WOMEN IN SEABIRD SCIENCE
Jessika Lamarre
she/her
PhD Candidate
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Discipline
Behaviour, Community Ecology, Conservation, Physiology, Migration & Movement Ecology, Project Management, Nutrition
Regional Focus
Northern Atlantic Ocean; St. Lawrence river; Ontario Great Lakes
Years Active
6-10 years
Species Focus
Auks (Alcidae), Gulls and Terns (Laridae)
Tell us about your work with seabirds.
My research focuses on the effects of omega-3s on the health, behaviour, and cognition of seabirds and is funded by NSERC and OFI. My work involves conducting fieldwork at urban and remote seabird colonies, and labwork including genetic sexing, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, stable isotope analysis, and hormone analysis. In parallel, I coordinate research efforts to mitigate seabird bycatch in gillnet and long-line fisheries. I’m also passionate about nutrition in a marine context and I am currently working on developing land-based fish feeds for a more sustainable aquaculture industry.
What advice would you offer to individuals aspiring to pursue a career as seabird scientists?
Working with seabirds is incredibly rewarding and we have barely scratched the surface about understanding these beautiful animals. Any of your strengths can be used to start getting involved in seabird research. Do you speak certain languages that might be an asset when working outside of typically Western countries? Are you great at customer service/entertainment and could promote seabird conservation as a nature/boat tour guide? Are you detail-oriented and would thrive in a lab environment to help analyze samples? Reach out to your biology department and let them know that you can make a difference in the lives of seabirds!
Jessika Lamarre wearing a blue cap and brown jacket holding an adult ring-billed gull banded under permit. Jessika Lamarre fitted a GPS on the bird before releasing it to follow its year-long movement.
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