M.Sc. Candidate
Current Research
My research focuses on the current and future distributions of Membranipora membranacea, an invasive bryozoan species that has recently been damaging kelp beds along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia. The initial component of my project is to use existing data and field studies to explore the environmental and biological factors determining the spatial distribution of the bryozoan. I will then use my findings to construct a species distribution model for M. membranacea, in order to predict future changes to its distribution due to climate change. My research will contribute towards building a knowledge base of how kelp ecosystems in Atlantic Canada can be expected to change in the future. This will inform resource use planning and conservation measures to protect kelp ecosystems.
Education
Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
Department of Oceanography
M.Sc. Candidate
September 2018 – present
University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
Faculty of Arts and Science
B.Sc. Honours in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science
September 2012 – April 2016
University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland, UK
School of Biology
Visiting Exchange Student
September 2014 – May 2015
Scholarships and Awards
Canada Graduate Scholarship, Master’s Level (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) – 2018
Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship, Master’s Level (Dalhousie University) – 2018
Dorothy Whiting Scholarship in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (University of Toronto) – 2017
Medal: Third Level Biology (University of St Andrews) – 2015
Robert Hunter Scholarship (University of Toronto) – 2015
Peter John Hare Memorial Scholarship in Environment (University of Toronto) – 2014
Hadwen-Walker Scholarship in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (University of Toronto) – 2014
Walter and Mary Tuohy Award in Arts and Science (University of Toronto) – 2014
Sunil Kumar and Nita Singh Scholarship (University of Toronto) – 2014
Gordon Crowe Memorial Scholarship (University of Toronto) – 2013
Bloor Lands Admission Scholarship (University of Toronto) – 2012
University of Toronto Scholars Program (University of Toronto) – 2012
RBC Blue Water Scholarship (Royal Bank of Canada) – 2012
Relevant Experience
Freshwater Fish Biodiversity Researcher
Dr. Nicholas Mandrak Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough (Toronto, ON)
June 2016 – August 2016
Research Assistant
Dr. John Stinchcombe Laboratory, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto (Toronto, ON)
September 2013 – March 2014
Presentations
Pratt, C., Metaxas, A., Denley, D. (2019). Climate change, invasive species, and the fate of kelp beds in Atlantic Canada. Conference of Dalhousie Oceanography Graduate Students. Halifax, NS.
Pratt, C., Metaxas, A., and Denley, D. (2018). Impacts of an Invasive Species on the Effectiveness of a Marine Protected Area. Canadian Healthy Oceans Network (CHONe) 2018 Network Meeting. Ottawa, ON.
Pratt, C. and Mandrak, N. (2017). Batch image identification as a novel, non-lethal method for identifying fishes in freshwater fish biodiversity surveys. Ontario Ecology, Ethology and Evolution Colloquium (OE3C). Kingston, ON.
