From a young age, I have felt a connection to the world around me. I was particularly drawn to marine life, and had a fascination with the ocean. This led me to seek out an education in biology.

Out of high school, I enrolled in a BSc with Honours in Biology at uOttawa. I took many courses and worked on a variety of projects. I then followed up this degree with a MSc in Biology degree, where I had a major thesis project. Of all the courses and projects I’ve worked on, two major projects embody the majority of what I learned. These were:

For my BSc Honours project, I looked at the effects of an invasive species, northern pike, in two Gatineau Park lakes. This was my first real foray into proper field work where I collected my own data, developed my methodology, analysed the results, and wrote a major paper summarizing my findings. It took me about 8 months to complete. 

For my Masters thesis project, I reviewed a flatfish genus, Trinectes, by examining hundreds of specimens all over North America and taking a wide variety of measurements. I was able to then describe each species, determine why they belonged in this genus, and eventually develop a theory of the sequence of evolution through a biogeographical analysis. I also had the fortune of discovering a new species in this process.

All in all, although my career has diverged from working strictly in biology, the skills and knowledge I acquired during these years, particularly in the importance of planning, research, and organization, has helped me in later years. Now that I am looking to enter the world of academic librarianship, I can rely on this experience to help me continue to grow and develop as an information professional.

Select works:

  • Duplain, R. R., Chapleau, F. & Munroe, T. (2012). A New Species of Trinectes (Pleuronectiformes: Achiridae) from the Upper Río San Juan and Río Condoto, Colombia. Copeia, Issue 3, 541-546. [Peer Reviewed Journal]
  • Donaldson, M. R., O’Connor, C. M., Thompson, L. A., Gingerich, A. J., Danylchuk, S. E., Duplain, R. R. & Cooke, S. J. (2011). Contrasting Global Game Fish and Non-Game Fish Species. Fisheries, 36(8), 385-397. doi: 10.1080/03632415.2011.597672. [Peer Reviewed Journal]
  • Duplain, R. R. (2009). Taxonomic revision and phylogenetic analysis of the flatfish genus Trinectes (Pleuronectiformes: Achiridae). University of Ottawa. [Thesis/Dissertation]