Postdoctoral Fellow
Matthew Gilbert, University of New Brunswick
Principal investigator
Ben Speers-Roesch, University of New Brunswick
Call
Joint ArcticNet-MEOPAR Postdoctoral Fellowship
My research integrates laboratory and field studies to provide a mechanistic understanding of how changing environments impact the health of northern fishes, and specifically, Arctic char. My laboratory research takes place at the University of New Brunswick where I have access to live Arctic char and advanced aquatics facilities. My fieldwork is in the Cambridge Bay area of Nunavut, which is the center of Canada’s largest Arctic char fishery. This location allows for direct engagement with stakeholders including harvesters and managers, which helps maximize our impact. I will carry out three related studies to address the goal and specific objectives outlined below:
- Wild Arctic char will be acclimated to realistic and predicted temperatures (2-14°C) for three days in a coastal mobile laboratory. After this brief acclimation I will assess the effect of high temperature on heart and metabolic performance to determine the extent to which char can rapidly acclimate to warming temperatures.
- I will characterize the metabolism, tissue energy levels, ability to digest food, and behaviour of wild overwintering Arctic char. I will also characterize the current winter environmental conditions(temperature and oxygen levels) experienced by Arctic char.
- In the laboratory, I will expose Arctic char to different simulated overwintering conditions to determine how warming temperatures and low oxygen levels affect their energy balance and health overwinter.
Cumulatively, my research is beginning to demonstrate how shifting environments are impacting Arctic char migration and overwintering success, which may shape their persistence as climate change progresses. This research has been designed specifically to provide local and federal managers with information to improve predictions of how climate change may impact Arctic char. More generally, this research will advance our fundamental understanding of the strategies animals used to persist in extreme environments.
