Courtney Allen, Postdoctoral Fellow at
the University of New Brunswick

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Clarissa Lalla, MSc Student at
the University of New Brunswick

My research interests center on microbial ecology in coastal ecosystems, reflecting a
sustained curiosity about the diversity and function of microbial communities. During my
MSc, I used DNA metabarcoding to: (1) examine spatial and temporal shifts in the
microbial eukaryote communities in the Musquash Estuary Marine Protected Area in the
lower Bay of Fundy, and (2) characterize the microbial eukaryote communities along a
chronosequence of salt marsh restorations in the Musquash Estuary. In addition, my
research includes analyzing the DNA and RNA extracted from mudflat sediments at the
Peck’s Cove mudflat in the upper Bay of Fundy. This work is a part of the Maritime
Coastal Carbon Group collaboration that aims to characterize the taxonomic and
functional composition of microbial eukaryote and bacterial communities in relation to
time since tidal recession and sediment depth. Together, this work highlights the
ecological importance of microbial communities in coastal systems and their relevance
to ecosystem function and restoration.

Naaman Omar, PhD Candidate at
the University of New Brunswick

Naaman Omar is a PhD candidate in the Department of Biology at the University of New
Brunswick. His research focuses on detecting, mapping, and understanding the
physiology of microalgae on intertidal mudflats using an integrated remote sensing and
molecular framework. Intertidal mudflats are globally important hotspots for coastal
carbon uptake, a process largely driven by microbial and microalgal activity. He
combines satellite and drone imagery with spectroradiometry to map microalgal
distribution across mudflats, alongside pigment analyses and metabarcoding to
characterize community composition. As part of the Maritime Coastal Carbon Group
collaboration, he also applies metagenomic and metatranscriptomic approaches to
resolve taxonomic diversity and functional potential, with particular emphasis on genes
involved in tidal recession responses, carbon uptake and fixation, and vertical migration.
Prior to his PhD, Naaman worked as a Research Associate at Mount Allison University,
where he worked on metagenomic assembly and analysis of cyanobacterial systems.
His work aims to bridge molecular biology, coastal marine biology, and Earth
observation to better understand coastal carbon processes.

Gavin Douglas, Assistant Professor at
the University of New Brunswick

Dr. Douglas researches the evolutionary forces underlying bacterial pangenome diversity, using primarily bioinformatics approaches. He is also interested in understanding how ecological factors drive strain diversity and horizontal gene transfer in natural environments. Find out more here: https://douglaslab.ca