People

Ainsley joined ABEL officially in September 2022 but spent part of last summer on Vancouver Island, in the field working with the ABEL BC Midshipman crew.  Ainsley's MSc research will focus  of female plainfin midshipman.  We know a great deal about males  in this species but Ainsley will be examining female decision  making  and investigate the factors that influence their mate selection and nest choices.  Ainsley received a BSc from the University of British Columbia in biology, where she completed an Honours Thesis with Dr. Jeffrey Richards and Dr. Tammy Rodela on how pre-exposure to ammonia effects zebrafish tolerance to subsequent exposure.  She also received a BEd from Simon Fraser University, specializing in secondary teaching.  In her free time she loves to hike and hang out with her dogs.

Eli is interested in animal learning and cognition, and will be working on social cognition in cichlids. He received his B.Sc. in Biology from Carleton University in Ottawa, where he completed an Honours thesis studying the behavioural effects of artificial light at night on Bluegill sunfish with Dr. Steve Cooke. His research will focus on differences in learning in various species of cichlids with various social structures and breeding strategies. Eli’s research will be co-supervised by Dr. Culum Brown from Macquirie University.

Mackenzie is interested in fish communication and social interactions, and how anthropogenic noise can affect behaviour and reproduction. She is studying the impact of motorboat noise on plainfin midshipman fish, specifically how it influences mate attraction, parental care, and reproductive success. Mackenzie received her B.Sc. in Biology (Marine Biology concentration) from the University of Victoria, where she completed an Honours Thesis with Dr. Francis Juanes on the effects of boat noise on plainfin midshipman aggression and territoriality. Her M.Sc. is co-supervised by Dr. Juanes and she is stationed on the West Coast, where she carries out her field-based research.