Hi! I’m Darcy, a biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, at the Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg, MB. I began working with Arctic fishes in 2013 as a component of my master’s thesis, and have continued to study coastal change among communities across the Canadian Arctic ever since. I specialize in investigating food web dynamics of co-occurring fishes, and using stable isotopes to determine the potential for competition among native and non-native species. The information collected by our programs allows for decisions to be made by Indigenous leaders and management in order to protect biological and culturally significant parts of the Canadian Arctic. Before becoming a biologist I worked with high Arctic plants, Namibian elephants, large cats in South Africa, and am a Students on Ice alumni for 2006/2007.

Ullukkut! My name is Laurissa and I live in Winnipeg, but I grew up on a farm in Ontario. I have been a biologist with Arctic Coast/ Arctic Salmon since February 2020 where I coordinate coastal monitoring and local knowledge documentation programs in Hudson Bay using community-led approaches. I am especially interested in understanding food web dynamics and energy flow within the Arctic marine environment using a variety of approaches including: tracer analysis, local knowledge documentation, and ecosystem monitoring.  I also created the Arctic Salmon cookbook. I love that my position combines two of my passions Arctic science and working with communities! It is a dream come true. 

Hi! My name is Kevin Gully and I am from Sachs Harbour, NWT. I am the team technician, and I sample fish, lead the organization of our lab and freezer space, assist with logistics for all the projects, and do field work. I am also interested in sea ice change and am analyzing imagery and data about sea ice and making a tool for other people from the north to be able to do this too. I am also a student at the University of Manitoba, pursuing a BSc degree. 

Hello! My name is Allison Drake. I started as a Biologist with Arctic Coast in October 2022 with a focus on connecting Indigenous and scientific knowledges. I completed my MSc with the Arctic Coast team, co-supervised by Vivian Nguyen, where I studied the weaving of Inuit and Western scientific knowledge of coastal and marine ecosystems in the Canadian Arctic. I am passionate about my work because I care deeply about conserving the diversity of northern species and habitats, and about the wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples in the context of climate change and development. I am a settler ally committed to learning and unlearning about Indigenous realities, and recognize that this is a lifelong journey. 

Hi! My name is Jessica, and I’m an aquatic science technician at the Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg.  I began working with the Arctic Salmon team in 2022 as a co-op student while completing my Bachelor of Science in ecology and environmental biology at the University of Manitoba. I returned to Fisheries and Oceans in 2024 to work with the Arctic Salmon team. I lead sample coordination, manage the database, sample fish, and support field work activities. My research focuses include population distribution, how migration influences salmon morphology, phenological shifts in salmon migration, and how climate change impacts salmon movement. Before this, I studied the effects of climate change on polar bears, worked with endangered birds in northern Manitoba, conducted behavioural research on Cape ground squirrels in South Africa, and volunteered at a sea turtle conservation center in Indonesia. I’m passionate about conservation biology and understanding how climate change affects vulnerable species. I’m especially excited to be part of a project that emphasizes community-led research and integrates Indigenous knowledge.

Howdy! I’m William, and I’m a term employee with Arctic Coast and a student at the University of Manitoba. I did my first term with Arctic Coast in January through April of 2024 as a co-op student, and now that my co-op is finished, I’m back for a second term! I’m pursuing a BSc degree focusing on ecology, with a minor in physics. As part of my fascination with ecosystem interactions, I’ve been examining nearshore ROV footage off the west coast of Nunavut, looking mostly at macroalgae and different invertebrate species.

Hi, I'm Miranda and I'm from Winnipeg! I started working with the Arctic Salmon team as a Co-op student and I am now a MSc student at the University of Manitoba, co-supervised by Margaret Docker. My MSc is focused on connecting coastal to offshore ecosystems using common methods and indicators, and is focused in the western Canadian Arctic. I have also written publications on changing biodiversity, all within a broader theme of the biological and environmental changes associated with climate warming. I've been with the Arctic Salmon team since 2019 and it's been a pleasure to contribute my research to important and ongoing conversations about the Arctic!

Hi! I’m Caitlyn and I’m from Winnipeg, MB. I started working with DFO in 2023, but have recently joined the Arctic Salmon team as a master’s student in 2025, co-supervised by Dr. Gail Davoren with the University of Manitoba. My master’s thesis is focused on determining potential environmental cues that influence the migratory pathways of Pacific salmon travelling through the Inuvialuit Settlement Region using dietary and sea ice metrics. I will also determine if there is an overlap in diet and/or sea ice association between sockeye salmon and Arctic char from Ulukhaktok. By answering these questions, we can get a better understanding of how other migrating sub-Arctic species could navigate the Arctic and how they could impact the native species as the climate changes.

Justin has been an FSWEP (Federal Student Work Experience Program) student with Arctic Coast since October 2024. More to come...