Doctoral research
Projecting impacts of future sea level rise on intertidal habitat for migratory shorebirds in the Fraser River estuaryClimate change is one of the most pervasive threats to coastal marine biodiversity, and sea level rise poses serious risks to nearshore ecosystems. Tidal flats, which serve as critical habitat for migratory shorebirds along the world’s major flyways, are particularly at risk. The Fraser River estuary (FRE) in British Columbia is a key stopover site on the Pacific Flyway and an area of global significance for over 1 million shorebirds, which use the site to refuel during spring and fall migration. However, the effects of future SLR on intertidal habitat in the FRE remain largely unknown. For the first chapter of my PhD thesis, I will model changes in the availability of intertidal habitat in the FRE resulting from future SLR and identify key areas of the estuary that are most at risk.
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Master's research
Effects of bleaching-associated mass coral mortality on the structural complexity of coral reef ecosystemsIn 2015–2016, a massive global coral bleaching event caused widespread bleaching and mortality of corals on reefs around the world. Particularly hard-hit was the Kiritimati atoll in the central Pacific, which suffered over 80% coral mortality as a result of prolonged heat stress. Part of my MSc research examined the effect of this severe bleaching event on the structural complexity of reefs around Kiritimati, using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry techniques to create digital 3D models of the reef. We recorded declines in reef structural complexity less than two years after the bleaching event and found that local human disturbance plays an important role in determining baseline levels of reef structure.
Explore a 3D model of one of our sites here. Interacting effects of heat stress and local human disturbance on tropical coral reef fish assemblagesReef fish play a critical role in the maintenance of healthy reef ecosystems and serve as a vital source of income and subsistence for people in many developing nations. However, reef fish are being affected by several natural and anthropogenic stressors. The second part of my MSc research examined the interacting effects of heat stress and local disturbance on the structure of tropical reef fish assemblages, using data collected through underwater visual surveys. We found that reef fish abundance, biomass, and species richness on Kiritimati declined during the 2015–2016 El Niño, and that the presence of local stressors impaired the recovery of reef fish assemblages following severe heat stress.
See The Conversation and the Times Colonist for additional coverage of this study. |
Undergraduate research
Effects of habitat complexity and predation risk on the stress responsiveness of a mangrove-associated fishIncreases in coastal development in tropical regions have led to alteration of much of the world's mangrove habitat, creating problems for the many fish species that rely on mangroves for protection from predators. To determine the effects of decreased habitat complexity and increased predation risk on mangrove-associated fish, I conducted a lab-based experiment at the Cape Eleuthera Institute in the Bahamas examining the influence of mangrove roots, substrate type, and conspecific alarm cues on the stress physiology of checkered puffers. We found that the stress responsiveness of these fish was not significantly impacted by changes in either habitat complexity or the predator environment. However, this may be due to the puffers' unique morphological and chemical defenses that help them to avoid predation in the wild.
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Reef photo: Kevin Bruce