Graham Raby
Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research

Research
My research broadly involves generating new knowledge about the biology of fishes while also providing information that is relevant to conservation or fisheries management. During graduate school, most of my research focused on understanding how fish respond to catch-and-release and other stressors. My PhD thesis focused on the effects of catch-and-release on the physiology and post-release survival of Pacific salmon. More recently, I’ve conducted research on the effects of catch-and-release angling on tropical fishes. My research also focuses on contributing to our understanding of how fishes will respond to climatic warming and ocean acidification, using lab- and field-based experiments with behavioural and physiological endpoints.
The research I’m focusing on at GLIER, working with Dr. Fisk and others, broadly involves understanding the behaviour, movements, and thermal ecology of Great Lakes fishes. Specifically, I’m leading an effort to characterize the thermal and vertical (depth) behaviours of Lake Ontario salmon and trout using pop-off data storage tags (DSTs). The high-resolution time-series data from the DSTs will enable new insights into the fine-scale behaviours fish use to respond to changing environmental conditions. In addition, through a collaboration with the Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System (GLATOS; an initiative of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission with the partnership of numerous agencies), I’m using an existing multi-year acoustic telemetry and thermal-logger dataset to understand the movements and thermal ecology of Lake Erie walleye; fish that are the subject of important commercial and recreational fisheries. I’m also leading laboratory investigations into the metabolic and thermal ecology of a range of Great Lakes fishes. Each of these projects will enable the testing of fundamental hypotheses in ecology and evolution while providing valuable information to fishers and fisheries managers.
Background
Starting July 2020 - Present
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada.
August 2015-June 2020
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (2017-19 NSERC PDF), Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research
March-July 2015
Australian Endeavor Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia
January-February 2015
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Carleton University (Ottawa, ON)
2009-2014
Ph.D. in Biology, Carleton University (Ottawa, ON). Supervised by Steven Cooke (Carleton) and Scott Hinch (University of British Columbia). Awarded by Carleton University with a Senate Medal for Outstanding Academic Achievement.
2014
Ontario Graduate Scholarship holder
2011-2014
NSERC Post-Graduate Scholarship holder
2005-2009
B.Sc. Honours, Environmental & Resource Science, Trent University (Peterborough, ON). Honours thesis supervised by Michael Fox.
48. Clark, TD, GD Raby, DG Roche, SA Binning, B Speers-Roesch, F Jutfelt, J Sundin. 2020. Ocean acidification does not impair behaviour in coral reef fishes. Nature doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1903-y
47. Donaldson, MR, EJ Eliason, MS Poesch, DAR Drake, DC Braun, CT Hasler, VM Nguyen, GD Raby, RJ Lennox, HK Swanson, B Favaro, SD Bower, SJ Cooke. In press. Early career perspectives on the future of freshwater fisheries science, management, and policy in Canada. Freshwater Fisheries in Canada, American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD, pp. 000-000. (book chapter, in press)
46. Lennox, RJ, JW Brownscombe, CK Elvidge, P Harrison, K Peiman, GD Raby, SJ Cooke. Behaviour including fish migration. Chapter 7 in Woo, P, GK Iwama (eds.), Non Infectious Fish Disorders. CABI Publishing Group. pp. 000-000. (book chapter, in press)
45. Raby, GD, TB Johnson, ST Kessel, TJ Stewart, AT Fisk. Pop-off data storage tags reveal niche partitioning between native and non-native predators in a novel ecosystem. Journal of Applied Ecology 00:000-000. (in press)
44. Darcy, AP, GD Raby, TB Johnson, TE Pitcher, AT Fisk. 2019. Effects of intracoelomic transmitter implantation on metabolic rate, swimming performance, growth, and survival in juveniles of two salmonids. Journal of Fish Biology 95:1094-1106.
43. Cooke, SJ, MJ Lawrence, GD Raby, AK Teffer, KM Jeffries, AJ Danylchuk, TD Clark. 2019. Comment on Duman et al. 2019 – Practices for drawing blood samples from Teleost fish. North American Journal of Aquaculture 81:424-426.
42. Hasler, CT, GD Raby, E Chrétien, M Stockwell, SJ Cooke, E Rechisky, DW Welch, NM Sopinka, NE Mandrak. 2019. Reflections on the legends of Canadian fisheries science and management. Fisheries 44:534-538.
41. Sundin, J, M Amcoff, F Mateos-Gonzalez, GD Raby, TD Clark. 2019. Long-term acclimation to near-future ocean acidification has negligible effects on energetic attributes in a juvenile coral reef fish. Oecologia 190:689-702.
40. Brownscombe, JW, EJI Ledee, GD Raby, DP Struthers, LFG Gutowsky, VM Nguyen, N Young, MJW Stokesbury, CM Holbrook, TO Brenden, CS Vandergoot, KJ Murchie, K Whoriskey, J Mills-Flemming, ST Kessel, CC Krueger, SJ Cooke. Conducting and interpreting fish telemetry studies: considerations for researchers and resource managers. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 29:369-400.
39. Cook, KV, SG Hinch, SM Drenner, GD Raby, SJ Cooke. 2019. Dermal injuries caused by a purse seine capture result in lasting physiological disturbances in coho salmon. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 227:75-83.
38. Raby, GD, J Sundin, F Jutfelt, SJ Cooke, TD Clark. 2018. Exposure to elevated carbon dioxide does not impair short-term swimming behaviour or shelter-seeking in a predatory coral reef fish. Journal of Fish Biology 93:138-142.
37. Raby, GD, V Messmer, AJ Tobin, AS Hoey, F Jutfelt, J Sundin, SJ Cooke, TD Clark. 2018. Swim for it: effects of simulated fisheries capture on the post-release behaviour of four Great Barrier Reef fishes. Fisheries Research 206:129-137.
36. Raby, GD, CS Vandergoot, TA Hayden, MD Faust, RT Kraus, JM Dettmers, SJ Cooke, Y Zhao, AT Fisk, CC Krueger. 2018. Does behavioural thermoregulation underlie seasonal movements in Lake Erie walleye? Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 75:488-496.
35. Cook, KV, SG Hinch, SM Drenner, E Halfyard, GD Raby, SJ Cooke. 2018. Population-specific mortality in coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) released from a purse seine fishery. ICES Journal of Marine Science 75:309-318.
34. Jutfelt, F, T Norin, R Ern, J Overgaard, T Wang, DJ McKenzie, S Lefevre, GE Nilsson, NB Metcalfe, AJR Hickey, J Brijs, B Speers-Roesch, DG Roche, AK Gamperl, GD Raby, R Morgan, AJ Esbaugh, A Grans, M Axelsson, A Ekstrom, E Sandblom, SA Binning, JW Hicks, F Seebacher, C Jorgensen, SS Killen, PM Schulte, TD Clark. 2018. Oxygen- and capacity-limited thermal tolerance: blurring ecology and physiology. Journal of Experimental Biology 221:jeb169615.
33. Raby, GD, TB Johnson, ST Kessel, TJ Stewart, AT Fisk. 2017. A field test of the use of pop-off data storage tags in freshwater fishes. Journal of Fish Biology 91:1623-1641.
32. Crossin, GT, M Heupel, CM Holbrook, N Hussey, S Lowerre-Barbieri, VM Nguyen, GD Raby, SJ Cooke. 2017. Acoustic telemetry and fisheries management. Ecological Applications 27:1031-1049.
31. Jutfelt, F, J Sundin, GD Raby, A-S Krang, TD Clark. 2017. Two-current choice flumes for testing avoidance and preference in aquatic animals. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 8:379-390.
30. Sundin, J, M Amcoff, F Mateos-Gonzalez, GD Raby, F Jutfelt, TD Clark. 2017. Long-term exposure to elevated carbon dioxide does not alter activity levels of a coral reef fish in response to predator chemical cues. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 71:108.
29. Louison, MJ, CT Hasler, GD Raby, CD Suski, JA Stein. 2017. Chill out: physiological responses to winter ice-angling in two temperate freshwater fishes. Conservation Physiology 5:027.
28. Patterson, DA, KA Robinson, GD Raby, AL Bass, R Houtman, SG Hinch, SJ Cooke. 2017. Guidance to derive and update fishing-related incidental mortality rates for Pacific salmon. DFO Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Research Document 2017/011. vii + 56 p.
27. Patterson, DA, KA Robinson, RJ Lennox, TL Nettles, LA Donaldson, EJ Eliason, GD Raby, JM Chapman, KV Cook, MR Donaldson, AL Bass, SM Drenner, AJ Reid, SJ Cooke, SG Hinch. 2017. Review and evaluation of fishing-related incidental mortality for Pacific salmon. DFO Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Research Document 2017/010. ix + 155 p.
26. Clark, TD, SA Binning, GD Raby, B Speers-Roesch, J Sundin, F Jutfelt, DG Roche. 2016. Scientific misconduct: the elephant in the lab. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 31:899-900.
25. Cooke, SJ, JW Brownscombe, GD Raby, F Broell, SG Hinch, TD Clark, and JM Semmens. 2016. Remote bioenergetics measurements in wild fish: opportunities and challenges. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A 202:23-37.
24. Sopinka, NM, SG Hinch, SJ Healy, GD Raby, DA Patterson. 2016. Effects of experimentally-elevated egg cortisol on offspring traits in two species of Pacific salmon. Environmental Biology of Fishes 99:717-728.
23. Raby, GD, MT Casselman, SJ Cooke, SG Hinch, AP Farrell, and TD Clark. 2016. Aerobic scope increases throughout an ecologically relevant temperature range in coho salmon. Journal of Experimental Biology 219:1922-1931.
22. Raby, GD, SG Hinch, DA Patterson, JA Hills, LA Thompson, SJ Cooke. 2015. Mechanisms to explain purse seine bycatch mortality of coho salmon. Ecological Applications 25:1757-1775.
21. Raby, GD, MR Donaldson, SG Hinch, TD Clark, EJ Eliason, KM Jeffries, KV Cook, A Teffer, AL Bass, KM Miller, DA Patterson, AP Farrell, and SJ Cooke. 2015. Fishing for effective conservation: context and biotic variation are keys to understanding the survival of Pacific salmon after catch-and-release. Integrative and Comparative Biology 55:554-576.
20. Raby, GD, SM Wilson, DA Patterson, SG Hinch, TD Clark, AP Farrell, and SJ Cooke. 2015. A physiological comparison of three techniques for reviving sockeye salmon exposed to a severe capture stressor during upriver migration. Conservation Physiology 3:015.
19. Robinson, KA, SG Hinch, GD Raby, MR Donaldson, D Robichaud, DA Patterson, and SJ Cooke. 2015. Influence of post-capture ventilation assistance on migration success of adult sockeye salmon following capture and release. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 144:693-704.
18. Raby, GD, TD Clark, AP Farrell, DA Patterson, NN Bett, SM Wilson, WG Willmore, CD Suski, SG Hinch, and SJ Cooke. 2015. Facing the river gauntlet: understanding the effects of fisheries capture and water temperature on the physiology of coho salmon. PLOS ONE 10:e0124023.
17. Raby, GD, MR Donaldson, VM Nguyen, MK Taylor, NM Sopinka, KV Cook, DA Patterson, D Robichaud, SG Hinch, SJ Cooke. 2014. Bycatch mortality of endangered coho salmon: impacts, solutions, and aboriginal perspectives. Ecological Applications 24:1803-1819.
16. Raby, GD, JR Packer, AJ Danylchuk, SJ Cooke. 2014. The underappreciated and understudied role of predators in the mortality of fish released from fishing gears. Fish and Fisheries 15:489-505.
15. Wilson, SM, GD Raby, NJ Burnett, SG Hinch, SJ Cooke. 2014. Looking beyond the mortality of bycatch: sublethal effects of incidental capture on marine animals. Biological Conservation 171:61-72.
14. Nguyen, VM, EG Martins, D Robichaud, GD Raby, MR Donaldson, AG Lotto, WG Willmore, DA Patterson, AP Farrell, SG Hinch, SJ Cooke. 2014. Disentangling the roles of air exposure, gillnet injury, and facilitated recovery on the post-capture and release mortality and behavior of adult migratory sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in freshwater. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 87:125-135.
13. Cooke, SJ, NWR Lapointe, EG Martins, JD Thiem, GD Raby, MK Taylor, TD Beard Jr., IG Cowx. 2013. Failure to engage the public in issues relating to inland fishes and fisheries: strategies for building public and political will to promote meaningful conservation. Journal of Fish Biology 83:997-1018.
12. Raby, GD, SJ Cooke, KV Cook, SH McConnachie, MR Donaldson, SG Hinch, CK Whitney, SM Drenner, DA Patterson, TD Clark, AP Farrell. 2013. Resilience of pink salmon and chum salmon to simulated capture stress incurred upon arrival at spawning grounds. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 142:524-539
11. Donaldson, MR, GD Raby, VM Nguyen, SG Hinch, DA Patterson, AP Farrell, M Rudd, LA Thompson, CM O’Connor, AH Colotelo, SH McConnachie, KV Cook, D Robichaud, KK English, SJ Cooke. 2013. Evaluation of a simple technique for recovering Pacific salmon from capture stress: integrating comparative physiology, biotelemetry, and social science to solve a conservation problem. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 70:90-100.
10. Cooke, SJ, MR Donaldson, CM O’Connor, GD Raby, R Arlinghaus, AJ Danylchuk, KC Hanson, SG Hinch, TD Clark, DA Patterson, CD Suski. 2013. The physiological consequences of catch-and-release angling: perspectives on experimental design, interpretation, extrapolation, and relevance to stakeholders. Fisheries Management and Ecology 20:268-287.
9. Colotelo, AC, GD Raby, CT Hasler, TJ Haxton, KE Smokorowski, G Blouin-Demers, SJ Cooke. 2013. Northern pike bycatch in an inland commercial hoop net fishery: effects of water temperature and net tending frequency on injury, physiology, and survival. Fisheries Research 137:41-49
8. Nguyen, VM, GD Raby, SG Hinch, SJ Cooke. 2012. Aboriginal fisher perspectives on use of telemetry technology to study adult Pacific salmon. Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems 406:08.
7. Donaldson, MR, SG Hinch, GD Raby, DA Patterson, AP Farrell, SJ Cooke. 2012. Population-specific consequences of fisheries-related stressors on adult sockeye salmon. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 85:729-739.
6. Cooke, SJ, SG Hinch, MR Donaldson, TD Clark, EJ Eliason, GT Crossin, GD Raby, KM Jeffries, M Lapointe, K Miller, DA Patterson, AP Farrell. 2012. Conservation physiology in practice: How physiological knowledge has improved our ability to sustainably manage Pacific salmon during up-river migration. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 367:1757-1769 (invited contribution).
5. Nagrodski, A, GD Raby, CT Hasler, MK Taylor, SJ Cooke. 2012. Fish stranding in freshwater systems: sources, consequences, and mitigation. Journal of Environmental Management 103:133-141.
4. Raby, GD, MR Donaldson, SG Hinch, DA Patterson, AG Lotto, D Robichaud, KK English, WG Willmore, AP Farrell, MW Davis, SJ Cooke. 2012. Validation of reflex indicators for measuring vitality and predicting the delayed mortality of wild coho salmon bycatch released from fishing gears. Journal of Applied Ecology 49:90-98.
3. Donaldson, MR, SG Hinch, DA Patterson, J Hills, JO Thomas, SJ Cooke, GD Raby, LA Thompson, D Robichaud, KK English, AP Farrell. 2011. The consequences of angling and beach seine capture on the physiology, post-release behaviour and survival of adult sockeye salmon during upriver migration. Fisheries Research 108:133-141.
2. Raby, GD, AH Colotelo, G Blouin-Demers, SJ Cooke. 2011. Freshwater commercial bycatch: an understated conservation problem. Bioscience 61:271-280.
1. Raby, GD, LFG Gutowsky, MG Fox. 2010. Diet composition and consumption rate in round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) in its expansion phase in the Trent River, Ontario. Environmental Biology of Fishes 89:143-150.