Diane Lavoie

Research Scientist

Current research and/or projects

My interests include the impacts of climate change on planktonic ecosystems and on biogeochemical cycles in Arctic and Subarctic Seas and the development of coupled sea ice-ocean-ecosystem models. I am currently working on the development of coupled 3D ice-ocean-biogeochemical (NPZD-O2-pH) models for the Gulf of St. Lawrence to study the impacts of anthropogenic forcing (e.g. hydro-electric development, eutrophisation, climate change) and climate variability on primary production, aggregation of whale forage species (krill), and on the development of a hypoxic and acid zone in the estuary.

Research and/or project statements

Education and awards

Ph.D. (2008) University of Victoria

M. Sc. (1996) University of Quebec at Rimouski

Key publications

Primary Publications:

  1. 2018 Brennan, C. E., F. Maps, W. C. Gentleman, S. Plourde, D. Lavoie, J. Chassé, C. Lehoux, K. A. Krumhansl, C. L. Johnson. How transport shapes copepod distributions in relation to whale feeding habitat: Demonstration of a new modelling framework. Progress in Oceanography. Accepted.

  2. 2017 Lavoie, D., N. Lambert and D. Gilbert. Projections of future trends in biogeochemical conditions in the Northwest Atlantic using CMIP5 Earth System Models. Atmosphere-Ocean, https://doi.org/10.1080/07055900.2017.1401973, numéro spécial du programme PSACCMA.

  3. 2017 Mortenson, E., H. Hayashida, N. Steiner, A. Monahan, M. Blais, M. Gale, V. Galindo, M. Gosselin, X. Hu, D. Lavoie, C. J. Mundy. A model-based analysis of physical and biological controls on ice algae and pelagic primary production near Resolute Bay. Elem. Sci. Anth., 5, 39, https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.229.

  4. 2016 Lavoie, D., J. Chassé, Y. Simard, N. Lambert, P. Galbraith, N. Roy, D. Brickman, Control of large-scale atmospheric and oceanic forcing on krill transport into the St. Lawrence estuary investigated using a 3D numerical model, Atmosphere-Ocean, 54, 299–325. doi:10.1080/07055900.2015.1082965, numéro spécial sur le Golfe du Saint-Laurent.

  5. 2016 Steiner, N., C. Deal, D. Lannuzel, D. Lavoie, F. Massonet, L. Miller, S. Moreau, E. Popova, J. Stefels, L. Tedesco, What sea-ice biogeochemical modellers need from observers, Elem. Sci. Anth., 4: 000084, doi: 10.12952/journal.elementa.000084.

  6. 2016 C. Savenkoff, J. A. Gagné, M. Gilbert, M. Castonguay, D. Chabot, J. Chassé, P. S. Galbraith, J.-F. Gosselin, D. Lavoie, R. Larocque, P. Larouche, M. Lebeuf, V. Lesage, I. H. McQuinn, A. Mosnier, C. Nozères, P. Ouellet, S. Plourde, B. Sainte-Marie, M. Scarratt, M. Starr, S. Comtois, F. Maps, L. Savard, F. Grégoire, J.-D. Dutil. Le concept d’approche écosystémique appliqué à l’estuaire du Saint-Laurent (Canada), Dossiers Environnement, doi:10.1139/er-2015-0083.

  7. 2015 Gehlen, M., R. Barciela, L. Bertino, P. Brasseur, M. Butenschön, F. Chai, A. Crise, Y. Drillet, D. Ford, D. Lavoie, P. Lehodey, C. Perruche, A. Samuelsen, Building the capacity for forecasting marine biogeochemistry and lower tropic level ecosystems: recent advances and future developments, Journal of Operational Oceanography, 8(Sup1), s168-s187.

  8. 2015 Steiner, N., K. Azetsu-Scott, J. Hamilton, K. Hedges, X. Hu, Y. Janjua, D. Lavoie, J. Loder, H. Melling, A. Merzouk, W. Perrie, M. Scarratt, T. Sou and R. Tallmann, Observed trends and climate projections affecting marine ecosystems in the Canadian Arctic, Environmental Reviews, 23, 191-239.

  9. 2015 Maps, F., S. Plourde, I. H. McQuinn, S. St-Onge-Drouin, D. Lavoie, J. Chassé and V. Lesage. Linking acoustics and finite-time Lyapunov exponents reveals areas and mechanisms of krill aggregation within the Gulf of St. Lawrence, eastern Canada, Limnology and Oceanography, 60 (6), 1965-1975. doi: 10.1002/lno.10145.

  10. 2015 Bianucci, L., N. Shackell. D. Chabot, K. Fennel, and D. Lavoie. Regional biogeochemical ocean models as decision-making tools: A case study for Atlantic Wolfish and declining oxygen, ICES Journal of Marine science, 73(2), 263 – 274, doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsv220.

  11. Ouellet, P., Bui, A.O.V., Lavoie, D., Chassé, J., Lambert, N., Ménard, N., and Sirois, P. 2013. Seasonal distribution, abundance, and growth of larval capelin (Mallotus villosus) and the role of the Lower Estuary (Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada) as a nursery area. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 70(10): 1508-1530.

  12. Plourde, S., I. McQuinn, F. Maps, J.-F. St-Pierre, D. Lavoie, and P. Joly, 2013, Daytime depth and thermal habitat of two sympatric krill species in response to surface salinity variability in the Gulf of St Lawrence, eastern Canada, ICES Journal of Marine Science, doi:10.1093/icesjms/fst023.

  13. Maps, F., S. Plourde, D. Lavoie, I. McQuinn, and J. Chassé, 2013, Modelling the influence of daytime distribution on the transport of two sympatric krill species (Thysanoessa raschii and Meganyctiphanes norvegica) in the Gulf of St Lawrence, eastern Canada. ICES Journal of Marine Science, doi:10.1093/icesjms/fst021.

  14. Pogson, L., B. Tremblay, D. Lavoie, C. Michel, and M. Vancoppenolle. 2011. Development and validation of a one-dimensional snow-ice-algae model against observations in Resolute Passage, Canadian Arctic Archipelago, J. Geophys. Res., 116, C04010, doi:10.1029/2010JC006119.

  15. Lavoie, D., K. Denman, and R. W. Macdonald. 2010. Effects of climate warming on primary productivity and export fluxes in the Beaufort Sea. J. Geophys. Res., 115, C04018, doi:10.1029/2009JC005493.

  16. Lavoie, D., R. W. Macdonald, and K. Denman. 2009. Primary productivity and export fluxes on the Canadian shelf of the Beaufort Sea: a modelling study. J. Mar. Syst., 75, 17-32.

  17. Lavoie, D., K. Denman, and C. Michel. 2005. Modelling ice algal growth and decline in a seasonally ice-covered region of the Arctic (Resolute Passage, Canadian Archipelago). J. Geophys. Res., 110, c11009, doi:10.1029/2005JC002922.

  18. Simard, Y., D. Lavoie and F. J. Saucier. 2002. Channel head dynamics: capelin (Mallotus villosus) aggregation in the tidally driven upwelling system of the Saguenay - St. Lawrence Marine Park's whale feeding ground. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci., 59(2), 97-210.

  19. Lavoie, D., Y. Simard and F. J. Saucier. 2000. Aggregations and dispersion of krill at channel heads and shelf edges: the dynamics in the Saguenay - St. Lawrence Marine Park. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci., 57, 1853-1869.

  20. Simard, Y. and D. Lavoie. 1999. The rich krill aggregation of the Saguenay - St. Lawrence Marine Park: hydroacoustic and geostatistical biomass estimates, structure, variability and significance for whales. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci., 56, 1182-1197.

  21. Secondary Publications:

  1. 2017 Lavoie, D., Gilson, G., Chassé, J., Lambert, N., B.-Brunelle, C., Starr, M., Plourde, S., Brickman, D., and Maps, F. Impacts of freshwater flow regulation of Quebec’s large rivers on the physical environment and krill transport in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and on the Scotian Shelf. Can. Tech. Rep. Hydrogr. Ocean Sci. 318: xii + 101 p.

  2. 2015 Chassé, J., Brickman, D., van der Baaren, A., Christian, J., Davidson, F., Han, G., Lavoie, D., Long, Z., Lu, Y., Lyon, P., Ott, M. and Perrie, W. 2015. Developing a Strategy for Ocean Climate Downscaling within the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO): Proceedings of the Centre for Ocean Model Development for Applications (COMDA) Workshop for the Aquatic Climate Change Adaption Services Program (ACCASP) -March 25-26, 2014, Bedford Institute of Oceanography Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Can. Manuscr. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3073: ix + 46 p.

  3. 2013 DFO. Risk-based assessment of climate change impacts and risks on the biological systems and infrastructure within Fisheries and Oceans Canada's mandate -Arctic Large Aquatic Basin. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2012/042.

  4. 2013 DFO. Risk-based assessment of climate change impacts and risks on the biological systems and infrastructure within Fisheries and Oceans Canada's mandate -Atlantic Large Aquatic Basin. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2012/044.

  5. 2013 Rapport intégré de l’initiative de recherche écosystémique (IRÉ) de la région du Québec pour le projet : les espèces fourragères responsables de la présence des rorquals dans l’estuaire maritime du Saint-Laurent, Gagné, J.A., Ouellet, P., Savenkoff, C., Galbraith, P.S., Bui, A.O.V. et Bourassa, M.-N. (Éds). Secr. can. de consult. sci. du MPO. Document de recherche. 2013/086. vi + 181 p.

  6. 2013 Lavoie, D., N. Lambert and A. van der Baaren. Projections of future physical and biogeochemical conditions in Hudson and Baffin bays from CMIP5 Global Climate Models, Can. Tech. Rep. Hydrogr. Ocean Sci. 289: xiii + 129 pp.

  7. 2013 Lavoie, D., N. Lambert, S. Ben Mustapha and A. van der Baaren. Projections of future physical and biogeochemical conditions in the Northwest Atlantic from CMIP5 Global Climate Models. Can. Tech. Rep. Hydrogr. Ocean Sci. 285: xiv + 156 pp.

  8. 2013 Steiner, N., Azetsu-Scott, K., Galbraith, P., Hamilton, J., Hedges, K., Hu, X., Janjua, M.Y., Lambert, N., Larouche, P., Lavoie, D., Loder, J., Melling, H., Merzouk, A., Myers, P., Perrie, W., Peterson, I., Pettipas, R., Scarratt, M., Sou, T., Starr, M., Tallmann, R.F. and van der Baaren, A. Climate change assessment in the Arctic Basin Part 1: Trends and projections -A contribution to the Aquatic Climate Change Adaptation Services Program. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3042: xv + 163 pp.

  9. 2013 Pepin, P., G.L. Maillet, D. Lavoie and C. Johnson. Temporal trends in nutrient concentrations in the northwest Atlantic basin. Ch. 10 (p. 127-150) In: Aspects of climate change in the Northwest Atlantic off Canada [Loder, J.W., G. Han, P.S. Galbraith, J. Chassé and A. van der Baaren (Eds.)]. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3045: x + 190 p.

  10. 2013 Chassé, J., Lambert, N. and Lavoie, D. Precipitation, Evaporation and Freshwater Flux over Canada from six Global Climate Models. Can. Tech. Rep. Hydrogr. Ocean Sci. 287: viii + 47 p.

  11. 2012 MPO. Avis de l’initiative de recherche écosystémique : espèces fourragères responsables de la présence du rorqual bleu (Balaenoptera musculus) dans l’estuaire maritime du Saint-Laurent. Secr. can. de consult. sci. du MPO, Avis sci. 2012/052.

  12. Lavoie, D. 2008. Modelling Primary Production in Seasonally Ice-Covered Regions of the Arctic Ocean and its Response to Climate Change. Ph.D. thesis. University of Victoria, Canada, xvi+169pp.

  13. Lavoie, D., M. Starr, B. Zakardjian, and P. Larouche. 2008. Identification of ecologically and biologically significant areas (EBSA) in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence: Primary production. DFO, Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, Research Document, 2007/079, 33 pp
  14. Lavoie, D. 1997. Réponse hydrodynamique de la Baie des Chaleurs au passage d’une forte tempête. M. Sc. thesis. University of Quebec at Rimouski. 170 p.
  15. Lavoie, D., Y. Simard, J. Benoit, P. Larouche and B. Thibeault. 1996. Distribution des masses d’eau à la tête du chenal Laurentien dans l’estuaire du Saint-Laurent aux étés 1994 et 1995. Rapp. tech. can. hydrogr. sci. océan., 176:x+126 pp
  16. Lavoie, D. 1995. Physical features of the Miramichi Estuary, in Water, Science, and the Public: The Miramichi Ecosystem, edited by M. Chadwick, Canadian Special Publication of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 123, 273-277.