Welcome to the Mandrak Lab website! We are a research lab at the University of Toronto Scarborough focusing on the ecology and conservation of freshwater fishes. To learn more about our research and lab members, please navigate through our pages.

Freshwater fishes are among the most imperiled taxa in the world. Over 30% of freshwater fishes in North America, and over 25% in Canada, are of conservation concern. The primary current stressors related to imperilment are habitat alteration and destruction, and aquatic invasive species. While native species are declining, aquatic invasive species are spreading in North America. These trends are expected to be exacerbated in the future by stressors such as climate change and human population growth. Biotic homogenization – the increasing similarity of communities across the landscape and the globe – is a result of these trends and is an indicator of biodiversity loss. The objective of our research program is to better understand the patterns, processes, and stressors of Canadian freshwater fishes at multiple taxonomic and geographic scales. Such knowledge is essential for the conservation, protection, and recovery of freshwater fish biodiversity in Canada.

The Mandrak Lab is a positive, safe space for everyone. We welcome all ethnic, cultural, gender, religious, and sexual identities and aim to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion. The Mandrak Lab is committed to providing an accessible environment for people of all abilities, ages, and academic backgrounds.

We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, Seneca, and Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.