Ricciardi Lab
Invasion Ecology & Aquatic Ecosystems

Redpath Museum & Bieler School of Environment
McGill University

Home Page

Research Interests

Curriculum Vitae

Students
   Gen D'Avignon
   Sunci Avlijas
   Kennedy Zwarych
   Megan Hutchings
   Noémie Sheppard
   Ty Colvin
   Catalina Claus
   Brielle Comartin

Selected Publications

Media Coverage

Invasive Species

Lab News

 
People in the Lab

Suncica Avlijas (PhD candidate)
Thesis title: Spatio-temporal variation in the colonization success and impacts of globally invasive freshwater fishes. Co-supervised with Dr. Nicholas Mandrak, University of Toronto.

Geneviève D'Avignon (PhD candidate)
Thesis title: Microplastics in freshwater food webs. Co-supervised with Dr. Irene Gregory-Eaves, McGill.

Kennedy Zwarych (MSc candidate)
Thesis title: Longterm changes to native freshwater mussel populations in the St Lawrence River.

Megan Hutchings (MSc candidate)
Thesis title: Comparative functional responses of native and non-native benthic fishes under elevated temperatures.

Noémie Sheppard (MSc candidate)
Thesis title: Temperature-mediated impacts of invasive crayfishes.

Ty Colvin (PhD candidate)
Thesis title: Temporal changes in biodiversity of St. Lawrence River benthic invertebrate communities.

Catalina Claus (MSc candidate)
Thesis title: Feeding behaviour of invasive goldfish.

Brielle Comartin (MSc candidate)
Thesis title: Impacts of zebra mussel invasion on native freshwater mussels in a Quebec lake.

Angelina Nikolaeva (Work Study Research Assistant)


Former students and research assistants

Christophe Benjamin (MSc Biology 2022)
Thesis title: Impact of European Tench (Tinca tinca) on native benthivorous fishes.

Jennifer Pham (BSc Honours student)
Thesis title: Behavioural ecology of crayfish.

Libby Rothberg (Research Assistant, Science Undergraduate Research Award)

Jessie Ye (Research Assistant, Science Undergraduate Research Award)

Heather Reid (MSc Biology 2021)
Thesis title: Interpopulation variation in thermal responses by an invasive freshwater fish.
[Current position: Harbour Monitoring Coordinator, ACAP Saint John]

Jessamine Trueman (MSc Biology 2021)
Thesis title: Experimental studies on the impacts of invasive goldfishes (Carassius spp.).
[Current position: Field Biologist, Merlin Arborist Group]

Victoria Chicatun (MSc Biology 2021)
Thesis title: Temperature mediation of the ecological impacts of invasive crayfishes.
[Current position: Project Biologist, Lake Babine Nation]

Hélène Pfister (BSc Independent Study 2020, Biology; Work Study Research Assistant 2019-21)
[Current position: Research Assistant, Latin American Sea Turtles Association]

Duncan Wang (BSc. Hons., Environment, 2020; NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, 2020) [Current position: Data Analyst, Mistplay; Formerly: Master of Management in Analytics, McGill]

Eve-Line Bérubé Beaulieu (BSc. Hons., Environment, 2020)
[Current position: MSc candidate, Université de Québec à Montréal]

Philippe Hénault (NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, 2020)
[Current position: MSc candidate, Université Laval]

Yael Lewis (Science Undergraduate Research Award, 2020)

Alex Crew (MSc Biology 2019)
Thesis title: Microplastics in the St. Lawrence River. Co-supervised with Dr. Irene Gregory-Eaves, McGill. [Current position: Science Evaluator, Health Canada]

Giulio Navarroli (Work Study Research Assistant 2017-19; Science Undergraduate Research Award, 2019; Research Technician, 2019-20)
[Current position: MSc candidate, University of Winnipeg; NSERC scholar]

Nicole Moore (Science Undergraduate Research Award, 2019)

Shu Han (Sophia) Hsu (BSc. Hons., Biology, 2018-19)
[Current position: Master of Environmental Toxicology candidate, Simon Fraser University]

Julia Briand (BSc. Hons., Environment, 2018-19)
[Current position: MSc candidate, McGill University]

Catherine Choquette (NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, 2018)

Jaime Grimm (MSc Biology 2018)
Thesis title: Comparative functional responses of crayfishes: variation across species and populations.[Current position: PhD student, University of Toronto; Formerly: Conservation Researcher, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada]

Meng Yu (Aimy) Wang (BSc Hons., Environment, 2018; Work Study Research Assistant, 2016-17)
[Current position: MSc candidate, University of Toronto]

Dustin Raab (PhD candidate, 2013-discontinued), Canada Graduate Scholar)
Thesis title: Factors affecting the success and impact of fish invasions in tributaries. Co-supervised with Dr. Nicholas Mandrak, University of Toronto. [Current position: Aquatic Science Biologist, Fisheries & Oceans Canada]

Anna Potapova (Research Assistant 2017-18; McGill Work Study Research Assistant, 2016) [Current position: MSc student, Simon Fraser University]

Andrea Morden (MSc Biology 2016; Research Associate, Microplastics project, 2016-17)
Thesis title: The northern range expansion of the invasive subtropical bivalve Corbicula fluminea (the Asian clam). [Current position: Senior Fisheries and Aquaculture Management Officer, Fisheries & Oceans Canada]

Antonina Scheer (BSc Honours, Environment, 2016-17; Lab Manager, 2018) [Current position: Research Assistant, Grantham Research Institute, London School of Economics]

Laura Molina Gonzalez (NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, 2017)

Raina Fan (Work Study Research Assistant, 2016; NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, 2016)

Jelena Grbic (McGill Work Study & QCBS Research Assistant, 2016) [Current position: Environmental Scientist, Tetra Tech]

Katie Pagnucco (PhD Biology 2016, Canada Graduate Scholar)
Thesis title: Direct and indirect impacts of non-native freshwater consumers on recipient communities. [Current position: Biology Instructor, John Abbott College]

Josie Iacarella (PhD Biology 2015, Tomlinson Doctoral Fellow)
Thesis title: Variation in the impacts of invasive alien species. [Current position: Research Scientist, Fisheries & Oceans Canada]

Rachael Ryan (BSc Honours, Biology, 2016; Ricciardi Lab manager, 2017) [Current position: Graduate student, University of Berkeley]

Valeriya Sokolenko (BSc Honours 2016, Environment) [Current position: Planning Associate (Urban Planning), R.E. Millward & Associates]

Jonathan Fischer-Rush (BSc Independent Study 2016, Biology) [Current position: Technician, University of New Brunswick]

Bianca Brusco (BSc Independent Study 2016, Biology) [Current position: Data Scientist, Bloomberg LP]

Tara Hartzell (McGill Work Study Research Assistant, 2015)

Emilija Cvetanovska (MSc, Biology, 2015)
Thesis title: Cold tolerance of the subtropical Asian clam Corbicula fluminea.
[Current position: Senior Sales Consultant, Medtronic]

Lowine Hill (McGill Work Study Student, 2015)
[Current position: PhD student, University for Waterloo]

Liam Jasperse-Sjolander (McGill Work Study Research Assistant, 2014)
[Current position: Research Associate, Duke University]

Jean-Michel Matte (NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, 2014)
[Current position: Postdoctoral researcher, Concordia University]

Sandrine Vigneron (NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, 2014)

Kayla Hamelin (MSc, Biology, 2014; Julie Payette NSERC scholar)
Thesis title: Effects of thermal effluent on the diversity and distribution of benthic invertebrates in the St. Lawrence River. [Current position: PhD candidate, Dalhousie University]

Jordan Ouellette-Plante (MSc, Biology, 2014)
Thesis title: Spatial and temporal variation in the internal morphology of dreissenid mussels in relation to turbidity.  Co-supervised with Dr. Ladd Johnson, Univ. Laval. [Subsequent position: Aquatic Wildlife Biologist, le Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec]

Ahdia Hassan (MSc, Biology, 2014)
Thesis title: Influence of biogeographic origin and phylogenetic relatedness on the impacts of introduced aquatic species.[Current position: Species at Risk Recovery Planner, Fisheries & Oceans Canada; formerly Species Coordinator, Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment]

Emma Hudgins (BSc Independent Study, Biology, 2014)
Project title: Predatory behavior of an invasive amphipod in the presence of fish chemical cues and conspecifics.
[Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Carleton University]

Phoebe Mankiewicz (BSc Independent Study, Biology, 2014)
Project title: Impacts of invasive species along gradients of invasion history.
[Current position: PhD candidate, Yale University]

Malcolm Lord (McGill Work Study Research Assistant, 2014)

Justin Chisholm (McGill Work Study Research Assistant, 2014)
[Current position: Silviculture Crew Leader, Spectrum Resource Group Inc.]

Rowshyra Castaneda (MSc, Biology, 2013)
Thesis title: Factors affecting the distribution, abundance and condition of an invasive freshwater bivalve in a thermal plume [Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences].

Lisa A. Jones (PhD, Biology, 2013)
Thesis title: Predicting aquatic invasion success and impact from species traits.
[Current position: Species Recovery Planner, Fisheries and Oceans Canada]

Andrea J. Reid (MSc, Biology, 2013)
Thesis title: Optimal refugia for native fish species from the introduced Nile perch (Lates niloticus) in the Lake Victoria basin. Co-supervised with Dr. Lauren Chapman.
[Current position: Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia]

Yasmina Remmal (BSc Independent Study, Biology, 2012-13)
Project title: Impacts of the round goby on benthic and planktonic microcrustaceans.

Yinci Yan (McGill Work Study Research Assistant, 2012-13)
[Current position: Data Analyst, ERIS]

Cécile Tang (BSc, Independent Study, Biology, 2012)
Project title: Impact of invasive species on ecosystem services. [Co-supervised with Dr. Elena Bennett] [Subsequent position: Masters student, Erasmus Mundus program in Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management]

Marie-Claire Chiasson (McGill Work Study Research Assistant, 2012)

Charlotte Lapeyre (BSc, NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, 2011 & Independent Study, 2011-12)
Project title: Diversity of benthic macroinvertebrate communities within a thermal plume.

Marion Carrier (BSc, Independent Study, 2011-12)
Project title: Characterizing populations of Hemimysis anomala at two St. Lawrence River ports. [Current position: Planning coordinator, AGIR Maskinongé; Previously: MSc student, Université de Montréal]

Karen Wang (NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, 2012)
[Current position: Graduate Studies, University of Waterloo]

Laura McDonnell (Research Assistant, 2012)
[Current position: MSc student, McGill]

Katherine Shaw (McGill Work Study & QCBS Research Assistant, 2012)
[Project title: Benthic invertebrate communities along a temperature gradient in the St. Lawrence River. [Current position: MSc student, McGill]

Isabel Tom (NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, 2011)

Max Farrell (BSc Honours, Biology, 2010-11)
Project title: Role of anthropogenic disturbance in the relative dominance of exotic benthic invertebrates in the St. Lawrence River. [Current position: PhD student, McGill]

Justin Trumpickas (MSc, Biology, 2010)
Thesis title: Impacts of introduced piscivores on lake fish assemblages.
[Current position: Aquatic Research Biologist, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources]

Rebekah Kipp (MSc, Biology, 2010)
Thesis title: Impacts of an invasive benthic predator on macroinvertebrate communities in the St. Lawrence River.
[Subsequent position: Project Manager (Stream Biomonitoring), Gault Nature Reserve]

Emma Weisbord (BSc Honours, Environment, 2010; co-supervised with Dr. Andy Gonzalez)
Project title: Relationship between economic inequality and biological invasions among countries. [Current position: Digital Water Consultant, Royal HaskoningDHV; Previously: MSc student, University of Oxford]

Ekaterina Yakushina (BSc Independent Study, Biology, 2010)
Project title: Characteristics of Hemimysis anomala populations in the St. Lawrence River.
[Current position: Aquatic Biologist, WorleyParsons Ltd]

Jessica M. Ward (PhD, Biology, 2010)
Thesis title: Community-level effects of non-indigenous aquatic ecosystem engineers.
[Current position: Senior Ecologist/ Project Director for Shared Value Solutions Ltd]

Åsa Kestrup (PhD, Biology, 2010)
Thesis title: The effects of interspecific interactions and environmental heterogeneity on the dominance of an invasive freshwater crustacean.
[Current position: Biologist, Sweco Environment AB, Sweden]

Kathleen Church (MSc, Biology, 2010)
Thesis title: Agonistic interactions between invasive aquatic species.
[Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Windsor]

Stefanie Kulhanek (MSc, Biology, 2010; co-supervised with Dr. Brian Leung)
Thesis title: Investigating the use of invasion history, meta-analysis and niche-based models as tools for predicting the ecological impacts of introduced aquatic species.
[Current position: Science Educator, City of Montreal]

Issac Hebert (BSc, Independent Study & NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, 2009-10)
Project title: Diet of the round goby in the St. Lawrence River.
[Subsequently: MSc, Concordia University; Current position: Wildlife Research technician, OMNR]

Robby Marrotte (McGill Work Study Research Assistant, 2008-10)
[Current position: Research Associate, Concordia University]

Karen Cholmondeley (McGill Work Study Research Assistant, 2009-10)
[Current position: MSc student, Université de Montréal]

Sabriya Syed (McGill Work Study Research Assistant, 2008-09)
[Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Massachusetts]

Katie O'Sullivan (McGill Work Study Research Assistant, 2008-09)
[Subsequent position: Researcher, Americorps VISTA]

Myriam Lacharité (BSc, Independent Study & NSERC Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2009)
Project title: Impacts of the round goby on molluscs in the St. Lawrence River.
[Current position: PhD student, Dalhousie University]

Natalie Summers (Independent Study, 2009)
Project title: Mechanisms of exotic species replacement.
[Subsequently: MSc, University of Hawaii]

Niloufar Bayani (NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, 2009). [Subsequently: MSc, Columbia; Current position: Researcher at UNEP]

Jessica Murray (BSc, Independent Study, 2009)
Project title: Ecological impacts of the Emerald Ash Borer beetle in Ontario.
[Current position: Forest Specialist, Industrial Economics Inc.]

Kanako Hasegawa (BSc, Env., Honours, 2008, co-supervised with Dr. Brian Leung)
Project title: Is invasion history useful in predicting the impacts of introduced species?
[Current position: Consultant, London Research International]

Deborah Lightman (BSc, Independent Study, 2008)
Project title: Conspecific attraction in the settlement of invasive mussel larvae.
[Subsequently: MSc McGill & Fulbright Scholar (MIT); Current position: Consultant, MMM Group]

Anneli Jokela (MSc, Biology, 2007)
Thesis title: Factors affecting the impact of invasive mussels on native freshwater mussels.
[Subsequently: PhD, Queen's University; Current position: Regulatory Manager, Wek'eezhii Land and Water Board, N.W.T]

Kathryn Harper (MSc, Biology, 2007)
Thesis title: Yellow perch consumption of invasive mussels in the St. Lawrence River.
[Current position: Director, Project Neutral]

Sarah J. Wilson (MSc, Biology, 2007)
Thesis title: Aquatic invertebrate communities on native and exotic plants.
[Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Michigan; co-founder of Cities4Forests]

Suzanne Ellwood (BSc, Env., Independent Study, 2007)
Project title: Introduced aquatic ecosystem engineers.
[Subsequently: Masters of Environmental Studies, Queen's University; Current position: Policy Analyst, NRCan]

Sandra Warren (NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, 2007).
[Current position: Environmental Scientist, Stantec]

Hanie Seo (Research Assistant, McGill Work Study Program, 2007-08).

Arthi Sowmithran (Research Assistant, McGill Work Study Program, 2007). [Current position: Research Scientist, Parmalat Canada]

Robin Tiller (Research Assistant, McGill Work Study Program, 2006-07)
Project: Invertebrate identification in fish diets and benthic samples. [Current position: Teacher, Biddeford Middle School STEM Academy]

Christopher Elvidge (BSc, Env., Independent Study, 2007)
Project title: Shifts in species traits among North American freshwater fish assemblages: Ecological homogenization?
[Current position: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Eastern Finland]

Frederik Pegna (Research Assistant, McGill Work Study Program, 2006). [Current position: Deputy Chief of Contingency Planning, U.S. Coast Guard]

Jill Cohen (BSc, Env., Honours, 2006)
Project title: Is there a correlation between impact and invasiveness in exotic species?
[Subsequently: PhD, Cornell 2013; Current position: ‎Conservation Program Analyst, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service]

Sylvie Trottier (BSc, Independent Study, 2005)
Project title: Diversity of snail communities associated with native and invasive aquatic plants.
[Current position: GHG analyst, Ecometrica]

Michelle E. Palmer (MSc, Biology, 2004)
Thesis title: Environmental factors affecting the relative abundance of native and invasive freshwater amphipods in the St. Lawrence River.
[Current position: Scientist, Environmental Monitoring & Reporting Branch, Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change; obtained PhD from York University]

Colette Ward (BSc Honours, 2004)
Project title: Diet shifts in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) following multiple invasions to the zoobenthos of the St. Lawrence River.
[Current position: Postdoctoral Researcher, NCEAS]

Miriam Mottiar (BSc Honours, 2004)
Project title: Occurrence and abundance of exotic snails in the St. Lawrence River.
[Subsequently: M.D., Queen's University; Current position: Anesthesiologist, The Ottawa Hospital]

Susanna K. Atkinson (BSc Honours, 2003)
Project title: Patterns of establishment and impact among introduced aquatic animals.
[Subsequently: MSc, University of Ottawa; Current position: Senior Compliance Officer, Health Canada]

Jennifer Kovecses (Research Technician, 2002-03).
[Current position: Executive Director, Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed, Colorado]