Alexia Dubuc
Alexia is interested in linking fish movements with the oxygen profile of the mangrove using multiparametric probes and cameras. Hypoxic events are becoming more common in many aquatic habitats. Aquatic mangrove habitats in particular are regularly submitted to low dissolved oxygen concentrations. Many fish species use these mangroves as nurseries, feeding habitats or protective zones. However fish are dependent on aerobic respiration, so low oxygen concentrations can lead to physiological problems or death during severe hypoxic/anoxic events. Fish can migrate vertically to avoid hypoxic/anoxic zones, and their survival could be directly linked to their capacity to detect and swim far away from the damaging zones. There is a lack of knowledge concerning oxygen profile variation and fish induced-response.
Principal supervisor: Professor Marcus Sheaves
Other supervisors: Dr Nathan Waltham, Dr Cyril Marchand, Dr Ronald Baker
Thesis title: Dissolved oxygen as a constraint for mangrove fish assemblages and their patterns of mangrove utilisation: a comparison through the Australian and Caledonian coastlines