ocean sperm whales had more predator-inflicted marks than Atlantic Ocean sperm whales, suggesting they face more predation pressure than their Atlantic counterparts. Their tail markings and injuries came from orcas, false killer whales, cookiecutter sharks, fishing gear, boat propellers, and intraspecific attacks (from other sperm whales).
Contact Me
Instagram Photo Feed
