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).
Rubén Cordero
Postdoctoral scholar (co-adviced with Anaïs Lacoursière-Roussel and Thomas Guyondet)
[email protected]
Funding: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Ruben’s research project focuses on determining the impact of shellfish aquaculture and climate change on maritime bays plankton community structure, by analyzing how size-spectra, community assemblage and species interactions change seasonally and across years and the impact of such changes in fisheries. Ruben received his B.Sc and M.Sc from the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, focusing on aquatic toxicology and limnology. Subsequently, he finished a second M.Sc at the University of Toronto, studying the biogeographic patterns of aquatic insects (EPTs) generated by the glaciation periods in North America. His Ph.D, at the University of Toronto, was focus in determining patterns of species co-occurrence across thousands of lakes in Ontario, and how biotic and abiotic factors affects the direction and magnitude of those patterns.
Postdoctoral scholar (co-adviced with Anaïs Lacoursière-Roussel and Thomas Guyondet)
[email protected]
Funding: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Ruben’s research project focuses on determining the impact of shellfish aquaculture and climate change on maritime bays plankton community structure, by analyzing how size-spectra, community assemblage and species interactions change seasonally and across years and the impact of such changes in fisheries. Ruben received his B.Sc and M.Sc from the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, focusing on aquatic toxicology and limnology. Subsequently, he finished a second M.Sc at the University of Toronto, studying the biogeographic patterns of aquatic insects (EPTs) generated by the glaciation periods in North America. His Ph.D, at the University of Toronto, was focus in determining patterns of species co-occurrence across thousands of lakes in Ontario, and how biotic and abiotic factors affects the direction and magnitude of those patterns.
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.
Violet Chilvers
Honours (co-adviced with Eric Ignatz)
[email protected]
Funding: Faye Sobey Undergraduate Research Award
Violet is a Marine Biology Honours student at Dalhousie University, currently entering her fifth year. She also holds a certificate in Aquaculture and the Environment. Her summer research evaluates how thermal stress from constant and fluctuating temperatures affects blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) physiology differently based on mussel source and ploidy. Violet's research specifically examines larval survival rates, growth, development, feeding, and respiration rates to assess the impact of thermal stress.
Honours (co-adviced with Eric Ignatz)
[email protected]
Funding: Faye Sobey Undergraduate Research Award
Violet is a Marine Biology Honours student at Dalhousie University, currently entering her fifth year. She also holds a certificate in Aquaculture and the Environment. Her summer research evaluates how thermal stress from constant and fluctuating temperatures affects blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) physiology differently based on mussel source and ploidy. Violet's research specifically examines larval survival rates, growth, development, feeding, and respiration rates to assess the impact of thermal stress.
