PH. D. CANDIDATE
I am currently a Ph.D. candidate working in the Frasier Lab at Saint Mary’s University. I have a background in marine ecology with interest in investigating the roles of and impacts on marine mammals in changing high-latitude or industrialized marine ecosystems. I am particularly interested in the use and development of genetic methods to answer ecological questions and inform ecosystem-based management and conservation. As part of my Ph.D., I will be working within the Genome Canada Right Whale Project to assess the effects of inbreeding on health and recovery of North Atlantic right whales. I aim to quantify the degree to which genetic factors are influencing individual health and survival in the species. I will then assess how individual effects combine to shape overall recovery potential at the population level and quantify the degree to which inbreeding is limiting the recovery of these endangered whales.
To see a short interview video with Audrey and to learn more about her involvement in the project, click here: