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Victoria Van Mierlo

@vanmierlo.bsky.social

39 followers 37 following 9 posts

McGill Doctoral Student with focus on invasive crayfish in the Great Lakes-St Lawrence River basin (Ricciardi Lab)🦞 Previously: Wildlife Habitat Biologist w/ Canadian Wildlife Service - Ontario 🦌&🐺

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Reposted by Victoria Van Mierlo

Sebastian Theis, PhD @sebtheis.bsky.social · 1d

For anyone looking for an amazing PhD opportunity with Steph Green in marine global change ecology and conservation for 2026: greenlab.ca/opportunitie...

JOIN US

I am recruiting graduate students, analysts, and postdoctoral researchers for funded projects in a variety of research themes. See the links below for specific opportunities or contact [stephanie.g…

greenlab.ca

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Victoria Van Mierlo @vanmierlo.bsky.social · 6d

Such a loss. She was such a champion of conservation. She inspired me to become an ecologist and I am so grateful to have had the chance to see her speak, twice.
We must all continue her legacy by fighting for wildlife conservation and continue to have hope 🤍
Rest in Peace, Jane🤍

Jane Goodall Institute of Canada @janegoodallcan.bsky.social · 6d

Dr. Jane made an indelible mark on our understanding of chimpanzees and other species, and also of humankind and the environments we all share.

She inspired curiosity, hope, and compassion in countless people, and paved the way for many others.

#ThankYouJane #RememberingJane

Photo: Marko Zlousic

Victoria Van Mierlo @vanmierlo.bsky.social · 20d

I went on a solo hike today at Bronte Creek Provincial park with the goal of witnessing the beginning of the salmon run. The salmon haven’t made it this far west yet, but I was blessed to find this beautiful Cambarus robustus who had recently molted.

Cambarus robustus at Bronte Creek Provincial Park.

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Victoria Van Mierlo @vanmierlo.bsky.social · 24d

Oh no! 😰

Victoria Van Mierlo @vanmierlo.bsky.social · 28d

That’s a wrap on field season 2025! Check out some highlights from the 9 weeks spent on the St. Lawrence & Ottawa Rivers! 4/4

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Victoria Van Mierlo @vanmierlo.bsky.social · 28d

That’s a wrap on field season 2025! Check out some highlights from the 9 weeks spent on the St. Lawrence & Ottawa Rivers! 3/4

Native Cambarus robustus from the St. Lawrence river.

Stonecat captures near the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers.

A happy researcher with the first Faxonius virilis of the season.

Handling a small native Faxonius propinquus

Victoria Van Mierlo @vanmierlo.bsky.social · 28d

That’s a wrap on field season 2025! Check out some highlights from the 9 weeks spent on the St. Lawrence & Ottawa Rivers! 2/4

Taking environmental measurements at a site in Lac St. Francis

Looking for crayfish with my favourite people for my birthday.

Measuring and weighing a large Native Faxonius virilis from the St. Lawrence river.

A perfect molt of invasive Faxonius limosus showing it’s distinct angular red abdominal markings.

Victoria Van Mierlo @vanmierlo.bsky.social · 28d

That’s a wrap on field season 2025! Check out some highlights from the 9 weeks spent on the St. Lawrence & Ottawa Rivers! 1/4

Setting crayfish traps in the Ottawa river.

Native Faxonius propinquus from the St. Lawrence river

A large female invasive Faxonius limosus from the St. Lawrence river.

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Reposted by Victoria Van Mierlo

Anthony Ricciardi @ecoinvasions.bsky.social · Aug 24

A reminder:

There is no analogy in the fossil record for the magnitude & scale of the modern bioinvasion event.

Driven by human activities, species are moving faster, farther, and in greater numbers than at any time in the history of life.

Anthony Ricciardi @ecoinvasions.bsky.social · Nov 17

Climate change is a 'natural' process now occurring ~10 times faster than the average rate after an ice age. Extinction is 'natural' but is now occurring 1000X faster than in past eras (apart from mass extinctions). Biological invasion is now at rates 100000X prehistoric levels of spp colonisations.

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Victoria Van Mierlo @vanmierlo.bsky.social · Jul 29

Blessed to find this beautiful electric blue Faxonius virilis while sampling the St. Lawrence for my doctoral work! This is a fairly rare phenotype for this native North American species!

Blue female Faxonius virilis from the St. Lawrence river.

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Reposted by Victoria Van Mierlo

Brielle Comartin @briellecomartin.bsky.social · Jul 11

Sampling in the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers for @vanmierlo.bsky.social’s fieldwork, targeting invasive spinycheek crayfish #invasivespecies #crayfish

Setting crayfish traps in the St. Lawrence River.

Measuring a spinycheek crayfish carapace length, caught from the Ottawa River.

Taking environmental variables from the St. Lawrence River.

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Victoria Van Mierlo @vanmierlo.bsky.social · Apr 1

Check out our new paper "Bioclimatic, terrain, and specific peatland composition are major drivers of woodland caribou winter habitat suitability in northern Ontario". I am grateful to have worked on this important topic with this amazing team!

cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10....

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Reposted by Victoria Van Mierlo

The Ricciardians @ricciardilab.bsky.social · Mar 5

Follow our students for posts about invasive freshwater fish, crayfish & mussels:
(clockwise in photo below)
Victoria @vanmierlo.bsky.social
Kate @katest0rey.bsky.social
Brielle @briellecomartin.bsky.social
Emma @emmaschubert.bsky.social
Ty @tjcolvin.bsky.social
Ivana @ivanakomendic.bsky.social

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Reposted by Victoria Van Mierlo

Sebastian Theis, PhD @sebtheis.bsky.social · Mar 3

New paper alert!

How do biodiversity offsets, nature positive, and biodiversity credits fit together? @natrevbiodiv.bsky.social

Open access (non-downloadable): rdcu.be/ebGtr
Paywalled (downloadable): lnkd.in/ghv6zSRp
#BiodiversityOffsets #NaturePositive

Biodiversity offsets, their effectiveness and their role in a nature positive future

Nature Reviews Biodiversity - Biodiversity offsets, applied as part of the mitigation hierarchy, aim to ensure that ‘no net loss’ of biodiversity occurs as a result of human development...

rdcu.be

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