Researcher Profile

Suzanne Roy

Job Title: Research Professor
Employer: Institut des Sciences de la Mer de Rimouski (= ISMER), Universite du Quebec a Rimouski
Place of Birth: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Public School attended: Ecole primaire Saint-Basile (Montreal, Quebec)
High School attended: College classique Sophie-Barat (Montreal, Quebec)
Further Education: McGill University (B.Sc.), Laval University (M.Sc.), Dalhousie University (Ph.D.).
Geographic focus of research: Quebec mostly (Estuary & Gulf of St. Lawrence), (some recent work in the Arctic and the Pacific ocean), Australia, Brasil, Argentina

Brief synopsis of current research:

the Canadian Coast Guard Vessel Radisson, used for research work in the Arctic

- UV-effects in marine phytoplankton (ozone layer problem): photo-protection (pigments) and photo-acclimation; UV tolerance in toxic marine algae compared to other algal groups; comparative UV response of planktonic ecosystems at different latitudes (southern Argentina, Brasil, Canada)
- Algal pigments as tracers of phytoplankton populations in the ocean and of their fate (e.g. grazing by crustacean herbivores)
- Remote-sensing of phytoplankton: influence of the type of algal populations, their physiological state & past light history in the use of SeaWiFS data for Case II waters (St. Lawrence)

Mailing address:
Institut des Sciences de la Mer de Rimouski (ISMER), Universite du Quebec a Rimouski, 310 Allee des Ursulines, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada G5L 3A1
Phone: (418)723-1986 (ext. 1748); Fax: (418) 724-1842

E-mail:
suzanne_roy@uqar.uquebec.ca

A cyst of the toxic alga Alexandrium tamarense from the St. Lawrence	Field work done at our field station in Pointe-au-Pere, using large volume mesocosms

Recent Publications:

ROY, S., J.-P. CHANUT, M. GOSSELIN & T. SIME-NGANDO. (1996) Characterization of phytoplankton communities in the lower St. Lawrence Estuary using HPLC-detected pigments and cell microscopy. Marine Ecology Progress Series 142: 55-73.

VINCENT, W.F. & ROY, S. (1993) Solar ultraviolet-B radiation and aquatic primary production: damage, protection, and recovery. Environ. Rev. 1: 1-12.

MOSTAJIR, B., S. DEMERS, S. DE MORA , C. BELZILE, J.-P. CHANUT, M. GOSSELIN, S. ROY, P. ZULEMA VILLEGAS, J. FAUCHOT, J. BOUCHARD, D. BIRD, P. MONTFORT & M. LEVASSEUR. 1999. Experimental test of the effect of ultraviolet-B radiation in a planktonic community. Limnol. Oceanogr. 44: 586-596.

THIBAULT, D., S. ROY, C.S. WONG & J.K. BISHOP. 1999. The downward flux of biogenic material in the NE subarctic Pacific: importance of algal sinking and mesozooplankton herbivory. Deep-Sea Res. II, 46: 2669-2697.

CASTELL, C., S. ROY, M. LEVASSEUR & D. ANDERSON. 1998. Control of germination of Alexandrium tamarense (Dinophyceae) cysts from the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary (Canada). J. Phycol. 34: 242-249.

Comments:
Canada is surrounded by 3 oceans, its climate, food resources, transportation, tourism industry are closely tied to the presence of these water bodies.
Global change is already affecting the oceans (cf. ice in the Arctic), with likely consequences on climate and other factors. Canada will need science personnel in the near future to evaluate and monitor these changes and take appropriate measures.
Aquatic sciences often provide opportunities for travel through field work and scientific collaboration. When I was a student, I was looking for a job that could combine laboratory and field work - aquatic sciences gave me just that !
Although jobs are not plentiful, most qualified individuals do manage to find work. Gradual replacement of personnel in universities and government labs should also help in the next decade.