Current Graduate Students

Gianco Angelozzi, M.Sc. student, - started September 2022

Gianco is studying the effects of disturbance by severe weather events on both migrating shorebirds and their habitat in Atlantic Canada. The region is increasing subjected to severe weather in late summer and early fall, overlapping with the staging period for southbound migrant shorebirds. We have observed substantial weight loss in birds in the period immediately following storms. Gianco is investigating the extent of this problem, and reasons behind it. Starting with the aftermath of hurricane Fiona in 2022, we are tracking changes in intertidal habitat and the invertebrate community. Results will help us to predict future effects of extreme weather on birds in the region.

Erin MacMillan, M.Sc. student, started May 2023 (co-supervised by Dr. Heather Hunt, UNB)

Erin is studying microplastics in habitat of Piping Plover and Red Knots in Atlantic Canada and northeastern Brazil. We are currently assessing levels of plastics contamination in sediments, potential prey items, and feces. Erin is also doing a direct comparison of plastics in feces of Semipalmated Sandpipers in Canada and Brazil. Results to date suggest significant presence of plastics in their habitat and food.

Current Honours Students

Mary From (honours 2024-25)

Mary is studying adult and hatch year Least Sandpipers in eastern New Brunswick and southwestern Nova Scotia. Their objective is to identify differences in breeding origin, movement patterns, and diet between the two groups. Methods include radiotracking using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System and stable isotope analyses of feather and blood.

Heidi O-Connor (honours 2024-25)

Heidi is looking at breeding origin of a wide range of shorebird species that stage in eastern New Brunswick and Southwestern Nova Scotia. She is using deuterium stable isotope signatures of feathers taken from hatch year birds to look at variation in origin of birds using the two areas, and to link origin to other factors such as arrival date. She is working with a large multi-year data set. Dr. Devin de Zwaan is also collaborating on this work.

Ethan Nicholson (honours 2024-25)

Ethan is working with M.Sc. student Erin MacMillan to examine diet and microplastics in Piping Plovers in Atlantic Canada. He has collected invertebrate prey transects to assess availability, and will link that with microplastics found in prey, and with diet estimates from stable isotope analyses of fecal samples.

Recent M.Sc. Graduates

Allie Hjort, M. Sc. 2024

Allie studied movement ecology and habitat use of late season migrant shorebirds in coastal New Brunswick. The objective of this work was to understand movement patterns on a local and regional scale, and link to a broader study of movement by birds within the province. We were interested in these broad movement patterns to aid future wind farms with site placement. Allie also examined the ability of remote sensing to characterize shorebird habitat quality in an effort to improve our ability to identify changes in habitat and potential effects on shorebirds. Allie currently works as a technician in my lab, and is preparing her thesis papers for publication.

Recent Honours graduates

Sophie McTiernan Gamble (co-supervised by Dr. Margaret Eng) (honours 2023-24)

Sophie examined mercury concentrations in blood and feathers of hatch year Semipalmated Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plovers in south-eastern New Brunswick. She found relationships between breeding origin (inferred from feather deuterium levels) and mercury in Semipalmated Sandpipers, and links between blood concentrations and fuel load. Sophie is currently preparing a paper on this work for publication.

Mackenzie Warman (co-supervised by Dr. Devin de Zwaan) (honours 2023-24)

Mackenzie studied movement, behaviour and diet of Short-billed Dowitchers in south-western Nova Scotia. She found that juveniles remained in the region longer than adults, and developed models relating foraging activity to biotic and abiotic aspects of the habitat. Mackenzie is currently a technician in my lab, working on a paper from her thesis project.

Katie Danyk (co-supervised by Dr. Devin de Zwaan) (honours 2022-23)

Katie studied movement and foraging activities of Lesser Yellowlegs at inland and coastal sites in Southeastern New Brunswick. She tagged and radio tracked birds to examine local movements, as well as collected data on foraging behaviour, diet through stable isotope analysis of blood plasma, and availability of prey items. A paper from her work is currently submitted to Journal of Field Ornithology.

Sophia Fraser (co-supervised by Dr. Devin de Zwaan) (honours 2022-23)

Sophia examined movements and weight gain in Semipalmated Plovers staging on the Northumberland Strait. She radiotracking movements on juvenile birds, and collected morphometric data, plasma metabolite values, and estimates of diet through stable isotope analyses. She found that severe weather had a substantial effect on birds. A paper from her work is currently submitted to Ecosphere.

Previous Lab Members (past 10 years)

Post-Doctoral Fellow

Dr. Devin de Zwaan (PhD UBC)

Devin was a lab member from 2022-2024, working on a joint project with Dr. Phil Taylor (Acadia) examining bird movements in New Brunswick. Devin worked with radar, acoustic and tracking data, as well as leading a project examining breeding origin of migrating shorebirds, and collaborating on additional projects in the lab. Devin now works for Environment and Climate Change Canada in Delta BC, and continues to collaborate with my lab on numerous projects.

Ph.D. graduates

Dr. Travis Gerwing (Ph.D. University of New Brunswick, 2015, co-supervised by Dr. Myriam Barbeau)Travis investigated numerous aspects of mudflat community ecology, with a focus on interactions between biotic and abiotic factors. He also developed a method of identifying prey items in sandpiper faeces using molecular techniques. He has published numerous papers from his work. See tggerwing.ca for more information. 

M.Sc. graduates

Rebeca Linhart, M.Sc. 2021

Rebeca studied movement and activities of Semipalmated Sandpipers in Atlantic Canada both inside and outside the Bay of Fundy. She used the Motus Wildlife Tracking System to track movements of birds, and assess the extent to which they move in and out of the Bay during their stopover in the region. She also linked these activities to diet and fattening rate. She completed winter field work in North Eastern Brazil, where she collected similar diet and movement data. This work was completed completed in collaboration with Julie Paquet (CWS), Dr. Cheri-Gratto Trevor (ECCC Science and Technology), and Dr. Jason Mobley (Aquasis, Brazil). Results of this work have been published in multiple journals. Rebeca is now a PhD student at the University of Rhode Island (co-supervised by me), and continues to collaborate with my lab on work in both Canada and Brazil.

Matt Mogle, M.Sc. 2021 (co-supervised by Dr. Myriam Barbeau)

Matt studied biofilm standing crop, production, and macromolecular content on mudflats in the upper Bay of Fundy. He found that production and standing crop were decoupled on our mudflats, which means that simple measures of standing crop are not capturing the full community influence of biofilm in this system. He also found that both production and standing crop varied temporally and spatially. We also examined nutritional quality of biofilm relative to other shorebird prey in the region. Matt currently works for the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Greg Norris, M.Sc. University of New Brunswick (co-supervised by Dr. Myriam Barbeau) , 2021

Greg studied recovery and colonization dynamics on interidal mudflats in the upper Bay of Fundy. He conducted manipulative experiments where he simulated disturbance of mudflats and then tested hypotheses related to succession. His work has been published in Ecosphere.

Sarah Neima, M.Sc. 2017

Sarah examined duration of stay, movement and diet of Semipalmated Sandpipers during their migratory stopover in the upper Bay of Fundy. She radiotracked sandpipers tagged with Lotek avian nanotags using a combination of mobile tracking from air and ground, and an array of stationary receivers (Motus Wildlife Tracking System). Diet of these birds was assessed using stable isotope analyses. Sarah also developed  estimates of year over year return rates for sandpipers in this region. We attached field-readable flags to all birds captured, and completed an extensive resighting effort to determine whether they return in subsequent years, and whether they return to the areas where they were captured. This work was completed in collaboration with Julie Paquet (CWS) and Dr. Cheri Gratto-Trevor (Environment Canada). In 2014 Sarah also worked with Dr. Paul Smith (Environment Canada) to tag birds on Coats Island, Nunavut. Her work has been published in Neima et al. 2020 and Neima et al. 2022.

Honours Graduates

Lindsay Partington (honours 2021-22)

Lindsay use deuterium stable isotope signatures in feathers of hatch year Semipalmated Sandpipers to assess breeding origin of birds staging in the Bay of Fundy and Northumberland Strait. She found no evidence of habitat partitioning based on origin, but substantial differences among years. This work has led to considerable additional research in my lab, and several publications in prepararion.

Erin MacMillan (honours 2021-22)

Erin examined weight gain in Semipalmated Sandpipers during their staging period in Atlantic Canada. She found little direct linkage between instantaneous plasma triglyceride levels in blood and weight gain. She also found that storms adversely affected weight gain. Erin is currently completing her M.Sc. in my lab.

Madeline Robitaille and Leandra van Baelingham (honours 2020-21)

Madeline and Leandra both completed honours theses looking at different aspects of effects of predator exclusion and fertilizer application on the intertidal mudflat community in the upper Bay of Fundy. They are both now in graduate school - Madeline at Queens University, and Leandra at the University of British Columbia.

Veronica Ouellette (honours 2020-21)

Veronica examined foraging behaviour and diet of a suite of small shorebird species during day and night in south-eastern New Brunswick. She found that skimming behaviour, which is indicative of biofim foraging, is more common at night. Also, birds that do not engage in skimming were less likely to forage at night. Veronica completed her M.Sc. at York University.

Parker Doiron (honours 2020-21)

Parker examined movement and metabolic state of a suite of shorebirds in south eastern New Brunswick. He found that juvenile sandpipers appeared to move more within the region, and as a result may have been at a metabolic disadvantage. He co-authored a paper in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. Parker is now completing his M.Sc. at Memorial University.

Sara Bellefontaine (honours 2019-20)

Sara examined niche partitioning in shorebirds on the Northumberland Strait. She found that species partitioned resources by diet, habitat, and foraging behaviour. Sara's thesis work is published in FACETS. Sara complete her M.Sc. at the University of Windsor. 

Jana Arseneault (honours 2019-20)

Jana examined movement, habitat use, and diet of White rumped Sandpipers on the Northumberland Strait. She used Motus tracking technology to track movement of birds in the region and quantify duration of stay. She also assessed fattening rates by examining plasma triglyceride concentrations of birds, and related that to movement and stopover duration. Jana is currently in vet school.