THE DEACON LAB
NEOTROPICAL BIODIVERSITY & FRESHWATER ECOLOGY
Current Members
Dr Amy Deacon
Senior Lecturer in Zoology
My research interests span behavioural ecology, freshwater ecology, invasion biology and patterns of biodiversity.
Much of my work uses the Trinidadian guppy as a model species, especially for learning about invasion ecology. For this I conduct experiments both in the guppy's native habitat of Trinidad, as well as with colleagues in countries where it is considered an invasive species, such as India and the USA.
I am also interested in patterns of biodiversity in neotropical streams, and the effects of recreational disturbance on these assemblages. This began as a 5 year ERC-funded project to monitor 16 rivers regularly, but 10 years on, we continue to add to this dataset annually to better understand the temporal and spatial variation in these streams.
Science communication and outreach are very important to me and my work. In addition to assisting with the department's schools' outreach programme, I also write for the local papers on a range of natural history topics.
Enquiries from interested students and collaborators are welcome.
Much of my work uses the Trinidadian guppy as a model species, especially for learning about invasion ecology. For this I conduct experiments both in the guppy's native habitat of Trinidad, as well as with colleagues in countries where it is considered an invasive species, such as India and the USA.
I am also interested in patterns of biodiversity in neotropical streams, and the effects of recreational disturbance on these assemblages. This began as a 5 year ERC-funded project to monitor 16 rivers regularly, but 10 years on, we continue to add to this dataset annually to better understand the temporal and spatial variation in these streams.
Science communication and outreach are very important to me and my work. In addition to assisting with the department's schools' outreach programme, I also write for the local papers on a range of natural history topics.
Enquiries from interested students and collaborators are welcome.
James Josaphat
PhD Student (2020-)
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I’m an agronomist by training. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture Science (option: Natural Resources and Environmental Management) and an MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development from The University of the West Indies.
I completed my Bachelor’s Degree at “Universite Episcopale d’Haiti” and I completed my bachelor’s degree research project on fish catching techniques in the sea in the south of Haiti. My MSc research project focused on freshwater fish and macroinvertebrate biodiversity in Trinidad. I have experience with fish farming, especially in the fish-production in the freshwater basin in Haiti and I also have experience with greenhouse cultivation in the USA, especially on using bees to ensure the culture's pollination inside of the greenhouse. I’m interested in behavioural ecology and in the future I would like to study Gambusia dominicensis behaviour, an endemic freshwater fish species to Haiti and the Dominican Republic that is classed as endangered by IUCN, to ensure its conservation as well as that of other endemic fish species of Haiti. I am currently a PhD candidate at the Université de Antilles, under the supervision of Ingo Schlupp, Etienne Bezault and Amy Deacon. I will be conducting research on the biology and ecology of freshwater fish species in Haiti. So far, no studies have yet been carried out to evaluate the biodiversity, distribution, and diversity of the freshwater fish species found in the rivers and the streams there. |
Renoir Auguste
PhD student (2020-)
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I am a PhD Candidate based at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago (UWI) with supervisors Mark Hulme and Amy Deacon.
I attained my MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development in the Caribbean (with Distinction), and my BSc in Environmental and Natural Resource Management (major) and Zoology (minor), from UWI. For my PhD, I will be studying the conservation ecology of amphibians in Trinidad and Tobago. I will be using both visual and acoustic techniques to monitor frog assemblages at different habitats and elevations across the two islands, with a special focus on our endemic and data deficient species. My primary research interests and experience include terrestrial population ecology surveys, herpetology, natural history, biodiversity conservation, protected areas management, taxonomy and systematics, and environmental science, education, and outreach. I have built/am building a foundation among these areas through academia, volunteering with and for environmental NGOs, professional jobs, and collaborations with local and international researchers. |
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Past Members
Dr Ada F. EslavaFormer PhD student (2020-2024)
I was a PhD student under the supervision of Anne Magurran, Amy Deacon and Indar Ramnarine. I was based at the University of St Andrews, in Scotland, where I have previously completed a Masters degree studying the functional diversity of freshwater fish communities in Trinidad.
I am interested in ecology and biodiversity, especially in freshwater systems. In my project, I investigated how distinct facets of the biodiversity of freshwater fish (i.e. taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic) are changing over time at different spatial scales. Asking how freshwater fish diversity is changing over time is of utmost importance considering all the anthropogenic pressures that affect these organisms and their habitats. I hope that this research will allow me to gain a better understanding of this question. My project was funded by the Fisheries Society of the British Isles (FSBI). Ada successfully defended her PhD in December 2024, and will embark on a postdoc shortly. |
Dr Haley ArnoldFormer PhD Student (2018-2022)
I was a PhD student based at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, under the supervision of Anne Magurran and Amy Deacon. During 2018-2019 I spent a year at The University of the West Indies, Trinidad, conducting fieldwork in active and abandoned cocoa estates.
My main research interests include terrestrial ecology, biodiversity and conservation biology. The aim of my PhD was to examine the consequences of elevated temporal turnover (compositional change) in tree assemblages for forest functioning. As part of my research I have surveyed the tree, ground vegetation, epiphyte, butterfly and bird communities in forests at different stages of forest secondary succession. I use this data to look at how changes in the tree species and functional trait diversity effect the forests’ ability to sustain other biota. Through this research I hope to better understand the links between species, functional traits and ecosystem functioning, as well as how changes in tree assemblages mediate forest habitat value. Haley successfully defended her PhD in 2022 and is currently conducting postdoctoral work at The University of St Andrews. |
Luberson JosephFormer MSc Student
Luberson was a student on the MSc Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development in the Caribbean here at The University of the West Indies. He completed his final research project on the effects of salinity on size structure and assemblages of fish in rivers that flow into the protected area of the Caroni Swamp (second largest wetland in Trinidad).
Luberson graduated with his MSc in 2020 and is now studying towards his PhD at Ohio State University. |
Dr Allison Durland DonahouFormer PhD Student (2018-2020)
For her PhD dissertation, Allison analyzed the differences in life history traits and behaviors between domesticated and wild guppies to determine if these traits affect the species’ invasiveness. Traits examined include number and size of offspring and behavior in the presence of a predator, among others.
Allison successfully defended her PhD in 2020 and has taken up a tenure-track positon as an Assistant Professor at Florida Southern University. |
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Dr Jarome Ali
Former Associate Professional
Jarome worked in the group during 2016-2017, focusing on projects relating to the invasiveness of guppies. He also helped establish the departmental seminar series 'Life in Science'. In September 2023, Jarome successfully defended his PhD thesis on the Evolution of Plumage Colouration, which he completed at Princeton, in the Stoddard lab. |
Fadilah AliFormer Associate Professional
Fadilah is an ecologist with a specialty in invasive species biology, control and management. She worked in the group during 2017-18, working on guppy biotic resistance projects, assisting with teaching and helping to organise an international conference (LACCCB).
Fadilah works on projects related to marine conservation throughout the Caribbean. |
Stefanie WhiteFormer Research Assistant
Between 2018-2021 Stefanie worked with Amy on the social systems of several species of the Saturniid moth genus, Hylesia. Stefanie is interested in why sociality might have evolved in these systems, as well as how complex collective behaviour is coordinated in these relatively simple animals.
She is also interested in conservation biology and pushing for evidence-based conservation policy for Trinidad and Tobago. Stefanie continues to collaborate with the lab on the Hylesia system |
