Ladd Johnson,

Département de biologie, Université Laval

Originally from California, Ladd was trained in ecology at Oregon State University (B.Sc.) and University of Washington (Ph.D).  After doing post-docs in California, Michigan and the United Kingdom, he started at Université Laval in 1995 where he now a full professor.  He is also a member of Québec-Océan, a provincially-funded research group studying boreal and arctic marine ecosystems, and is on the scientific committee of the OGSL (Observatoire du Golfe du St-Laurent), a portal for research on the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Since arriving in Canada, he has continued his research interests in the areas of benthic ecology, focusing on the environmental factors and species interactions that control seaweed populations in both intertidal and subtidal habitats. As a member of CAISN (Canadian Aquatic Invasive Species Network, an earlier NSERC research network – 2006-2016), he extended his previous work on the zebra mussel, a freshwater mussel, to marine invertebrate and algal invasions across Canada. Beyond these areas, his current interests are expanding into ecological role of sea ice on algal communities, the dynamics and impact of drift algae on invertebrate communities, and the use of artificial reefs to enhance kelp beds.  His laboratory includes a dynamic and fun group of students from across the globe, including ones from Chile, Mexico, USA and Canada. Outside of academia, he enjoys community theatre, gardening and almost anything outdoors.  He is also leading efforts to preserve a lighthouse on the Gaspé Peninsula and develop it for research, educational and cultural uses.