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Originally from France, Flora Amill never thought she would have the opportunity to work in the Arctic. The doctoral student in biology at the Faculty of Science and Engineering studied the microbiota of Arctic char, fish important to northern communities.
“I have always been interested in microorganisms, so when I learned about the project, I was motivated! It was a chance to be able to go to the North during my studies. I knew it was going to be a great experience,” reports Flora Amill, whose project is part of the Sentinel North program.
She spent two weeks at the Cambridge Bay research station in Nunavut in 2018, and again in 2019. “I was there during the summer, so the conditions weren’t as harsh as in the winter. I experienced the tundra and temperatures around 0℃, and not the snow with -40℃, she reassures. What was impressive was that it was daylight almost all the time.” On site, she had access to an apartment and a laboratory to study fish, “comfort” she adds.
An enriching experience
During her two stays, she had the chance to collaborate with Milla Rautio, professor at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi and member of the Center for Nordic Studies, and her team. “I had no experience in field preparation, so she showed me the ropes and put me in contact with Inuit fishermen and scientists on site,” reports the doctoral student.
The fact that she was a novice did not escape the fishermen. “It was obvious that I was not used to it. I had never fished. They made fun of me a little, she says with a smile. We spoke little, but we exchanged laughs. I learned by doing.”
The community has been very welcoming. The young researcher remembers a guide who accompanied her colleague and herself to a lake to protect them from grizzly bears. “He told us stories and invited us to have a drink with him and his wife. We shared a great time with the Inuit couple.”
On a typical day, Flora Amill would set the nets in the lake with a zodiac and then collect the fish a few hours later. On board the boat, she had coolers to preserve the specimens until the laboratory. “We quickly brought them to the station for dissection. This stage lasted a very long time, sometimes even until the early morning. We took a little bit of everything for our analyses: the gills, the intestines, the adipose fins.” As for the flesh, it was given back to the Inuit. Nothing was lost.
Before going fishing, Flora and her team had to prepare the boat for Inuit guide Jimmy, nicknamed Little Jimmy by the community, at Greiner Lake near Cambridge Bay. (Provided by Laval University)
Results useful to communities
Through her doctoral project, she characterized the gill microbiota in different Arctic char communities. The objective was to find the predominant bacteria and characterize the microbiota based on environmental conditions and fish genetics. “We observed an influence of temperature and salinity. We also saw a correlation with the presence of mercury in water,” explains Flora Amill.
Why study the gill microbiota? “Fish have three microbiota, that of the skin, the intestine and the gills. The first two are quite well studied, but research on gills is only just beginning. However, it is an essential organ in fish since it ensures respiration, but also the osmo- and ionoregulatory processes, which are essential in fish that migrate from fresh waters to the salt waters of the coast. to feed onself. Finally, it is in direct contact with the environment and filters contaminants and pathogens from the water,” explains Flora Amill.
The bacteria that make up the microbiota are indicators of fish health. They can be beneficial or, in the case of pathogenic bacteria, cause disease. Normally, there is a balance that allows beneficial bacteria to protect the fish from pathogens. “When there is an imbalance caused by stress, such as physicochemical changes in the water caused by human activities or climate change, fish can become sick and die, which could lead to a decline in the population,” underlines the doctoral student. As this fish is an integral part of the Inuit diet, a loss would affect communities.
The doctoral student published her research results in the scientific journal Microbiology Spectrum and is currently finishing writing her thesis.
After studies, she would like to work as a biologist for land and resource protection projects in the North with first peoples.
“I heard northern communities say that they no longer caught the same fish and no longer heard the same birds. The landscape is changing and it’s a little scary. I want to help improve things, to invest in countering these important changes by listening to the expertise of local populations who know their land better than anyone. There is a lot to do.”
