LAB MEMBERS
Matthew Robertson
I am a Research Scientist at the Centre for Fisheries Ecosystem Research (CFER) at the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University in Newfoundland. My research focuses on answering macro-scale ecological questions in fisheries, and how those questions can be addressed in ways that can be used to improve advice for ecosystem-based fisheries management.
Matthew lectures in the Fisheries Science Graduate Program – he teaches ‘Statistics and Study Design for Fisheries Science’.
I am a 2023 graduate of Memorial University where I received my PhD in Fisheries Science. My PhD research focused on assessing the differential recovery trajectories of flatfish on the Grand Bank. Prior to attending Memorial University I graduated from Louisiana State University with an MSc in Oceanography and from Dalhousie University, where I received a BSc with Honours in Marine Biology.
709-778-0603
Kerri Lynch
MSc Student
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!
Michael Soares
MSc Student
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 pivitol 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 langues. 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.