Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland

Kaitlyn Charmley graduated from the University of Guelph in 2018 with a BSc (Wildlife Biology and Conservation) and is currently an MSc student in the 4D Oceans Lab, supervised by Katleen Robert. Her interests are marine megafauna ecology and the drivers of habitat selection, which her current project, characterizing the environmental drivers of both spatial and temporal variation in megabenthic habitat in Conception Bay, incorporates. Kaitlyn will create seasonal habitat classification and species distribution maps, focusing on snow crab populations. This information will help create a reference baseline for assessing future environmental changes and to predict how affected marine species may respond in the face of these changes.

Rylan Command has a BSc in Biology with a minor in statistics from the University of Victoria, and is currently an MSc Fisheries Science and Technology student at the Marine Institute. A project, a collaboration between the 4D Oceans Lab (MI), MEOPAR and Ocean Networks, will focus on seasonal variability in behavioural rhythms in timing, composition, strength and fate of the spring phytoplankton bloom in Conception Bay. A cabled observatory with seafloor monitoring infrastructure, including an underwater camera and environmental sensors, will be used to investigate the phytoplankton dynamics.

Rylan’s previous research includes intertidal population surveys, juvenile geoduck clam survivorship and how traditional and contemporary shellfish aquaculture practices influence biodiversity.

Poppy Keogh is an MSc candidate with SOT, working on mapping the deep-sea habitats of the Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone in the North Atlantic Ocean. Poppy is from Ireland and completed her Bachelor’s in Science at the National University of Ireland, Galway, specializing in Zoology. She has worked on multiple deep-sea ROV surveys in Ireland's offshore waters and as a Foreign Observer aboard French and British ships on fisheries surveys. She is under the supervision of Dr. Katleen Robert.

Julia Mackin-McLaughlin graduated with a BSc (Marine Biology) from the University of Maine in 2017. She then gained experience in the academic field as a research technician and as a science diver where she studied the nutrient flux of marine sediment as influenced by marine benthic microbial communities.

Currently, Julia is doing her Master of Science (Geography) from Memorial University. Her project involves mapping the habitat of Placentia Bay so that a baseline understanding of the benthic ecology can be achieved. She is keen to familiarize and utilize the ever-changing technology used by oceanographers and marine biologists to further scientific research in the marine field.

Shreya Nemani is an MSc student with the School of Ocean Technology under the supervison of Dr. Katleen Robert. Her research involves benthic habitat mapping in Placentia Bay. Shreya is from Ottawa, where she pursued an undergraduate degree in environmental studies and geomatics. She has worked with the federal government on GIS-related projects and has volunteered with a marine mammal research group overseas.