An interest in Nova Scotia’s snow crab industry combined with a StFX undergraduate research course has resulted in StFX student Nick Levangie turning work he completed for a class project into a paper published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Mr. Levangie of Bible Hill, NS, who graduated from StFX in May 2023 with a double major in aquatic resources and biology, has had his article published in the Journal of Sea Research. The work provides predictions on what to expect for the snow crab fishery in the face of the ongoing warming of marine waters, and should help develop adaptive strategies for the future.
“It is extremely rare that an undergraduate student publishes an article in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, especially among undergraduate students who are not doing an honours thesis,” says StFX biology professor Dr. Ricardo Scrosati who supervised Mr. Levangie on his senior AQUA450 project, a research-based course that all Aquatic Resources Program students take in their last year.
“This project was entirely Nick's idea, so my role was to guide him through the normal steps followed in scientific research to ensure a competitive project. He did a great job, as his work not only allowed him to successfully pass that course, but also enabled him to write an article that was just published in a well-known, peer-reviewed journal in our discipline.”
“It feels like a significant accomplishment in my academic journey, and I am grateful for all who helped me achieve this milestone,” says Mr. Levangie who analyzed nine years of data (including almost 3,400 data points) to investigate how snow crab catch relates to ocean bottom temperature across the Scotian Shelf, off Nova Scotia. His statistical analyses identified the temperature range that is associated to the loss of fisheries of this lucrative marine resource.
Mr. Levangie says he believes most researchers want to publish peer reviewed studies with the aim of providing a better understanding of a phenomenon or interaction. “In our study, I believe we provide an up-to-date understanding of the potential impact of warming oceans on the Scotian Shelf snow crab population.”
He says the reason he was interested in doing his research on snow crab was because he worked in summer 2022 as a fishery observer, monitoring landings and conducting sampling, on commercial fishing boats. “A good portion of that time was spent on commercial snow crab fishing boats where I gained a lot of firsthand experience from the fishery, and it made me realize how important the snow crab fishery is for Nova Scotia,” he says.
Mr. Levangie says he would also add that this is yet another study showing the potential dangers of warming oceans for a lucrative Canadian fishery that thousands of Nova Scotians rely on.
While there were certainly many hurdles to overcome while working on the project, he says it pushed him to not only use his critical thinking skills, but also to take full advantage of the resources he had available to him.
Mr. Levangie has been working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada for over a year, in the Resource Management department where he helps manage commercial and recreational fisheries for Gulf Nova Scotia (GNS). “Out of the many commercial fisheries I help manage, I currently help manage the GNS snow crab fishery,” he says.
