Ramón Filgueira
Associate Professor - Marine Affairs Program
Professor II (20%) - Institute of Marine Research (Norway)
[email protected] | ResearchGate | Google Scholar
Ramón's current research is focused on ecosystem functioning of marine environments with emphasis on the potential effects of different stressors on ecosystem resilience. The primary tool in Ramón's research is ecosystem modelling, which allows the integration of time and space, critical aspects for understanding ecological dynamics and therefore how natural systems provide ecosystem services. Scenario building and optimization processes deliver a detailed description of flows of matter and energy that I use to apply the concept of ecosystem-based management to aquaculture sites. Ramón's main goal is to promote sustainable aquaculture and provide objective scientific knowledge for marine spatial planning in order to guarantee the sustainability of coastal zones.
Associate Professor - Marine Affairs Program
Professor II (20%) - Institute of Marine Research (Norway)
[email protected] | ResearchGate | Google Scholar
Ramón's current research is focused on ecosystem functioning of marine environments with emphasis on the potential effects of different stressors on ecosystem resilience. The primary tool in Ramón's research is ecosystem modelling, which allows the integration of time and space, critical aspects for understanding ecological dynamics and therefore how natural systems provide ecosystem services. Scenario building and optimization processes deliver a detailed description of flows of matter and energy that I use to apply the concept of ecosystem-based management to aquaculture sites. Ramón's main goal is to promote sustainable aquaculture and provide objective scientific knowledge for marine spatial planning in order to guarantee the sustainability of coastal zones.
Rebecca Lawson
Research technician
[email protected]
Funding: Atlantic Fisheries Fund
Rebecca earned her BSc in Marine Biology with a certificate in Aquaculture and the Environment from Dalhousie University. She earned her MSc at the University of Guelph investigating the nutritional requirements and gut microbiome of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis).
Currently, Rebecca is working as a research technician assisting graduate students with projects centred on American oysters (Crassostrea virginica), European oysters (Ostrea edulis), and blue mussels (Mytilus edulis).
Research technician
[email protected]
Funding: Atlantic Fisheries Fund
Rebecca earned her BSc in Marine Biology with a certificate in Aquaculture and the Environment from Dalhousie University. She earned her MSc at the University of Guelph investigating the nutritional requirements and gut microbiome of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis).
Currently, Rebecca is working as a research technician assisting graduate students with projects centred on American oysters (Crassostrea virginica), European oysters (Ostrea edulis), and blue mussels (Mytilus edulis).
Eric Hans Ignatz
Postdoctoral scholar (co-adviced with Tiago Hori)
[email protected]
Funding: NSERC / Genome Canada / Mitacs
Eric is studying the ecophysiology and genomics of triploid mussels farmed in Atlantic Canada. His research aims to identify and validate genetic markers of thermal and hypoxia tolerance that will help the industry sustainably expand despite the challenges of climate change. In his PhD from Memorial University, Eric investigated mitigation strategies for the Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry to combat rising sea surface temperatures. Eric also completed his MSc at Memorial University, where he helped identify the optimal rearing temperature for the commercial production of AquAdvantage Salmon in land-based recirculating aquaculture systems. Prior to moving to the East coast, he graduated from Fleming College's post-graduate Aquaculture program and received his BScH from the University of Guelph.
Postdoctoral scholar (co-adviced with Tiago Hori)
[email protected]
Funding: NSERC / Genome Canada / Mitacs
Eric is studying the ecophysiology and genomics of triploid mussels farmed in Atlantic Canada. His research aims to identify and validate genetic markers of thermal and hypoxia tolerance that will help the industry sustainably expand despite the challenges of climate change. In his PhD from Memorial University, Eric investigated mitigation strategies for the Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry to combat rising sea surface temperatures. Eric also completed his MSc at Memorial University, where he helped identify the optimal rearing temperature for the commercial production of AquAdvantage Salmon in land-based recirculating aquaculture systems. Prior to moving to the East coast, he graduated from Fleming College's post-graduate Aquaculture program and received his BScH from the University of Guelph.
Shelby Clarke
PhD Candidate (Biology)
[email protected]
Funding: NSERC
Shelby’s research takes a multidisciplinary approach to study the effects of climate change and invasive species on mussel aquaculture in Atlantic Canada. Using physiology, behavior, and genetics she investigates the effects of increasing temperatures and tunicates across multiple levels of biological organization (i.e., individual to ecosystem) in blue mussels, Mytilus edulis. Shelby completed her BSc at Queen’s University and MSc at McGill University in biology. With a passion for food security and aquatic ecosystems Shelby’s previous research focused on the ecophysiology, nutritional value, and conservation of freshwater fishes in the Lake Victoria Basin of Uganda.
PhD Candidate (Biology)
[email protected]
Funding: NSERC
Shelby’s research takes a multidisciplinary approach to study the effects of climate change and invasive species on mussel aquaculture in Atlantic Canada. Using physiology, behavior, and genetics she investigates the effects of increasing temperatures and tunicates across multiple levels of biological organization (i.e., individual to ecosystem) in blue mussels, Mytilus edulis. Shelby completed her BSc at Queen’s University and MSc at McGill University in biology. With a passion for food security and aquatic ecosystems Shelby’s previous research focused on the ecophysiology, nutritional value, and conservation of freshwater fishes in the Lake Victoria Basin of Uganda.
Jasmine Talevi
PhD Candidate (Biology)
[email protected]
Funding: NSERC, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Jasmine earned her BScH in Marine and Freshwater Biology from the University of Guelph. During her time at Guelph, Jasmine completed an honours research project with Dr. Patricia A. Wright studying the changes in behaviour and physiology of amphibious fish across ontogeny. For her Masters, she will be studying how anthropogenic eutrophication impacts marine bivalves.
PhD Candidate (Biology)
[email protected]
Funding: NSERC, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Jasmine earned her BScH in Marine and Freshwater Biology from the University of Guelph. During her time at Guelph, Jasmine completed an honours research project with Dr. Patricia A. Wright studying the changes in behaviour and physiology of amphibious fish across ontogeny. For her Masters, she will be studying how anthropogenic eutrophication impacts marine bivalves.
Flavie Perron
PhD Candidate (Biology) (co-adviced with Tiago Hori)
[email protected]
Funding: Genome Canada / Mitacs
Flavie earned her BSc in Marine Biology (2021) and her MSc in Oceanography (2024) from the Université du Québec à Rimouski. During her bachelor's, she worked in Dr. Réjean Tremblay’s laboratory, where she studied phytoplankton dynamics in oyster farming bays and examined American lobster egg quality to refine fishing season dates—sparking her love for aquaculture and fisheries. For her PhD, she will optimize pressure shock-induced triploidy in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) to improve larval survival and growth. Flavie will then investigate how triploidization affects their ecophysiology and behavior across families of different genetic backgrounds when simultaneously exposed to environmental stressors.
PhD Candidate (Biology) (co-adviced with Tiago Hori)
[email protected]
Funding: Genome Canada / Mitacs
Flavie earned her BSc in Marine Biology (2021) and her MSc in Oceanography (2024) from the Université du Québec à Rimouski. During her bachelor's, she worked in Dr. Réjean Tremblay’s laboratory, where she studied phytoplankton dynamics in oyster farming bays and examined American lobster egg quality to refine fishing season dates—sparking her love for aquaculture and fisheries. For her PhD, she will optimize pressure shock-induced triploidy in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) to improve larval survival and growth. Flavie will then investigate how triploidization affects their ecophysiology and behavior across families of different genetic backgrounds when simultaneously exposed to environmental stressors.
Elisa Duchesne
MSc Candidate (Oceanography at ISMER-UQAR) (co-adviced with Réjean Tremblay and Tillmann Benfey)
[email protected]
Funding: Genome Canada / Mitacs
The research project I’m working on aims at coping with climate change that shellfish aquaculture is facing through the study of metabolomic responses of triploid mussel families under heatwave conditions. Triploid mussels usually invest less energy in reproduction and more in growth and byssus development, which makes them great candidates for highly productive aquaculture. However, temperature changes in water can affect mussels’ metabolism regulations, and induction of triploidy can lower organisms’ survival. Hence, the development of more resilient and more performing triploid hatchery-bred strains could improve productivity as well as foster climate-friendly aquaculture production. To address these issues, we envision producing triploid mussel families and their diploid control and analyzing their adaptative capacity to heatwaves through a physiological and metabolomic approach.
My project is part of a larger team project linking the ISMER-UQAR (Dr Réjean Tremblay), the Dalhousie University (Dr Ramón Filgueira), the University of New Brunswick (Dr Tillmann Benfey), Atlantic Aquafarms, the largest shellfish producer in North America, and Genome Canada.
MSc Candidate (Oceanography at ISMER-UQAR) (co-adviced with Réjean Tremblay and Tillmann Benfey)
[email protected]
Funding: Genome Canada / Mitacs
The research project I’m working on aims at coping with climate change that shellfish aquaculture is facing through the study of metabolomic responses of triploid mussel families under heatwave conditions. Triploid mussels usually invest less energy in reproduction and more in growth and byssus development, which makes them great candidates for highly productive aquaculture. However, temperature changes in water can affect mussels’ metabolism regulations, and induction of triploidy can lower organisms’ survival. Hence, the development of more resilient and more performing triploid hatchery-bred strains could improve productivity as well as foster climate-friendly aquaculture production. To address these issues, we envision producing triploid mussel families and their diploid control and analyzing their adaptative capacity to heatwaves through a physiological and metabolomic approach.
My project is part of a larger team project linking the ISMER-UQAR (Dr Réjean Tremblay), the Dalhousie University (Dr Ramón Filgueira), the University of New Brunswick (Dr Tillmann Benfey), Atlantic Aquafarms, the largest shellfish producer in North America, and Genome Canada.
Tatum Johnson
MSc Candidate (co-adviced with John Batt)
[email protected]
Funding: Atlantic Fisheries Fund
Tatum earned her BSc in Marine Biology with a certificate in Aquaculture from Dalhousie University. During this time, she completed an honours research project with Dr. Stefanie Colombo, testing more sustainable feed for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) farms. Staying in the field of aquaculture, she is now working with American (Crassostrea virginica) and European flat oysters (Ostrea edulis) to improve Atlantic Canada’s hatchery techniques by utilizing larval balls.
MSc Candidate (co-adviced with John Batt)
[email protected]
Funding: Atlantic Fisheries Fund
Tatum earned her BSc in Marine Biology with a certificate in Aquaculture from Dalhousie University. During this time, she completed an honours research project with Dr. Stefanie Colombo, testing more sustainable feed for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) farms. Staying in the field of aquaculture, she is now working with American (Crassostrea virginica) and European flat oysters (Ostrea edulis) to improve Atlantic Canada’s hatchery techniques by utilizing larval balls.
Grace Elliott
Master of Environmental Studies (co-adviced with Peter Tyedmers)
[email protected]
Funding: RISE
Grace's masters research investigates expansion potential for blue mussel aquaculture. Using a qualitative approach, this research will identify opportunities and barriers to expansion in regions on the North Atlantic. This study is part of the Mussel Puzzle project, which is coordinated by RISE Research Institutes of Sweden. Grace has an interdisciplinary background with a bachelor's degree in aquatic resources & public policy and governance from St. FX University. Her undergrad research project explored adaptive management in marine conservation in the Scotian Shelf and Bay of Fundy region. In her research, Grace is motivated to explore pathways towards sustainability using integrative approaches.
Master of Environmental Studies (co-adviced with Peter Tyedmers)
[email protected]
Funding: RISE
Grace's masters research investigates expansion potential for blue mussel aquaculture. Using a qualitative approach, this research will identify opportunities and barriers to expansion in regions on the North Atlantic. This study is part of the Mussel Puzzle project, which is coordinated by RISE Research Institutes of Sweden. Grace has an interdisciplinary background with a bachelor's degree in aquatic resources & public policy and governance from St. FX University. Her undergrad research project explored adaptive management in marine conservation in the Scotian Shelf and Bay of Fundy region. In her research, Grace is motivated to explore pathways towards sustainability using integrative approaches.
Ruth Riley
MSc Candidate (co-adviced with Daniel Ruzzante)
[email protected]
Funding: Genome Canada / Mitacs
Ruth’s love for the ocean stems from growing up in Nova Scotia. Growing up in one of the 52 historical Black communities, she learned from her elders the importance of conserving the land & ocean. Ruth completed her B.Sc. in Biology at Dalhousie University, where she grew interested in the relationship between climate change & marine species. To further her knowledge, she completed her Master in Marine Management from Dalhousie University, where her research focused on ways that whale conservation in the Gully Marine Protected Area could be enhanced through spatial-based tools. Shifting her interests to aquaculture & climate change, her MSc research (as a part of a Genome Canada project) focuses on assessing thermal stress in triploid mussels.
MSc Candidate (co-adviced with Daniel Ruzzante)
[email protected]
Funding: Genome Canada / Mitacs
Ruth’s love for the ocean stems from growing up in Nova Scotia. Growing up in one of the 52 historical Black communities, she learned from her elders the importance of conserving the land & ocean. Ruth completed her B.Sc. in Biology at Dalhousie University, where she grew interested in the relationship between climate change & marine species. To further her knowledge, she completed her Master in Marine Management from Dalhousie University, where her research focused on ways that whale conservation in the Gully Marine Protected Area could be enhanced through spatial-based tools. Shifting her interests to aquaculture & climate change, her MSc research (as a part of a Genome Canada project) focuses on assessing thermal stress in triploid mussels.
Lauren Leefe
MMM Candidate
[email protected]
Funding: NSERC
Lauren earned her BSc in Biology (co-op) from Acadia University in 2023. During her time at Acadia, Lauren was involved in various fish and lobster research projects under the supervision of Dr. Trevor Avery, which sparked her interest in marine affairs. Lauren is a current Master of Marine Management Candidate and she is excited to explore the field of aquaculture through her research. Her graduate project focuses on developing a risk assessment framework for dermo disease (Perkinsus marinus) in connection to oyster farming in Nova Scotia. She will use modelling to create different scenarios, including key environmental factors, to understand their relative influence on dermo in contributing to oyster mortality. Lauren hopes her project will help support the sustainability of oyster aquaculture and contribute to an increased understanding of oyster disease management.
MMM Candidate
[email protected]
Funding: NSERC
Lauren earned her BSc in Biology (co-op) from Acadia University in 2023. During her time at Acadia, Lauren was involved in various fish and lobster research projects under the supervision of Dr. Trevor Avery, which sparked her interest in marine affairs. Lauren is a current Master of Marine Management Candidate and she is excited to explore the field of aquaculture through her research. Her graduate project focuses on developing a risk assessment framework for dermo disease (Perkinsus marinus) in connection to oyster farming in Nova Scotia. She will use modelling to create different scenarios, including key environmental factors, to understand their relative influence on dermo in contributing to oyster mortality. Lauren hopes her project will help support the sustainability of oyster aquaculture and contribute to an increased understanding of oyster disease management.
Élise Poirier
Honours 2026 (co-adviced with Eric Ignatz)
[email protected]
Funding: Nancy Witherspoon Memorial Summer Research
Élise is entering her 5th year at Dalhousie University where she is double majoring in marine biology and ocean sciences. She has recently completed her certificate in Aquaculture and the environment. Her summer research investigates why Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) in MacDonald’s Pond, Cape Breton, show no signs of disease associated mortality with MSX. The study involves assessing whether oysters in MacDonald’s Pond possess genetic resistance to the pathogen or if local environmental conditions reduce the parasite’s virulence.
Honours 2026 (co-adviced with Eric Ignatz)
[email protected]
Funding: Nancy Witherspoon Memorial Summer Research
Élise is entering her 5th year at Dalhousie University where she is double majoring in marine biology and ocean sciences. She has recently completed her certificate in Aquaculture and the environment. Her summer research investigates why Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) in MacDonald’s Pond, Cape Breton, show no signs of disease associated mortality with MSX. The study involves assessing whether oysters in MacDonald’s Pond possess genetic resistance to the pathogen or if local environmental conditions reduce the parasite’s virulence.
