RESEARCH INTERESTS

Marine ecology, coast to coast
Lyne Morissette earned her Ecology and Environment degree from the Université de Montréal in 1998. During this period, she worked as a diver & biologist in aquatic ecology. In 1998, she joined the Maurice-Lamontagne Institute, the science branch of Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada in Québec. She worked with the Marine Mammal Section, doing her MSc on the effect of top predators the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence in collaboration with Université du Québec à Rimouski.

Since September 2007, she holds a PhD in Zoology from the University of British Columbia. Her doctoral research, mainly done at the Fisheries Centre in Vancouver, focussed on analysing the resilience in marine ecosystem models, examine the effect of marine mammal predation, and developing specific models for the Gulf of St. Lawrence (eastern Canada). She also contributed to the Sea Around Us Project completing a database for all Ecopath models available from around the world.

While studying on the west coast of Canada, Lyne maintained her involvement in the east coast, teaching diverse marine ecology courses (Mammalogy, Marine Ecosystem Functioning, Population Dynamics, Marine Ecology) at Université du Québec à Rimouski, and working in close collaboration with DFO for her research on the Gulf of St. Lawrence ecosystem.

A marine ecologist in the desert…
As strange as it can seem, her research interests in marine ecology now take her to the middle the desert, where she joined the lab of marine conservationist Dr Leah Gerber at Arizona State University to focus on the interaction between whales and fisheries in marine ecosystems.

Her postdoctoral research is focussed on the potential competition between whales and fisheries in three areas: Northwest Africa, the Caribbean Sea and Southwest Pacific. She uses Ecopath with Ecosim and other modelling approaches to construct ecosystem models characterizing the food web structure and examine the trophic impacts of marine mammals. The models will also be used as a predictive framework for examining the ecosystem impacts of changes in abundance of large whales, and as an interactive tool in stakeholder workshops that will be held in our study areas.

Little is known about the ecological consequences of the removal of whales in terms of their past roles as consumers in food chains and as prey and carrion. Evidence suggests that ocean ecosystems throughout the world have experienced a dramatic shift in ecosystem structure as a result of the removal of large whales as well as extensive fishing activities. To understand the impact of whales on commercial fisheries, it is necessary to analyze the situation in the context of ecosystems as there are a large number of indirect and direct interactions through which these two groups might influence each other.

This postdoctoral research is part of the Lenfest Ocean Program, supporting scientific research on living marine resources that will help decision makers both understand the causes and consequences affecting the global marine environment, and design and implement policies that will sustainably manage ocean ecosystems.

PUBLICATIONS

Theses

Morissette, L. (2007). Complexity, cost and quality of ecosystem models and their impact on resilience: a comparative analysis, with emphasis on marine mammals and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. PhD thesis, Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada.

Morissette, L. (2001). Modélisation écosystémique du Nord du Golfe du Saint-Laurent. MSc thesis, Gestion de la faune et de ses habitats, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Canada

Peer-reviewed

Savenkoff, C., Castonguay, M., Chabot, D., Hammill, M.O., Bourdages, H. and Morissette, L. (2007). Changes in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence ecosystem estimated by inverse modelling: Evidence of a fishery-induced regime shift? Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 73: 711-724.

Savenkoff, C., Swain, D.P., Hanson, J.M., Castonguay, M., Hammill, M.O., Bourdages, H., Morissette, L., and Chabot, D. (2007). Effects of fishing and predation in a heavily exploited ecosystem: comparing pre- and post-groundfish collapse periods in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Canada). Ecological Modelling 204: 115-128.

Morissette, L., Hammill, M.O. and Savenkoff, C. (2006) The Trophic Role of Marine Mammals in the Northern Gulf of St. Lawrence. Marine Mammal Science. 22(1) : 74-103.

Savenkoff, C., Castonguay, M., Chabot, D., Fréchet, A., Hammill, M.O. and Morissette, L. (2006) Main prey and predators and estimates of mortality of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence during the mid-1980s, and the early 2000s. Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 2666: vii+32 p.

Sayer, M.D.J., Magill, S.H., Pitcher, T.J., Morissette, L. and Ainsworth, C. (2005). Simulation-based investigations of fishery changes as affected by the scale and design of artificial habitats. Journal of Fish Biology. 67 (sB): 218-243.

Morissette, L. (2005) Addressing uncertainty in ecosystem modelling. Pages 127-142 In Levner, E, Linkov, I. and Proth, J.M. (eds.). Strategic management of marine ecosystems. NATO Science Series: IV: Earth and environmental sciences, Volume 50. Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany.

Morissette, L., Despatie, S.-P., Savenkoff, C Hammill, M.O., Bourdages, H. and Chabot, D. (2003) Data gathering and input parameters to construct ecosystem models for the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence (mid-1980s). Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 2497: vi+94 p.

Melnychuck, M., Morissette, L., Fontenelle, G., Morizur, Y and Guénette, S. (2001) The French Fisheries in the North-East Atlantic (ICES areas VII and VIII), 1996-1998. University of British Columbia, Fisheries Centre Research Reports. 9(4):162-176. (Ph.D. work).

Other publications

Savenkoff, C., Castonguay, M., Chabot, D., Fréchet, A., Hammill, M.O. and Morissette, L. (2006) Main prey and predators and estimates of mortality of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence during the mid-1980s, and the early 2000s. Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 2666: vii+32 p.

Morissette, L. and Pitcher, T.J. (2005) Ecosystem simulation models of Scotland's West Coast and Sea Lochs - model structure and balancing. Fisheries Centre Research Reports. 13(4): 5-24.

Pitcher, T.J., MaGill, S. and Morissette, L. (2005) Ecosystem simulation models of Scotland's West Coast and Sea Lochs - Modelling Scotland's West Coast fisheries. Fisheries Centre Research Reports. 13(4): 25-29.

Morissette, L. and Pitcher, T.J. (2005) Ecosystem simulation models of Scotland's West Coast and Sea Lochs - Model characteristics and performance. Fisheries Centre Research Reports. 13(4): 30-41.

Savenkoff, C., Bourdages, H., Castonguay, M., Morissette, L., Chabot, D. and Hammill, M.O. (2004) Input data and parameter estimates for ecosystem models of the northern Gulf of St.Lawrence (mid-1990s). Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 2531: vi+93 p.

Savenkoff, C., Bourdages, H., Swain, D.P., Despatie, S.-P., Hanson, J.M., Méthot, R., Morissette, L. and Hammill, M.O. (2004) Input data and parameter estimates for ecosystem models of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (mid-1980s and mid-1990s). Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 2529: vi+105 p.

Morissette, L., Despatie, S.-P., Savenkoff, C Hammill, M.O., Bourdages, H. and Chabot, D. (2003) Data gathering and input parameters to construct ecosystem models for the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence (mid-1980s). Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 2497: vi+94 p.

Melnychuck, M., Morissette, L., Fontenelle, G., Morizur, Y and Guénette, S. (2001) The French Fisheries in the North-East Atlantic (ICES areas VII and VIII), 1996-1998. University of British Columbia, Fisheries Centre Research Reports. 9(4):162-176. (Ph.D. work).

Conferences

Morissette, L., Pedersen, T. and Nilsen, M. (2007). Comparing pristine and depleted ecosystems: the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada vs. the Soerfjord, Norway. Effects of intense fisheries on marine ecosystems. ICES Annual Science Conference, Theme Session D: Comparative Marine Ecosystem Structure and Function: Descriptors and Characteristics. Helsinki, Finland (conference presentation - international)

Bundy, A., Heymans, S.J.J., Morissette, L. and Savenkoff, C. (2007) Seals, cod and forage fish: a comparative exploration of variations in the theme of stock collapse and ecosystem change in NW Atlantic ecosystems. ICES Annual Science Conference, Theme Session D: Comparative Marine Ecosystem Structure and Function: Descriptors and Characteristics. Helsinki, Finland (conference presentation - international)

Morissette, L. (2005) Contrasting changes between the northern and southern Gulf of St. Lawrence ecosystems associated with the collapse of groundfish stocks. Fish 500 Seminar Series. Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, Canada (conference presentation - institutional).

Morissette, L. Castonguay, M. and Savenkoff, C. (2004) Le Golfe du Saint-Laurent: changements contrastants des écosystèmes associés au déclin des stocks de poissons de fond. Forum québécois des sciences de la mer, Institut Maurice-Lamontagne, Mont-Joli, QC, Canada (poster - provincial conference).

Morissette, L. (2003) Ecopath modelling in the Gulf of St. Lawrence - an ecosystem approach for a global view. Dunstaffnage Seminar Series, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, Royaume Uni (conference presentation - institutional).

Morissette, L. (2003) Using survey data to tune dynamic ecosystem simulations and dealing with model quality and uncertainty. NATO Science Programme, Strategic Management of Marine Ecosystems, Sophia Antipolis, France (conference presentation - international).

Morissette, L., Heymans, J.J., Savenkoff, C. and Bundy, A. (2003) Data Sources and Methodological Approaches for Comparative Ecosystem Modelling: Results for the Newfoundland System. American Fisheries Society annual meeting, Québec, QC, Canada (conference presentation -international).

Savenkoff, C., Morissette, L., Bundy, A. and Heymans, J.J. (2003) Variability in the Estimated Flows Related to Mass-Balance Models. American Fisheries Society annual meeting, Québec, QC, Canada (conference presentation - international).

Morissette, L. and Savenkoff,C. (2003) Ecosystem Structure and Function: How Has the Gulf of St. Lawrence Ecosystem Changed Over the Past 20 Years? American Fisheries Society annual meeting, Québec, QC, Canada (conference presentation - international).

Morissette, L., Hammill, M.O. and Savenkoff, C. (2003) Role of Marine Mammals in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. American Fisheries Society annual meeting, Québec, QC, Canada (conference presentation - international).

Heymans, J.J., Bundy, A., Morissette, L. and Savenkoff, C. (2003) Cross-System Comparisons of the NW Atlantic Ecosystems: Are There Differences in Their Structure, Function and Role of Key Species? American Fisheries Society annual meeting, Québec, QC, Canada (conference presentation - international).

Bundy, A., Morissette, L., and Heymans, J.J. (2003) Tropho-Dynamic Simulation from Then to Now: How Successfully Can Biomass Changes and Non-Recovery of Cod in Northwest Atlantic Ecosystems Be Simulated? American Fisheries Society annual meeting, Québec, QC, Canada (conference presentation - international).

Morissette, L. Pauly, D. and Castonguay, M. (2003) Modélisation des écosystèmes de la planète : une nouvelle approche pour une vision globale. 71e congrès annuel de l'ACFAS, Rimouski, QC, Canada (conference presentation - national).

Morissette, L. (2003) Ecopath, Ecosim, and Ecospace: New tools for evaluating ecosystem impacts of fishing. Donald Bren School of Environmental Science & Management Seminar series, University of California in Santa Barbara, USA (conference presentation - institutional).

Morissette, L. (2003) Le Golfe du Saint-Laurent: une analyse écosystémique pour une vision globale. Série de conférences de Institut des Sciences de la Mer de Rimouski, QC, Canada (conference presentation - institutional).

Morissette, L. (2003) Rôle trophique des mammifères marins dans le golfe du Saint-Laurent. Les midis des sciences naturelles, Université du Québec à Rimouski, QC, Canada (conference presentation - institutional).

Morissette, L. (2002) Plongez dans l'univers des phoques du Saint-Laurent. Parc National du Bic, séries de conférences des fêtes maritimes du Québec, Bic, QC, Canada. (conference presentation - institutional).

Morissette, L., Pauly, D. and Castonguay, M. (2002) Les écosystèmes marins: un équilibre précaire… 27e congrès de l'Association des Biologistes du Québec, Rimouski, QC, Canada. (poster - provincial conference).

Morissette, L., Hammill, M.O. and Savenkoff, C. (2001) The northern Gulf of St. Lawrence ecosystem: what's happening at the top? Society of Marine Mammalogy, 14th biennal conference, Vancouver, BC, Canada. (conference presentation - international).

"Premier portrait de l'ecosysteme du golfe"