Myriam Lacharité

Ph.D.

Research myriam

My research focuses on the diversity and spatial structure of the epibenthic megafauna in the deep waters of the Gulf of Maine (northwest Atlantic). Megafaunal communities in this region are comprised of deep-water corals, anemones, sponges and echinoderms.

I am interested in the influence of habitat complexity on diversity patterns at various spatial scales: from the micro-scale of recruits to 10s of kilometers covering the Gulf of Maine.

Education

Dalhousie University, Department of Oceanography
Ph.D. Candidate
July 2010-2016

McGill University, School of Environment (Montreal, QC)
Diploma in Environment
May 2010

McGill University (Montreal, QC)
B.Sc. Biology
May 2009

Scholarships and Awards

Level 2 Izaak Walton Killam Predoctoral Scholarship (Institutional; 2014-16)

Prediction & Observation of the Marine Environment (POME) – Travel grant to the University of Bergen, Norway (2014)

President’s Award (Tuition waived; Institutional, 2013-15)

NSERC Post-Graduate Scholarship – Doctoral (PGSD3) (National; 2012-15)

Québec Fonds Nature & Technologies – Doctoral Research Scholarship (Provincial; 2012) (Declined)

NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master’s (National; 2010)

NSERC Undergraduate Summer Research Award (National; 2009; McGill University)

Publications

Lacharité, M., Jørgensen, L.L., Metaxas, A., Lien, V. & H.R Skjoldal. (2016) Delimiting oceanographic provinces to determine drivers of mesoscale patterns in deep-water benthic megafauna : a case study in the Barents Sea. Progress in Oceanography, 146: 187-198. doi: 10.1016/j.pocean.2016.06.008

Girard F., Lacharité M., & A. Metaxas (2016) Colonization of benthic invertebrates
in a submarine canyon in the NW Atlantic. Marine Ecology Progress Series , 544: 53-64. doi: 10.3354/meps11555.

Lacharité M., Metaxas A., & P. Lawton (2015) Using object-based image analysis to determine seafloor fine-scale features and complexity. Limnology & Oceanography: Methods, 13: 553-567. doi:10.1002/lom3.10047

Lacharité M, Metaxas A (2013) Early Life History of Deep-Water Gorgonian Corals May Limit Their Abundance. PLoS ONE 8(6): e65394. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0065394

Kipp, R., Hébert, I., Lacharité, M. & Ricciardi, A. (2012) Impacts of predation by the Eurasian round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) on molluscs in the upper St. Lawrence River. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 38 (1): 78-89.

Presentations

Lacharité, M. & A. Metaxas. Fine-scale substrate features influence epibenthic megafaunal diversity on the eastern Canadian margin. Oral presentation at the Conference of Dalhousie Oceanography Graduate Students. March 18 2016. Halifax, NS, Canada. Awarded ‘Best PhD Talk’

Lacharité, M., Jørgensen, L.L., Metaxas, A., Lien, V. & Skjoldal, H.R. Mapping hydrographic provinces for benthic ecosystem management : A case study in the Barents Sea using a regional-scale ocean circulation model. Oral presentation at ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) Annual Science Conference. September 21-25 2015. Copenhagen, Denmark.

Lacharité, M., Metaxas, A., Lawton, P. & Scheibling, R.E. From the rocky subtidal to the deep sea: Distinguishing habitats using variability in fine-scale benthic features. Oral presentation at GeoHab 2014 (Geological and Biological Habitat Mapping). May 6-8 2014. Lorne, Australia.

Lacharité, M., Metaxas, A. & Lawton, P. A novel approach to assess patterns, gradients and boundaries in fine-scale benthic features using optical imagery. Oral presentation at the Conference of Dalhousie Oceanography Graduate Students. March 21 2014. Halifax, NS, Canada. Awarded ‘Best PhD Talk’

Lacharité, M., Metaxas, A. & P. Lawton. An object-based semi-automated method to assess fine-scale benthic complexity in deep-water continental shelf habitats. Oral presentation at GeoHab 2013 (Geological and Biological Habitat Mapping). May 6-10 2013. Roma, Italy.

Lacharité, M., Metaxas, A. Early life-history of deep-water gorgonian corals may limit their abundance. Poster presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Healthy Oceans Network (CHONe). October 27-29 2012. Ottawa, ON, Canada.

Lacharité, M., Metaxas, A. Supply-side ecology in deep waters: Spatial variation of coral recruitment in the Gulf of Maine. Oral presentation at the First Joint Congress of Evolutionary Biology (and CSEE Annual Meeting). July 6-10 2012. Ottawa, ON, Canada.

Lacharité, M., Metaxas, A. Insights Into Cold-Water Corals Recruitment Potential: Preliminary Results of a 4-year Field Experiment off the Continental Margin of the Gulf of Maine. Oral presentation at the Conference of Dalhousie Oceanography Graduate Students. March 22 2013. Halifax, NS, Canada.

Lacharité, M. & Metaxas, A. (2011). Community Composition and Colonization of the Deep-Sea Benthos in the Northeast Channel (Gulf of Maine): Preliminary Results From a 4-Year Field Experiment. Oral presentation at the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity. September 26-30 2011. Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.

Lacharité, M., Metaxas, A. & Lawton, P. (2011). Spatial Distribution and Habitat Characteristics of Cold-Water Corals and their Associated Fauna Within and Surrounding a Conservation Area. Poster presentation at the HERMIONE Annual Meeting, April 11-15 2011 (Malaga, Spain) & CHONe Annual Meeting, April 28-30 2011 (Montreal, Qc, Canada)

Lacharité, M., Metaxas, A. & Lawton, P. (2011). Spatial Distribution and Habitat Characteristics of Cold-Water Corals and their Associated Fauna in the Gulf of Maine. Oral presentation at the Conference of Dalhousie Oceanography Graduate Students. March 18 2011. Halifax, NS, Canada. Awarded ‘Best M.Sc. Talk’

Conference Travel Grants
Ron McDowell Award (2013, US$1,900) – GeoHab 2013

Research Experience

Research cruises:

  • September 2013 (2 weeks): R/V Falkor (Schmidt Ocean Institute – Coast of British Columbia)
  • August 2010 (2 weeks) : CCGS Hudson (CHONe – Gulf of Maine)
  • August 2008 (2 weeks) : CCGS Teleost (DFO Annual Shrimp and Groundfish Survey – Northern Gulf of St.Lawrence)

Independent Research Project (2009)
Supervisor: Dr. Anthony Ricciardi (Dept. of Biology, McGill University)
Thesis: Impacts of the Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus) on Molluscs (Bivalvia, Gastropoda) in the St.Lawrence River

Research Assistant (2009)
Laboratory of Dr. Frederic Guichard (Dept. Of Biology, McGill University)

Research Assistant (2008)
Maurice-Lamontagne Institute (Department of Fisheries and Oceans), Mont-Joli, QC

Workshops & Training

Spatial Analysis Workshop (CHONe)
February 2012 (6 days) – Montréal, Qc, Canada

Seafloor Imaging Tools and Applications (CHONe)
September 2011 (2 days) – Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

Multivariate Statistics using PRIMER-E (CHONe)
May 2011 (4 days) – Rimouski, Qc, Canada

Teaching Assistantship

Department of Biology (Dalhousie University)
Fall 2012/Winter 2013
BIOL2060: Introductory Ecology

College of Sustainability (Dalhousie University)
Fall 2011/Winter 2012/Winter 2014/Winter 2015
SUST1000.06/1001.06: Introduction to Environment, Sustainability and Society 1 & 2

Work Experience

Presenter (2008-2010)
Biosphere of Environment Canada (Environment Museum), Montreal, QC