Anna is a second-year PhD student at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries under the supervision of Daniel Pauly. Her research focuses on understanding the fisheries and their impact on the marine ecosystem in the archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon to infer relevant fishery regulations. To do so, she is studying the local marine biodiversity, reconstructing the catches of these islands from 1950 to today, and building dynamic ecosystem models for the area using Ecopath with Ecosim.
How did you come to the IOF?
For a little context, my dad travelled the world when he was my age and told me stories about British Columbia, which he fell in love with; growing up, my dream was always to study at UBC. Growing up between the Mediterranean Sea and the East Coast of Canada, most of my childhood was made of tidal pooling, whale watching, snorkelling after school and boat lessons. I was always drawn to the sea I first used to fear and then developed a deep fascination for. I was drawn to the IOF because of how many great scientists make up the academic heart of the institute, whose names I had heard before in this field. I had been following Daniel’s research for a while and admired his career and life work.
What has been your biggest learning experience since joining the IOF?
I considered myself a detail-oriented person before I met Daniel Pauly: he cares a lot about little details that would easily escape your attention, and it teaches you to be rigorous in how you present your science and research results. It’s also a great lesson about diving deeper into smaller details that could lead to very interesting conclusions. Another lesson would be that complicated issues do not require complicated solutions: problem-solving, in the context of fisheries, for example, relies a lot on tackling one major issue at a time if we want to come to conclusive and durable solutions.
What has been the most exciting part of your journey at the IOF?
I would say getting the chance to connect with other researchers and learn about their research. There are so many talented people working on truly fascinating subjects, and it’s amazing to get the chance to chat with them or listen to what they have to share. Also, getting the opportunity to present my work at conferences and/or congresses feels very rewarding.
What other ways do you express your interest in marine and coastal ecosystems?
I love travelling and am an avid and passionate photographer: whenever I get the chance, I’m outside taking pictures of nature, whether on land or at sea. Travelling abroad to several islands around the world gave me a chance to broaden my understanding of people’s connection to the ocean and capture the beauty of the coastal world through my camera lens.