LAB MEMBERS

My academic interests lie in quantitative fisheries management, particularly in fish stock assessments, fish population dynamics, and mathematical statistics. During my graduate studies, I focused on developing stock assessment models, such as an age-structured, length-based model and a state-space, age-structured model. I received my PhD in Fisheries Science in 2023 from Pukyong National University in South Korea, where I worked on a state-space, age-structured model under the supervision of Prof. Saang-Yoon Hyun. I also completed my MSc in Fisheries Science at the same institution in 2019, focusing on an age-structured, length-based model, again under Prof. Hyun’s guidance. Prior to that, I earned my BS in Oceanography from Inha University in 2017. I am an AD Model Builder and Template Model Builder (TMB) user for stock assessment modeling. The beauty of population dynamics and stock assessment lies in the attempt to quantify something we cannot directly observe—underwater fish populations, the “true parameter” that only nature knows. Using modeling, mathematical statistics, numerical optimization, and computer programming, we strive to estimate these unknowns. If it doesn't offend your modern sensibility, I would compare stock assessment to magic. The spells that shape population dynamics. Drawing on knowledge (methods, theories and data), we write a spell on a scroll (write the model's code in a script language) and cast the spell (run the model and perform numerical optimization) to create magic (estimation and projection). Looking ahead, I aim to continue advancing the field of stock assessment and population dynamics through innovative modeling approaches. I am excited to collaborate with fellow researchers and contribute to sustainable fisheries management that balances ecological and economic goals.

I have always been fascinated with the ocean, especially having grown up right next to it. This fascination has led me down the path of marine biology research. My PhD project is focusing on capelin (Mallotus villosus) population dynamics in Newfoundland. This involves developing a state-space model for the capelin population, which will include factors that may affect their population. In terms of academic interests, I have a strong interest in marine ecology, ecosystems, and the impacts of anthropogenic activities. I did my MSc in Marine Biology in University College Cork in Ireland. My thesis focused on using baited remote underwater video systems to investigate the different macro-fauna benthic communities occurring off the Arklow Bank in the Irish Sea. Arklow Bank is currently a site for offshore windfarm development in Ireland. So, this work gives preliminary data on the communities present in the area before major construction occurs. I also did work investigating the impacts that the construction of an offshore breakwater, which artificially sheltered shores, had on local intertidal communities in Millport, Scotland. My BSc (Hons) in Ecology and Environmental Biology was also done in University College Cork. As part of my BSc, I conducted a final year thesis that looked at the spatial pattern of chthamalid barnacles (Chthamalus spp.) in Ireland using image analysis. I was also a bursar of the Irish Marine Institute (Foras na Mara). My work in the Marine Institute was helping to validate qPCR assays for fish pathogens and working with historical crayfish material. I love being able to learn anything I can about the ocean. So, I hope that my research will expand my knowledge but have real-world impacts. I also think that understanding capelin dynamics is important to understanding the local ecosystem, and the population of its predators. I am very excited to dive deeper into this topic and collaborate with people!

I’ve been entranced with the ocean since I was a little kid – one of the ones that after going to aquariums religiously, swore to be a marine biologist. I grew up with an appreciation of recreational fishing (and seafood, in general…). As I learned more about the workings of the sea, I knew I wanted to delve more into how climate change & environmental stress affected fisheries species in oceans worldwide. While pursuing my undergraduate degree in Carleton College in Minnesota, I was lucky enough to connect with one of the two marine biologists on campus, Mike Nishizaki, in exploring the effects of abiotic factors such as flow, temperature, and pH on respiration rates in the intertidal mussel, Mytilus trossolus. This work led me to Friday Harbor Labs at the University of Washington for an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) investigating the same topic. That work flowed well into the pursuit of my MS at Washington State University with Wes Dowd, where I investigated the effects of sequential sublethal stress on metabolic & antioxidant capacity in the intertidal mussel, Mytilus californianus. These projects made great stepping stones for my confidence as a scientist, but also in the knowledge I needed to understand how environmental stress could affect populations. For my undergraduate thesis, I focused on ontogenetic niche shifts in kelp forest species, which sparked my love for trophic ecology & complex ecosystem interactions. So while I’ve been an ecological physiologist by training, my heart yearned for something broader towards the ecosystem level, which led me to the FESA lab. Here, I hope to better understand trends in population dynamics under an ecophys lens to elucidate potentially unexpected trophic effects of environmental stress to equip policymakers with the knowledge they need to promote sustainable commercial fishing. I’m excited to understand the workings of the Atlantic after having focused on the Pacific Ocean for over 5 years. In my spare time, you may find me trying to find a place to practice the organ, playing my shamisen, practicing my Japanese, or simply enjoying a delicious pastry with a chai latte. I also enjoy spending time in the gym or in the great outdoors camping or hiking!

My doctoral thesis will focus on investigating the trophic drivers of habitat use of highly mobile marine predators, such as sharks and groundfish, in the Northwest Atlantic and how to use interspecies relationships to predict when and where they will be. Not only is this a topic of great personal interest (“What motivates a fish?” is such a good question), but my hope is that my research can contribute to our ability to manage these species through an enhanced understanding of how they may respond to anthropogenic changes to their environment such as climate change and overfishing. The Northwest Atlantic is an endlessly complex and dynamic ecosystem, and my passion lies in harnessing the biological signals within it to make useful predictions about how it works. My first introduction to using models to understand the natural world came with my honour’s and master’s research at UNB where I tested the ability of temperature-dependent embryo development functions to make predictions about timing of larval release in nature. After that, I was fortunate enough to find employment with Fisheries and Oceans Canada as a research technician, where I have worked on a wide range of topics such as the effect of climate change on lobster reproduction, scallop larval development, and most recently basking shark habitat suitability. Outside of thinking about fish, I enjoy travelling, learning coding languages, and have a deep love of the night sky which I do my best to capture through astrophotography.

My interest in graduate research started with a deep passion to protect and integrate human activities within the natural function of the environment. I've grown up spending summers playing on the North shore of Lake Erie and in Georgian Bay. I am fortunate to have spent a summer working with the NGO group Georgian Bay Forever doing public outreach to inform the community about the harm of plastic in our waterways. I worked on partnered research projects that turned into local policy changes in protecting the environment. Through my firsthand experience watching the Lake Erie ecosystem change and working on environmental plastic research, I have learned that there is a lot of work to do, but change is possible! After completing my degree at Queen's university in biology focusing on aquatic ecology, I have decided to journey away from freshwater biology and see what I can learn about the marine ecosystem. I am excited to learn about the complexities of the Atlantic ocean's complex ecosystem as I develop a model to estimate capelin abundance based on predator stomach contents. I hope my research will aid in developing future policies surrounding the protection of this integral fish species. When I'm not at school, you can find me out in nature, snowboarding, hiking, biking, climbing, or lost in thought looking for whales!

I am a member of the FESA Lab and I'm going to be studying the effects of climate change on the population dynamics of fish in the Atlantic Ocean! I have had a passion for biology my entire life which inspired me to get a BS with honors in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and minor in Bioinformatics at the University of California Santa Cruz. I studied under the Redwood Forest where I learned a lot about ecosystem composition, terrestrial/marine systems, and indigenous life. When I'm not working I am typically taking care of my cat, getting active by hiking, climbing, or exploring St John's. I love to forage and I hope to learn a lot about the local mushroom availability as well! My experiences with field work, camping and traveling has taught me that life is a complicated mosaic and understanding the big picture is pivotal to create new insights into the world around us. I hope that my background will help me conduct research that will have a meaningful impact on fisheries management in NL. Through my education, I have developed a love for statistics and modeling communities with programming languages. I grew up on computers and I greatly enjoy using technology to develop new insights about animal populations and thinking about how it relates to the overarching ecosystem. I think that technology is invaluable to scientific development and I believe that as the tools at hand get better we will be able to learn more about the world around us. One of my goals in academia is to propel sustainability practices to help create a more eco-conscious collective. As overpopulation takes its toll on the ecosystems of the world, preserving diversity while supporting the needs of many people will continue to be a major topic of conversation. With good research, implementation of new practices, and indigenous knowledge I believe that we can start living with nature instead of living off of it.