Meet: Dr. Morgan Piczak
Previously a Liber Ero Fellow, Dr. Piczak now joins the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences. Morgan is a conservation scientist with an interest in aquatic ecosystems and movement ecology.
Morgan’s academically impressive record includes an undergraduate degree in zoology from the University of Guelph and an MSc from McMaster University, where she studied the movement ecology of common snapping turtles in Lake Ontario. Morgan has also worked at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, researching how harmful algal blooms affect fish communities in Lake Erie.
Morgan then pursued a PhD at Carleton University, where she utilised acoustic telemetry to investigate the impact of invasive species on freshwater fish and expand our understanding of restoration ecology, with a significant focus on the Toronto Harbour.
Dr. Piczak looks forward to building her research on how we can mitigate human impacts on aquatic ecosystems through a movement lens. Morgan is building her research program around the impacts of wildfire on freshwater systems, an issue that is becoming more urgent as wildfires increase in frequency and severity.
What inspired you to pursue a career in aquatic sciences?
I grew up along the shores of the Laurentian Great Lakes and spent a lot of time on Lakes Ontario and Huron. I was always fascinated by the idea that there was so much happening beneath the surface that we couldn’t see. Acoustic telemetry, the primary method I use, allows us to better understand those hidden processes and uncover how aquatic animals move through their environments.
Can you tell us a bit about your research areas and some important projects you’ve worked on?
My research focuses on movement ecology, freshwater conservation, and applied management. I’ve worked on projects ranging from snapping turtle movement in Lake Ontario, to invasive species and restoration in Toronto Harbour, to Atlantic mackerel movement and fisheries management in Atlantic Canada. Across all of these systems, my goal is the same: to understand how animals move through their environments and use that information to improve conservation, restoration, and management decisions.
You’ve described yourself as a ‘part-time fish surgeon’. What does that involve, and why is it important?
A big part of my research uses acoustic telemetry, which means implanting small transmitters into fish. To do this, we anesthetize the fish, similar to how humans would be anesthetized for surgery, then we make a small incision, insert the tag, and close it with a couple of small sutures. We then monitor the fish to ensure they recover properly before release. This allows us to track movement rates, habitat use, and spatial patterns over long periods of time. That information is incredibly valuable for conservation because it helps identify critical habitats, priority areas for protection, and places where restoration efforts are most likely to be effective.
What brought you to the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship?
Moving to Vancouver and working at UBC has been a long-standing dream of mine! The Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship is an ideal home for my research because of its strong history in freshwater science, conservation, and wildfire ecology. Being part of a faculty that actively works on wildfire coexistence and ecosystem resilience aligns closely with where I want my research program to go.
What do you hope to achieve at UBC FES?
I hope to build a research program that helps conserve British Columbia’s freshwater biodiversity, particularly in the context of increasing wildfire disturbance. I want my work to be applied, collaborative, and useful for decision-makers, while training students to think critically about conservation challenges in a rapidly changing world. I also want to continue supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion priorities within aquatic sciences by creating an inclusive lab environment and expanding opportunities for students from historically underrepresented groups.
How do you hope your work inspires young women to pursue a career in aquatic sciences?
Whether I’m in the field, at conferences, or in meetings, I am often reminded that fisheries remains a male-dominated field. While that can still feel intimidating at times, I can only imagine how people from historically marginalized communities might feel. Increasing representation truly matters. I hope that simply being a woman in this space helps make a career in aquatic science feel more achievable and accessible. I’m committed to building an inclusive and diverse lab, creating opportunities for students from different backgrounds, and helping increase representation in the field more broadly.
