I am a Research Scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, a department within the federal government of Canada. As a researcher with the Centre for Offshore Oil, Gas and Energy Research, my work focuses on understanding the role of microbes during oil spills in marine systems. Microbes can play an important role in degrading oil and changing its fate and behaviour, which can alter the impacts on the ecosystem. Microbes may also play a role in how resilient an ecosystem is during an oiling event.

Moving forward, my research is also pivoting to understand the role of microbes in response and recovery to spills of hazardous and noxious substances (HNS), to characterize how renewable energy projects might impact marine microbiomes and to quantify the role of microbes in how fast and how well ecosystems recover from oil or HNS spills.

My work applies genomics to field studies, field experiments and laboratory experiments in conjunction with oceanographic techniques and through collaborations with organismal ecologists, organic chemists and modelers. An important aspect of my position is providing science-based advice to decision makers to help in preparing for and responding to spill events.