Heather Dixon Email & Phone Number

Waterloo, On, Ca

Waterloo, On, Ca

Guelph, Ontario, Canada

As part of my duties I:- Undertake field work across Southern Ontario. Field work includes fish rescues (involving extensive fish identification); aquatic habitat assessments; mussel surveys; benthos sampling; bat habitat assessments; amphibian surveys; Species at Risk habitat assessments; and significant wildlife habitat assessments- Write Environmental Impact Studies (EIS); EIS addenda; Species at Risk assessments; Natural Heritage reviews; reports for Licenses to Collect Fish for… Show more As part of my duties I:- Undertake field work across Southern Ontario. Field work includes fish rescues (involving extensive fish identification); aquatic habitat assessments; mussel surveys; benthos sampling; bat habitat assessments; amphibian surveys; Species at Risk habitat assessments; and significant wildlife habitat assessments- Write Environmental Impact Studies (EIS); EIS addenda; Species at Risk assessments; Natural Heritage reviews; reports for Licenses to Collect Fish for Scientific Purposes, Species at Risk Act (SARA) permits, and Wildlife Scientific Collectors Authorizations; requests for information to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry; and memoranda for bat habitat assessments and fisheries reviews- Complete extensive background reviews for projects using multiple wildlife atlases and citizen science resources- Write applications for Licenses to Collect Fish for Scientific Purposes, SARA permits, and Wildlife Scientific Collectors Authorizations- Meet with clients to discuss projects Show less

Waterloo, Ontario

The majority of my work in this role involved investigating mercury contamination within the food webs of subarctic lakes, particularly regarding food fish and the health implications regarding their consumption by local Indigenous communities as part of subsistence fisheries. I was also involved in undertaking fish community surveys, and investigating variation in fish reproduction.During my time in this position I:- Undertook fieldwork in the Dehcho and the Inuvialuit Settlement… Show more The majority of my work in this role involved investigating mercury contamination within the food webs of subarctic lakes, particularly regarding food fish and the health implications regarding their consumption by local Indigenous communities as part of subsistence fisheries. I was also involved in undertaking fish community surveys, and investigating variation in fish reproduction.During my time in this position I:- Undertook fieldwork in the Dehcho and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (Northwest Territories), and Kugluktuk (Nunavut), in association with Indigenous partners. Field work included assessing fish community composition, setting, retrieving, and emptying gill nets, dissecting fish for stable isotope, gut content, and contaminant analyses, surgery to implant acoustic telemetry tags in fish, collecting water, sediment, and invertebrate samples, and collecting water column profile data.- Undertook laboratory work to prepare and/or run samples for stable isotope and contaminant analyses.- Wrote multiple manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals- Produced communications material for Indigenous partners- Supervised undergraduate honours thesis projects- Presented at numerous conferences, both internationally and within Canada- Undertook extensive data analysis and dataset management- Developed AUPs and SOPs for field work- Co-wrote applications for Department of Fisheries and Oceans Licences to Collect Fish for Scientific purposes and Aurora Research Institute Scientific Research Licences- Developed and led a workshop for graduate students on making maps in QGIS Show less

Saint Andrews, New Brunswick

In this role I was involved in investigating issues surrounding Atlantic salmon survival and management. This involved working with other NGOs, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Indigenous groups, and other stakeholders to monitor Atlantic salmon populations across the East Coast.During my time in this position I:- Managed and analysed large datasets of acoustic telemetry data- Helped to develop a fish health monitoring program for Atlantic salmon on the East Coast… Show more In this role I was involved in investigating issues surrounding Atlantic salmon survival and management. This involved working with other NGOs, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Indigenous groups, and other stakeholders to monitor Atlantic salmon populations across the East Coast.During my time in this position I:- Managed and analysed large datasets of acoustic telemetry data- Helped to develop a fish health monitoring program for Atlantic salmon on the East Coast of Canada- Undertook fieldwork across New Brunswick (primarily acoustic telemetry tagging, acoustic telemetry equipment deployment, retrieval and data downloading, watershed surveys, and electrofishing surveys)- Wrote and edited CSAS reports and journal articles on Atlantic salmon acoustic tracking- Educational outreach to middle school and university students- Presented at numerous conferences and meetings within Canada- Wrote applications for Department of Fisheries and Oceans Licences to Collect Fish for Scientific Purposes Show less

Waterloo

I studied the marine feeding habits of Atlantic salmon using a combination of stable isotope analysis and gut contents analysis to investigate the long- and short-term diet of the salmon while they are feeding in the Northwest Atlantic, an area which suffers from a dearth of data on Atlantic salmon trophic ecology. Atlantic salmon suffer from high mortality and reduced growth in the marine environment, despite the cessation of most commercial fishing activities. This may be related to possible… Show more I studied the marine feeding habits of Atlantic salmon using a combination of stable isotope analysis and gut contents analysis to investigate the long- and short-term diet of the salmon while they are feeding in the Northwest Atlantic, an area which suffers from a dearth of data on Atlantic salmon trophic ecology. Atlantic salmon suffer from high mortality and reduced growth in the marine environment, despite the cessation of most commercial fishing activities. This may be related to possible changes in the available prey taxa and quality, as there is evidence of changes in the structure of the food web in the Northwest Atlantic which may impact Atlantic salmon. During my time as a PhD candidate I:- Conducted research into Atlantic salmon marine feeding, involving data analysis, dataset management, and writing journal articles for publication- Spoke at numerous conferences, both internationally and within Canada- Sat on organising committees for two international symposia- Taught undergraduates as a teaching assistant- Undertook fieldwork in Greenland and Newfoundland- Undertook extensive laboratory work for gut contents and stable isotope analyses Show less

Waterloo

Marking TA for the Population Biology (BIOL456) course in the Biology Department in the 2014 and 2015 Fall terms.- Marked assignments, midterms, and final exams.- Proctored midterms and final exams.

Waterloo

Laboratory TA for the Introduction to Zoology (BIOL110) course in the Biology Department in the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Fall terms. - Ran lab sessions. including instructing students on microscope work and dissections.- Marked scientific drawing assignments and in-class quizzes, and uploaded the results.- Proctored and marked final exams.- Ran office hours to assist students.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Biology

Activities and Societies: UW Outers Club My thesis title is “The marine feeding habits of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.).

Master'S Degree, Marine Biology And Biological Oceanography, Distinction

My Master's gave me a solid grounding in biological, physical and chemical oceanography and marine geology, as well as a thorough.

Bachelor'S Degree, Natural Sciences, 2:1

Activities and Societies: St Cuthbert's Society Boat Club, and Sports and Societies Chair on St Cuthbert's Society JCR Executive.