Research Team >> M.Sc. Students >> Haley Tunna

Haley Tunna (2011-present)

My interests in ecology and evolution stem from my desire to understand the complex patterns and processes that interact to shape systems. I was attracted to ecology during my undergrad because it would grant me a balance between biology theory and the fun and practical aspect of fieldwork that roots theory in the natural world. After I completed my B.Sc. in Ecology at the University of Calgary I joined the Jackson lab as a research assistant in 2010 where I assisted graduate students with fieldwork and worked on a project in collaboration with Dr. Sean Rogers looking at the population genetics of skewed sex ratios in longnose dace in southern Alberta. My research interests lie in understanding the long-term viability of fish populations that are subjected to contaminants that result in skewed sex ratios. Theoretical population geneticists predict that asymmetrical numbers of breeding males and females in a population will limit the number of mating pairs, thereby lowering genetic diversity. I am using longnose dace in the Bow and Oldman rivers to test this theory to gain a better understanding of population level consequences of anthropogenic contaminants.