Shubha Pandit, former Post-Doctoral Fellow

Project Title:

Developing climate and bio-energetic models for freshater fish species at risk (Co-supervised with Dr. Eva Enders)

Research Description:

Climate change is affecting many freshwater species, particularly fishes. Predictions of future climate change suggest large and deleterious effects on species with narrow dispersal abilities due to limited hydrological connectivity. In turn, this creates the potential for population isolation in thermally unsuitable habitats, leading to physiological stress, species declines or possible extirpation. The current extent of many freshwater fish species' spatio-temporal distribution patterns and their sensitivity to thermal impacts from climate change − critical information for conservation planning − are often unknown. I study the impacts of climate change on freshwater fish species at risk. In the PoeschLab, I conducted research on Carmine shiner (Notropis percobromus), an ecologically important species listed as threatened or imperilled nationally (Canada). I also studied the bio-energetic impacts of climate change on Arctic Grayling (Thymallus arcticus, shown to the left).