Four years ago, Raquel Ruiz-Díaz found exactly the kind of fisheries science opportunity she was looking for at the Marine Institute.
Her PhD research focused on climate change, ecosystem modelling and fish populations.
This week Ms. Ruiz-Díaz is graduating with her doctorate in fisheries science, which is offered by MI’s School of Fisheries.
She is now a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Washington’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences in Seattle, Wash.
“Living in Newfoundland was such a special time in my life. I met amazing people both at the Marine Institute and outside of work, everyone was incredibly welcoming. I also fell in love with the natural beauty of the province. I’ll always be grateful for the support I received at MI and Memorial University. Iit was the perfect place to grow as a scientist and as a person.”
Future of snow crab and cod
Ms. Ruiz-Díaz studied climate change impacts on three Grand Banks fish populations — Atlantic cod, yellowtail flounder and snow crab — and the implications for fisheries management of these stocks.
She found that Atlantic cod biomass is likely to increase in the Grand Banks under future climate scenarios, while snow crab and yellowtail populations are expected to decline.
“The extent of the decline depends on the emission scenarios,” said the new Memorial alumna. “These findings matter because snow crab is currently the most economically valuable fishery in the region, and about 60 per cent of the quota is allocated to the Grand Banks.”
A chapter from her dissertation was the basis for a report published last year on the effects of warming waters and changing ocean conditions.
A different world
Originally from Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands and the southernmost region of Spain, Ms. Ruiz-Díaz arrived in the province in February 2021 during pandemic restrictions.
“I had to quarantine at the university residence. Everything was covered in snow. I had barely seen snow before, so it really felt like I had arrived in a completely different world,” she said. “During my PhD, I was lucky to receive a few awards and opportunities that really helped me grow as a researcher.”
She placed third in Memorial’s Three Minute Thesis competition and received the best oral presentation award at the Aldrich Conference in 2023. She also presented her research at three international conferences and last year was named a fellow of the School of Graduate Studies.
“During my PhD, I was lucky to receive a few awards and opportunities that really helped me grow as a researcher.”
Ms. Ruiz-Díaz received a bachelor of science in marine science from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 2015.
Two years studying deep-sea crustaceans confirmed she wanted to focus on fisheries science, but limited funding opportunities at home meant she had to look further afield to continue her career.
It also meant working on her English skills.
“After a lot of effort, I was able to improve my English and get accepted into the international master’s program in marine biological resources based at Ghent University in Belgium. That opened a lot of doors for me.”
Climate-change adaptation
One door led back to Spain to work as a research assistant with the Future Oceans Lab at the University of Vigo in 2019.
“That’s when I started learning about climate-change adaptation in the fisheries sector. I also contributed to the International Panel on Climate Change’s sixth assessment report, which gave me a broader understanding of the changes happening in the ocean, things like warming, deoxygenation and increasing frequency of marine heatwaves.”
More than 230 authors from 64 countries contributed to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report.
“That experience really got me thinking about how marine species would respond to those stressors, and how communities that depend on fisheries might be affected. That’s what led me to pursue a PhD focused on the impacts of climate change on fish populations at the Marine Institute.”
