DANIEL GILLIS
MSc. Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto
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ABOUT ME
I completed my Master of Science from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto in 2020. Under the supervision of Dr. Ken Minns and Dr. Brian Shuter, my research involved the development of a predictive lake temperature model. This research was part of a larger project directed towards modelling the productivity of freshwater fisheries and will inform the effects of climate change on fish production.
RESEARCH
The focus of my master's research was on developing and testing a predictive lake temperature model for estimating thermal regimes of temperate lakes. Focusing on North America, I compiled lake temperature data from over 369 lakes. Then, I fit a semi-mechanistic lake temperature-profile model (STM) (Minns and Shuter 2013) to each of these lake temperature datasets. Using the parameter output from those model fits, I built a set of regression models for predicting each STM parameter based on the lake's local climate, shape, and water quality. This model will be used towards predicting freshwater fisheries productivity, as my research is part of a larger project within Dr. Don Jackson's lab at UofT. The updated STM may be of further interest to those looking to make predictions for remote, understudied lakes. The manuscript for this research has been accepted for publication at the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences and is available online for early viewing at: https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/cjfas-2020-0140
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My undergraduate research was directed towards testing to see whether fine-scale population genetic structure explained potential fisheries-induced evolution in a recreationally fished largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) population.
PUBLICATIONS
Gillis, D.P., Minns, C.K., and Shuter, B.J. 2021. Predicting open-water thermal regimes of temperate North American lakes. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences In press. doi:10.1139/cjfas-2020-0140.
LIMNOLOGY
MODELLING
EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS
FIELD BIOLOGY
PRESENTATIONS
I have been fortunate enough to travel and present my research at conferences and meetings throughout my graduate studies. The following is a list of presentations that I have given:
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American Fisheries Society Ontario Chapter Annual Meeting, Orillia, ON, February 2020
Oral Presentation: Predicting open-water thermal regimes of North American lakes
GLEON 21 All Hands’ Meeting, Huntsville, ON, November 2019
Poster Presentation: Forecasting the effects of climate change on fish thermal habitat in North American lakes
Canadian Society for Ecology & Evolution Annual Meeting, Fredericton, NB, August 2019
Oral Presentation: Forecasting the effects of climate change on fish thermal habitat in North American lakes
Canadian Conference for Fisheries Research, London, ON, January 2019
Poster Presentation: Regional application of a seasonal temperature-profile model to estimate fish thermal habitat supply
CONTACT
dpgillis96 at gmail dot com