Alexa Arnyek
Researcher-in-Residence
As a wildlife biologist and master's student, Alexa's research focuses on contaminants in birds, from the prairies to the Arctic.
Hailing from the wide-open prairies of Saskatchewan, Alexa earned an undergraduate degree in environmental biology from the University of Saskatchewan. She 'migrated' across the country to Nova Scotia, where she is now pursuing a master's degree at Acadia University under the supervision of Dr. Mark Mallory and Dr. Jennifer Provencher. Her project explores plastic ingestion and plastic-related contaminants in Arctic-nesting geese.Â
Alexa has been fortunate to work with songbirds, shorebirds, waterfowl, and seabirds. She is on board with Adventure Canada to conduct seabird surveys as part of a large-scale monitoring program with Environment and Climate Change Canada. Her broader interests lie in investigating how human disturbance and pollution affect wildlife.Â
Outside of science, Alexa is a lifelong violinist, determined to live the double life of biologist and musician. When she’s not in the field or at rehearsal, she enjoys reading, watching movies (recommendations welcome!), painting, and exploring new cafés.