Predator-prey interactions are key to shaping fish populations, food webs, and the health and stability of aquatic ecosystems, and Environmental & Life Sciences (ENLS) Ph.D. student Bradley Howell is at the forefront of studying these species dynamics in freshwater systems.   

“Tracking fish underwater has obvious challenges,” says Bradley. “Scientists have developed tools that allow us to follow fish as they move through their environment, but it’s still hard for us to know exactly what they are encountering below the surface. If a prey fish with a tracker gets eaten, we might continue to track the predator and not know.”

How do you know when a fish gets eaten? 

As the recent recipient of the Peter A. Larkin Excellence in Fisheries Award and a prestigious NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS-D), Bradley is recognized as Canada’s top doctoral-level fisheries researcher. He’s testing a new acoustic technology developed by Innovasea, an aquatic solutions company, that uses specialized transmitters that can identify when predation occurs, uncovering when, where and under what conditions fish are most vulnerable. This new technology makes it possible to study small-bodied fishes that have historically been hard to monitor.

“Technology is changing the way we study and manage fish populations in Canada. Monitoring fish behaviour and identifying habitats with high mortality will help biologists and resource managers make informed conservation decisions,” says Bradley. “New tools allow researchers to connect individual fish behaviour to larger patterns – enhancing our understanding of freshwater ecosystems.” 

Later this year, Bradley will travel abroad to study at Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, as a recipient of the NSERC Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement. During this international research placement, he will build on his doctoral research by conducting behaviour and diet studies in Western Greenland. 

“I enjoy the challenge of studying fish in the wild,” says Bradley, who also completed his undergrad degree in Biology and Environmental & Resource Science at Trent. “The ENLS grad program has been an incredibly supportive place to do research. I’ve had the freedom to pursue ambitious ideas while still having strong guidance and mentorship from Professor Graham Raby.”  

Learn more about the Environmental & Life Sciences Ph.D. program.