Meet The Team

Matthew Durant is a PhD student at Dalhousie University whose research focuses on understanding how climate change and environmental variability influence the distribution, recovery, and conservation of marine species. He uses spatial modelling and quantitative approaches to examine how marine populations respond to changing environmental conditions and how this information can support conservation and fisheries management. Matthew’s PhD research focuses on how environmental change influences lobster population dynamics and fisheries in Atlantic Canada. He has also worked with Fisheries and Oceans Canada on species distribution modelling, fisheries surveys, biodiversity, and marine conservation. Before beginning his PhD, Matthew completed an MSc at Tohoku University in Japan, where he studied the potential impacts of climate change on Pacific bluefin tuna in the North Pacific Ocean. His work reflects a broader interest in understanding how changing environmental conditions shape marine populations and how quantitative approaches can contribute to effective conservation and fisheries management.

Vicki has been part of the MHFC since its launch in 2026. Having worked across government, industry, and academia, she brings 20 years of experience in cartography, ocean mapping, spatial analysis, and marine research. Her experience includes offshore exploration on research expeditions and developing maps, visualizations, and interactive online tools that make complex marine and spatial data easier to understand. At the MHFC, Vicki works with academic, government, industry, Indigenous, and other partners to support the integration and sharing of spatial data. She also contributes to communications, website development, training materials, grant applications, and administrative activities. Through her interdisciplinary role, Vicki helps connect data, research, and people to support innovative fisheries science and informed decision-making. With a lifelong love of the ocean, she is happy to contribute to research that helps us better understand and shape the future of our shared marine environments.

Dr. David M. Keith is a Research Scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Myers Hutchings Fisheries Centre. He is also an instructor in Dalhousie University’s Master of Fisheries Science program. He has worked with DFO for more than a decade, developing stock assessment methods for a variety of species, with a particular focus on sea scallop. David’s research focuses on understanding how fishing and natural variability interact to influence marine fish populations and why some populations are more productive, resilient, or capable of recovery than others. His work explores how population structure, habitat, and spatial and temporal variability influence population dynamics. David is also interested in finding new ways to make better use of existing data, particularly through the development of quantitative models that address practical challenges in fisheries science and management. His work brings together statistical modelling and fisheries knowledge to support better understanding and decision-making.

Dr. Ethan Lawler is a Research Scientist whose work focuses on spatio-temporal statistics, scientific computation, and quantitative modelling in fisheries science. He completed his PhD in Statistics at Dalhousie University in 2022, specializing in spatio-temporal statistics, before completing an interdisciplinary postdoctoral position in Statistics and Oceanography. During his postdoctoral research, Ethan worked with Clearwater Seafoods and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to develop a high-resolution spatial stock assessment model for Arctic surfclam on Banquereau Bank and Grand Bank in Atlantic Canada. His research has resulted in publications spanning mathematics, statistics, and fisheries science, with a strong focus on scientific computation and spatio-temporal modelling. Ethan is also a recognized expert in Template Model Builder (TMB), a software framework for statistical modelling, and has taught development courses to fisheries scientists. Outside of his research, Ethan is an avid musician who plays traditional jigs and reels on tenor banjo and classical trombone in several Halifax-area groups. He also enjoys science fiction and playing hockey.