DALAL HANNA
Aquatic Ecologist
PhD Candidate, McGill University
National Geographic Explorer
Aquatic Ecologist
PhD Candidate, McGill University
National Geographic Explorer
Past Research
For my MSc. I was interested in developing consistent links between mercury (Hg) in biota and factors that are commonly and easily assessed. Hg is a potent neurotoxin that can have negative effects on human and wildlife health. However, in many areas, particularly in the developing world, data on Hg contamination is limited. Therefore, establishing consistent links between Hg levels in biota and factors that are easy to assess is important as it could help improve global monitoring and management strategies. The first part of my M.Sc. research reviewed information currently available on mercury contamination in African freshwater biota and explored the presence of certain key trends in mercury cycling across the continent.The second part of my M.Sc. research explored the effects of habitat-use on Hg contamination.
Between my undergraduate degree and MSc I worked on a side project in affiliation with members of the Mennill lab, at the University of Windsor, and the Blouin-Demers lab at the University of Ottawa. I explored the impacts of noise on Spring Peepers’ communication signals. Through our research, we were able to conclude that noise affects spring peeper calls, and that spring peepers have a mechanism for altering their signal structure in response to noise.
During my BSc., while funded with and NSERC Undergraduate Research award in Gabriel Blouin-Demers’ lab at the University of Ottawa, I completed an honors thesis exploring the effects of anthropogenic noise on red-winged blackbird song structure. Anthropogenic noise can mask animal signals that are crucial for communicating information about food, predators and mating opportunities. In response to noise masking, signallers can potentially improve acoustic signal transmission by adjusting the timing, frequency or amplitude of their signals. An animal's ability to adapt to anthropogenic noise can be crucial to its success. In this study, we evaluated the effects of anthropogenic noise on the structure of red-winged blackbird song. Overall, our results showed that anthropogenic noise influences the structure of birdsong. We suggest a number of ways these effects should be considered in conservation and wildlife management.
For my MSc. I was interested in developing consistent links between mercury (Hg) in biota and factors that are commonly and easily assessed. Hg is a potent neurotoxin that can have negative effects on human and wildlife health. However, in many areas, particularly in the developing world, data on Hg contamination is limited. Therefore, establishing consistent links between Hg levels in biota and factors that are easy to assess is important as it could help improve global monitoring and management strategies. The first part of my M.Sc. research reviewed information currently available on mercury contamination in African freshwater biota and explored the presence of certain key trends in mercury cycling across the continent.The second part of my M.Sc. research explored the effects of habitat-use on Hg contamination.
Between my undergraduate degree and MSc I worked on a side project in affiliation with members of the Mennill lab, at the University of Windsor, and the Blouin-Demers lab at the University of Ottawa. I explored the impacts of noise on Spring Peepers’ communication signals. Through our research, we were able to conclude that noise affects spring peeper calls, and that spring peepers have a mechanism for altering their signal structure in response to noise.
During my BSc., while funded with and NSERC Undergraduate Research award in Gabriel Blouin-Demers’ lab at the University of Ottawa, I completed an honors thesis exploring the effects of anthropogenic noise on red-winged blackbird song structure. Anthropogenic noise can mask animal signals that are crucial for communicating information about food, predators and mating opportunities. In response to noise masking, signallers can potentially improve acoustic signal transmission by adjusting the timing, frequency or amplitude of their signals. An animal's ability to adapt to anthropogenic noise can be crucial to its success. In this study, we evaluated the effects of anthropogenic noise on the structure of red-winged blackbird song. Overall, our results showed that anthropogenic noise influences the structure of birdsong. We suggest a number of ways these effects should be considered in conservation and wildlife management.
|
Publications
Hanna DEL, Raudsepp-Hearne C and Bennett EM. (2019) Effects of land use, cover, and protection on stream and riparian ecosystem services and biodiversity. Conservation Biology. In Press Hanna DEL, Tomscha SA, Ouellet Dallaire C & Bennett EM. (2018) A review of riverine ecosystem service quantification: research gaps and recommendations. Journal of Applied Ecology. 55(3): 1299-1311. Hanna DEL, Buck D and Chapman LJ. (2016) Effects of habitat on mercury concentrations in fish: a case study of Nile perch (Lates niloticus) in Lake Nabugabo, Uganda. Ecotoxicol. 25(1): 178-191. Hanna DEL, Solomon C, Poste A, Buck D and Chapman LJ. (2015) A review of mercury concentrations in African freshwater fish: patterns and predictors. Environ Toxicol Chem. 34(2): 215-23. Hanna DEL, Wilson DR, Blouin-Demers G and Mennill DJ. (2014) Spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) modify their call structure in response to noise. Current Zoology. 60(4): 438-448. Hanna D, Blouin-Demers G, Wilson DR and Mennill DJ. (2011) Anthropogenic noise affects song structure in red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus). J Exp Biol. 214: 3549-3556. Media publications Read a Canadian Geographic article about my research investigating the effects of land use and protection on streams: "When it comes to stream health, land use and protection matter". Read a short Current Conservation piece about my work looking at stream ecosystem services and biodiversity. As part of the 1st cohort of National Geographic Young Explorer Leaders, I'm keeping a blog about my PhD research and more. Check it out here. Read about tips for field ecologists, aquatic invertebrates, and more! I created a five part YouTube series about my PhD research field work in the fall of 2017. Check it out and let me know what you think! I co-developed and hosted a podcast all about unbelievable scientific discoveries. Check out our 8 episode mini-series at https://soundcloud.com/sciencefactionradio! I kept a blog as National Geographic Young Explorer during my Masters field work in Uganda. Check it out & feel free to comment! Other Interests
Outdoors recreation Dancing Banjo picking Beekeeping in and around Montreal with the Dandelion Collective Open-source stuff (like R!) Find me online! I'm on Twitter: @Dalal_EL_Hanna I'm on Facebook: facebook.com/dalal.hanna.79 I'm on Instagram: dalal_el_hanna Funding
|
|
