Faculty
Department Head: Dr. Glenys Gibson
 website | email Ph. 902-585-1873 Room 410 |
Trevor Avery, Ph.D., P.Stat. I research aquatic systems, and collaborate through biostatistics on other aquatic and terrestrial ecological projects. Currently, my students and I study population dynamics, conservation, stewardship and recreational angling of Striped Bass and two skate species (Winter and Little Skates), American Eel habitat use and population dynamics, introduced species (Smallmouth Bass and Chain Pickerel) and their effects on community structure using long-term datasets, and various smaller projects including lynx prey habitat use, squid and lady crab demographics, and the application of local ecological knowledge to conservation and management. As a biostatistician, I seek higher understanding in all things numerical. Courses |
 website | email Ph. 902-585-1162 Room 312 |
Melanie Coombs, Ph.D. I am an immunologist who investigates how the immune system responds to microbes and cancer. My research interests include the investigation of mechanisms underlying the anticancer and immunomodulatory effects of natural products such as phytochemicals and host defense peptides. I am examining the function of amphibian host defense peptides to provide insights for wildlife conservators relevant for the worsening population declines of amphibians worldwide. A primary question that my research addresses is what are the benefits of host defense peptides on cancer and/or immune cell function? Courses |
 Ph. 902-585-1473 Room 301 HSH |
Suzie Currie, Ph.D. I am a comparative animal physiologist, interested in understanding how animals cope with environmental stress in marine and freshwater environments. We conduct experiments on campus as well as field-work in marine stations in Canada, the US and the tropics (preferably, during the Canadian winter!). My research program is focused on the feedback between behavioural and physiological responses allowing animals to compensate and maintain function in changing, often stressful environments. Over the past few years, we have been focused on thermal physiology and behaviour, and how the social environment affects how fish deal with stress such as high temperatures associated with climate change. We study a range of fishes including sharks, skates, Atlantic salmon, trout, hagfish, and mangrove fishes. |
Research/History
My research program is focused on understanding the feedback between physiology and behaviour that allow aquatic animals (and mostly fish) to compensate and maintain function in changing, often stressful environments. Understanding how flexible or plastic fish are in how they respond to environment change or stress underscores all of our research questions. Recently, we have been focused on understanding how fish cope with climate warming and if/how social behaviour and natural thermal variation affects their resilience. We have studied a range of animals including sharks, elephant fish, skate, Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, hagfish, mangrove rivulus, killifish and seals.
Our research is currently supported by NSERC, the Atlantic Salmon Research Joint Venture (ASRJV) and Acadia University.
For an overview of our former research (~2016-2018) please check out: http://www.scientia.global/professor-suzie-currie-science-diffusion/
1. How social context influences responses to environmental stress
In order to understand how animals respond to changing, often stressful environmental conditions, it is important to understand the influences of genetic and environmental variability and the interaction between the two (i.e. phenotypic plasticity). This aspect of our research program capitalizes on a unique fish model, the mangrove rivulus, Kryptolebias marmoratus - an amphibious fish, native to south Florida and the Caribbean and is the only known selfing hermaphroditic vertebrate. We can use this fish to isolate genetics and examine contributions of environmental variation on behavioural and physiological phenotypes. Generations of selfing have resulted in populations composed of distinct homozygous lineages with a variety of identifiable phenotypes. We are using mangrove rivulus to understand phenotypic plasticity in real-world climate warming scenarios how changes in behaviour may impact the responses to environmental stress.
Our research in this area involves lab experiments here at Acadia as well as field work in Belize.
]
II. The physiological ups and downs of thermal variation in fish
This research is focused on characterizing the thermal physiology of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), focusing on how climate change may impact populations in the Miramichi. Thermal stress is a major concern for Atlantic salmon populations, with mass mortalities observed after several days of high summer temperatures. To date, many of the physiological and cellular mechanisms underlying thermal stress in Atlantic salmon are poorly understood. We are seeking to address this issue to better understand how temperature affects the health of this important species. The study will address whether multi-day exposures to high temperatures prime or ‘precondition’ Atlantic salmon to better cope with later, more severe temperature stresses, or if such exposures are additive and further sensitize the animals to stress. In addition to characterizing any whole animal responses to changes in temperature (i.e. altered metabolism or cardiorespiratory health), this work aims to determine the mechanisms underlying how salmon cope with natural increases in temperature. For example, we know that Atlantic salmon synthesize heat shock proteins (HSPs), but the function of HSPs and their effectiveness at preventing or predicting cellular damage at high temperatures is not clear.
(student collaborators underlined)
Check out The Physiology of Fishes here: The Physiology of Fishes
Martin KE, Currie S and Pichaud N. 2021. Mitochondrial physiology and responses to elevated hydrogen sulphide in two isogenic lineages of an amphibious mangrove fish. J Exp Biol In Press.
Morash AJ, Speers-Roesch B Andrew S, and Currie S. 2021. Review: The physiological ups and downs of thermal variability in temperature freshwater ecoystems. J Fish Biol. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.14655
Physiology of Fishes, 5th Edition. 2020. Edited by: Currie S, Evans D, CRC Press, Boca Raton.
Martin KE and Currie S. 2020. Hydrogen sulphide sensitivity and tolerance in genetically distinct lineages of a selfing mangrove fish (Kryptolebias marmoratus). J Comp Physiol B 190: 761-770.
Morash AJ, Lyle JM, Currie S, Bell J, Stehfast K and Semmens JM. 2020. The endemic and endangered Maugean skate (Zearaja maugeana) exhibits short-term severe hypoxia tolerance. Conserv Physiol 8(1) coz105.
Rossi GS, Tunnah L, Martin KE, Turko A, Taylor DS, Currie S and Wright P. 2019. Mangrove fishes rely on emersion behavior and physiological tolerance to persist in sulphidic environments. Physiol Biochem Zool 92, 316–325. DOI: 10.1086/703117.
Currie S and Tattersall GJ. 2018. Social cues can push amphibious fish to their thermal limits. Biol Lett 14:20180492; doi:10.1098/rsbl.2018.0492.
Morash A, Neufeld C, MacCormack TJ and Currie S. 2018. The importance of incorporating natural thermal cycles when evaluating physiological performance in wild species. J Exp Biol 221, jeb164673. doi:10.1242/jeb.164673.
Corey E, Linnansaari T, Cunjak R, Currie S. 2017. Physiological effects of environmentally relevant, multi-day thermal stress on wild juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Conserv Physiol 5: 10.1093/conphys/cox014.
Petra Sharp (BBA), FPAS Marketing & Communications Co-op Student
Working under Suzie Currie, I assisted the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science by improving their online presence through content creation, ensuring web pages are on brand and attractive to prospective students. This opportunity to work closely with the Dean has greatly increased my involvement in the Acadia community by introducing me to many welcoming FPAS staff, and has developed my self-management, prioritization and online communications skill for future endeavors.
Dawn Miner: Research Associate
Chloé Melanson (MSc)
Thesis Title: How does social context impact adaptive responses to thermal stress?
Sarah Brown (MSc)
Thesis Title: Does climate warming and natural thermal variability in fish result in trait plasticity?
Sean Andrew (MSc Mount Allison University)
Thesis Title: Metabolic and performance effects of natural thermal variation in Atlantic salmon
(co-supervised with Dr. Andrea Morash, MTA)
Recently Moved On!
Karmen Simonson BSc Honours 2021
Brittni Scott, Research Associate (2019-2020)
Katie Horton BSc Honours 2020:
Taylor Wilson BSc Honours 2020:
Postdoctoral Research: Department of Zoology, The University of Cambridge, UK; Charles and Katherine Darwin Research Fellow, Darwin College
PhD Biology: Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario
MSc Biology: Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario
BSc Honours Biology: Acadia University, Nova Scotia
|
|
Hélène d'Entremont, M.Sc. I'm Hélène (pronounced L.N.). I develop and run labs for Microbial Biodiversity, Cell & Molecular Biology, and Applied & Environmental Microbiology. I enjoy the creativity involved in designing new and relevant labs. Courses |
 website | email Ph. 902-585-1156 Room 432 |
Russell Easy, Ph.D., MSc. I am a comparative biologist with broad research interests. My experience is in the field of molecular biology exploring gene signatures and proteins in vertebrate and invertebrate species. Other projects include examining the effects of parasitic manipulation at the molecular level and phylogenetic determinations of parasites. The focus of my lab is to identify changes in target molecules in animals in response to environmental stressors using advanced molecular and proteomic methods. I constantly strive to answer the question, "Stress, what is it good for?" Courses BIOL 4996 Honours |
 Room 335 |
Laura Ferguson, Ph.D. I am an integrative biologist interested in how host-microbe interactions shape insect resilience in our changing world. I focus on both host-pathogen encounters as well as insect relationships with their microbiomes. Our lab has a particular interest in the winter biology and temperature-dependence of these interactions. Currently we are focused on mosquitoes and ticks, working towards understanding how their ability to resist and transmit disease will shift with climate change. Courses |
 website | email Ph. 902-585-1250 Room 108 |
Glenys Gibson, Ph.D. I am a developmental biologist that investigates developmental plasticity, epigenetics and regeneration. We work primarily with marine invertebrates and especially polychaetes, small animals that are abundant in the Minas Basin and have a rich diversity in of developmental patterns. We use a variety of approaches including microscopy (e.g., confocal, Scanning Electron Microscopy), histology and larval ecology. We are particularly interested in how maternal environment influences the development of young. Courses |
 Ph. 902-585-1424 Room 331 |
Matthew Hazel, M.Sc. I lecture and run the labs for the Human Biology and Applied Human Biology courses. These are introductory courses to the human body, and we cover the anatomy and physiology of all its systems. Courses |
 website | email Ph. 902-585-1314 Room 104 |
Kirk Hillier, Ph.D. My lab's research is focused on a fundamental understanding of olfactory processing, and the relationship between odours and an animal’s behaviour. More importantly, we look at the very basis of insect pheromone processing, developmental control of pheromone perception and related neuroanatomy, and the bases of physiological coding of odour blends within the insect brain. This includes investigations of learning and memory, and the effects of pharmacological agents on the insect nervous system. Insights from these studies are ultimately applied to the management of insect pests of forestry and agriculture. Courses |
|
|
Jennifer Kershaw, M.Sc., B.Ed. I will be the course and lab instructor for the botany courses in 2022/3 (BIOL 2043 & 3243), as well as the lab instructor for the animal biodiversity course. My background is in land reclamation, rehabilitation and restoration, rare plant ecology, and education. Courses |
 Ph. 902-585-1328 Room 224 |
Juan Carlos López, Ph.D. My job is to teach and coordinate the introductory biology laboratories. In these laboratories learners, along with a team of instructors and teaching assistants, explore different aspects of how organisms interact with their environment. I am a soil microbial ecologist, as such; I am interested in the role of the microorganisms that dwell in and around the plant roots. I am particularly interested in the area of direct influence of plant roots on the surrounding soil, known as the rhizosphere. In my research, I incorporate molecular tools, microbiology and more traditional biochemical techniques to explore the role of soil microorganisms in ecosystem function. Courses |
 website | email Ph. 902-585-1798 |
Mark Mallory, Ph.D. My interests are diverse, but centre around the ecology and health of coastal habitats. Most of my lab’s research is undertaken in the Canadian Arctic (Nunavut) or coastal Nova Scotia, with a particular focus on using birds to assess the condition of marine and coastal environments. Two particularly fertile areas of investigation are anthropogenic effects on coastal wetlands, and using telemetry and paleo-environmental techniques to link nutrient and contaminant transport from marine to coastal environments. Courses |
 website | email Room 433 |
Zoë Migicovsky. Ph.D. I work at the intersection of plant agriculture and data analytics, integrating plant biology with computational tools to investigate biological variation in crop species. In particular, my lab focuses on perennial fruit crops and their wild relatives, such as apples and grapes. My research program leverages crop diversity, including genomic and trait data, to improve our understanding of plant biology and make data-driven decisions in both management practices and plant breeding.
|
 Ph. 902-585-1787 204 Horton Hall |
Anna Redden, Ph.D. My expertise and research interests are in coastal and marine ecology and have included a diverse range of projects undertaken with students and research colleagues in eastern Canada and Australia. They span plankton dynamics, saltmarsh communities, benthic biodiversity, invasive species (algae and tunicates), fish ecology, and acoustic detection of marine mammals and fish movements at high flow tidal energy development sites. Since 2009, my research has focused on the use of acoustic technologies to assess risk of tidal turbine interaction with marine biota (largely fish and harbour porpoise) at the FORCE turbine test site in Minas Passage, Bay of Fundy. |
 |
 website | email Ph. 902-585-1400 Room 334 |
Todd Smith, Ph.D. My research program involves investigating the coevolution of protozoan parasites and their vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. This research integrates aspects of morphology, physiology, ecology, evolutionary biology, cell biology and immunology to shed light on how the cellular interactions between parasites and host cells drive the evolution of parasite life cycles and the immune response of the host against these eukaryotic invaders. My teaching interests are varied, but all of the courses that I teach, including Microbial Biodiversity, Eukaryotic Microbiology and Parasitology, reflect aspects of my research interests. Courses |
 website | email Ph. 902-585-1391 Room 434 |
Don Stewart, Ph.D. I am an evolutionary biologist and I use DNA sequence data to study processes of molecular evolution and molecular systematics in a variety of organisms. I am particularly interested in the unusual system of "doubly uniparental inheritance" of mitochondrial DNA in bivalves, in the phylogeography/historical biogeography of various species in Atlantic Canada, and in the adaptive molecular evolution of digestive enzymes in shrews. I also collaborate with others in the department on the population genetics of coyotes, black bears, skates, striped bass, and purple sandpipers. Courses |
 website | email Ph. 902-585-1195 Room 100 |
Mike Stokesbury, Ph.D. The focus of my research program is to quantify how anthropogenic disturbances in coastal ecosystems impact the spatial behaviour of fishes covering small to large spatial and temporal scales, may inflict mortality, and how such knowledge can be used to mitigate the negative effects of such activities on fish populations. Courses |
 website | email Ph. 902-585-1333 Room 435 |
Allison Walker, Ph.D. I study the biodiversity and ecology of coastal and marine fungi, including endophytes. Research in my lab includes collecting in seagrass, salt marsh, intertidal, and Acadian forest habitats and traditional culture-based and microscopic identification of fungi, combined with modern molecular phylogenetic and metagenomic methods. Recent collaborative projects are exploring the roles of fungi and carbon sequestration in salt marshes, endophytes of native plants, vineyard microbiomes, and hemlock-associated fungi in Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site Courses |
 |
 Ph. 902-585-1295 Room 106 |
Brian Wilson, Ph.D. My research program focuses on the role of relaxin family peptides and their receptors in the protection of neural tissue under ischemic stress. Courses |
Professors Emeriti
 website | email |
Soren Bondrup-Nielsen, Ph.D. My research interests are broad ranging from natural history of beetles and birds in forested and agricultural landscapes to population studies focusing on movement of the Forked fungus beetle. I believe in active learning. What I mean by that is involving the students in discussions, debates, presentations, and writing critiques and essays. This way students have to use their heads while the course is being taught. |
 |
Graham Daborn, Ph.D. My research interests centre around the structure and productivity of estuarine biological communities, especially those of Bay of Fundy. Emphasis is placed upon holistic, multidisciplinary studies of estuaries, the impacts of barriers and tidal power development, and the role of local communities in resource conservation and environmental management of coastal ecosystems. |
 |
Tom Herman, Ph.D. My students and I explore the interface between humans and biodiversity - from the dynamics and conservation of small isolated populations, to the role of science in managing protected areas, to the impacts of globalization on biodiversity, and the role of citizen science and community engagement in recovery of species-at-risk. Most of our recent work focuses on endangered turtles and snakes in the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve. |
 |
Ed Reekie, Ph.D. I am a plant ecologist with particular interests in population biology and eco-physiology. My courses emphasize the development of critical thinking skills and utilize the many interesting local ecosystems through field trips and the use of local materials and examples. I conduct research in a variety of areas including: the impact of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels on plant growth and development, the factors limiting the distribution and abundance of rare and endangered species, plant-insect interactions and the physiological basis for life history variation in plants. |
 website | email Ph. 902-585-1354 Room 430 |
Dave Shutler, Ph.D. My interests centre on how stressors affect organisms' physiology and reproductive ecology. Among the stressors Team Shutler works on are pesticides, heavy metals, plastics, low-quality nutrition, and parasites. My lab and I work primarily with birds (mostly tree swallows) and honey bees, but we make occasional forays into other systems. My publication list provides more detailed context. |