Monika Neufeld

PhD candidate

Current Research

There has been increasing interest in mining polymetallic sulfide deposits at deep-sea hydrothermal vents, leading to the development of environmental regulations to minimize risk to the marine environment. While an extensive body of literature exists on the ecological communities at active vents, fauna at inactive hydrothermal vents are poorly described. My project aims to characterize non-vent megafaunal communities at inactive vents and on the vent periphery.

Education

Ph.D Candidate
Department of Oceanography
Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
2022 – present

B.Sc. Concentrated Honours in Marine Biology
Department of Biology
Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
2016 – 2021

Scholarships and Awards

2024 – Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship (NSGS)
2024 – Ron McDowell Student Support Award
2023 – Kathy Ellis Memorial Book Prize
2022 – NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s (CGS-M)
2022 – Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship (NSGS)
2021 – The University Medal in Marine Biology
2021 – Alex Graham Memorial Award
2020 – Vemco Scholarship in Marine Biology
2020 – Hugh P. Bell Award
2020 – Rob Stewart Undergraduate Summer Research Award in Marine Conservation (NSERC USRA)
2019 – Dal/BIOS Fund
2019 – CABIOS
2019 – Study/Work International Fund (SWIF)
2019 – Nancy Witherspoon Memorial Summer Research Award (NSERC USRA)
2019 – David Durward Memorial Prize
2017 – Dalhousie In-Course Scholarship
2016 – Dalhousie Entrance Scholarship
2016 – Dalhousie Renewable Bursary

Publications

  • Neufeld, M., Meyn, K., Kihara, T., Martinez Arbizu, P., Kuhn, T. (2024). First record of the giant anemone, Relicanthus daphneae, at active hydrothermal vent fields in the Indian Ocean. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. (Submitted, June 2024)
  • Borremans, C., Durden, J.M., Schoening, T., Curtis, E.J., Ayata, S-D., Baburaj, R., Bassin, C, et al. (2024). Report on the Marine Imaging Workshop 2022. Workshop report. (authors listed in alphabetical order after the 4th author).
  • Neufeld, M., Metaxas, A., and Jamieson, J.W. (2022). Non-Vent Megafaunal Communities on the Endeavour and Middle Valley Segments of the Juan de Fuca Ridge, Northeast Pacific Ocean, Frontiers in Marine Science, v. 9, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.849976

Presentations

  • Neufeld, M.*, Metaxas, A., Meyn, K. (2024) Mapping the distribution of non-vent-obligate megafauna at active hydrothermal vent fields. Oral Presentation (GEOHAB 2024 – Habitat Mapping for Sustainable Oceans, Arendal, NO: International) (MSc work).
  • Neufeld, M.*, Alfaro-Lucas, J.M., Davies, M., McAllister, S., Benner, B., Elkassas, S., Ortiz, M.F., Butterfield, D.A., Metaxas, A., Huber, J. (2023) Filling the gaps: An Overview of Epibenthic Communities on the Periphery of Three Newly Discovered Active Vent Sites Along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Oral Presentation (AGU 2023 Fall Meeting, San Fransisco, CA: International).
  • McAllister, S*, Alfaro-Lucas, J.M., Davies, M., Benner, B., Neufeld, M., Elkassas S., Ortiz, M.F., Metaxas, A., Huber, J., Butterfield, D., Bates, A. (2023) From discovery to characterization: Assessing hydrothermal vent biodiversity in real time at newly discovered sites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Oral Presentation (AGU 2023 Fall Meeting, San Fransisco, CA: International).
  • Neufeld, M.*, Meyn, K., Kihara, T., Metaxas, A. (2023) Do inactive hydrothermal vents host distinct animal communities? Characterizing assemblages at deep-sea hydrothermal vents on the Central Indian Ridge. Poster Presentation (4th Symposium on Massive Sulfide and Manganese Nodule Exploration and Environmental Studies, Hannover, Germany: Institutional – BGR Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources) (MSc work).
  • Neufeld, M.*, Metaxas, A., Jamieson, J.W. (2021) Faunal communities at inactive hydrothermal vents. Oral Presentation. (35th Annual Cameron Conference, Halifax, Canada).
  • Neufeld, M., Metaxas, A., Jamieson, J.W. (2020) Faunal communities at inactive hydrothermal vents. Oral Presentation. (5th World Conference on Marine Biodiversity, Auckland, New Zealand; Highly commended talk).
  • Metaxas, A.*, Neufeld, M., Jamieson, J.W. (2019) Biological and mineralogical aspects of inactive vents on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Invited Oral Presentation (Scientific considerations for Environmental Management of Inactive Polymetallic Sulfide (PMS) Ecosystems, Galway, Ireland), International workshop organized by the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative, National University of Ireland (Galway) and the Pew Charitable Trusts. (INVITED)

Research cruises

  • 2023 – Schmidt Ocean Institute, Galápagos Spreading Center (35 days) – R/V Falkor (too)
  • 2023 – Schmidt Ocean Institute, Mid-Atlantic Ridge (40 days) – R/V Falkor (too)
  • 2023 – Northeast Pacific Deep-sea Expedition – shore-based participation and data collection
  • 2019 – Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study, Hydrostation ‘S’ (1 day) – R/V Atlantic Explorer

Other relevant experience

Teaching

  • Guest Lecturer, Deep-Sea Biology (OCEA 4370), Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University (2024)
  • Guest Lecturer, The Blue Planet 2 (OCEA 2002), Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University (2024)
  • Teaching Assistant, Deep-Sea Biology (OCEA4370/5370) – Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University (2022)
  • Demonstrator, Herpetology (BIOL 3639) – Department of Biology, Dalhousie University (2021)
  • Teaching Assistant, Writing in Science (SCIE1505) – Dalhousie Integrated Science Program, Dalhousie University (2020)
  • Teaching Assistant, Evolution (BIOL2040) – Department of Biology, Dalhousie University (2020)

Employment

  • 2024-Present – Conservation Assistant, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) – Nova Scotia Chapter, Halifax, NS
  • 2022-2024 – Primary Responder, Marine Animal Response Society (MARS), Halifax, NS
  • 2021-2024 – Contractor, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) – Nova Scotia Chapter, Halifax, NS
  • 2018 – Research Assistant/Naturalist, Brier Island Whale and Seabird Cruises, Brier Island, NS

Student Associations

  • Present – Editor in Chief, Current Tides Magazine, Volume 6, Dalhousie University
  • 2022-Present – Dalhousie Oceanography Student Association
  • 2017-2021 – Dalhousie Association of Marine Biology Students
  • 2017-2018 – The Golden Key International Honour Society, Dalhousie Chapter

Other research experience

  • 2020 – Independent Research Project, Department of Biology, Dalhousie University
  • 2019 – Intern/Fieldwork Assistant, Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, St. George’s, Bermuda
  • 2017 – Student Analyst, Northern Bottlenose Whale Project – Whitehead lab, Department of Biology, Dalhousie University

Contact Information

Email: Monika.Neufeld@dal.ca

Mailbox #46, Department of Oceanography
Life Sciences Center, Dalhousie University
6287 Alumni Crescent, Halifax, NS, Canada
PO Box 15000, B3H 4R2