Stephanie Hall (BSc (Agriculture)’14) began  her university career at Mount Saint Vincent University, and later transferred to Dalhousie to pursue the pre-veterinary program. However, what she found at the Faculty of Agriculture was an entirely unexpected passion and field of study that would bring her research to global audiences.

Hall pursued a double major in animal science and aquaculture, as she realized her true calling was to help improve the health of the world’s oceans. At Dal’s agricultural campus, she was able to get hands-on experience in aquaculture and perform innovative research. This research project proved to be much more than a theoretical senior project: Hall helped identify an invasive species that was threatening oyster populations in Nova Scotia.

By extracting the species’ DNA, Hall was able to determine that the calcareous tubeworm was Hydroides dianthus, a species not commonly found as far north as Nova Scotia. After identifying the species, Hall developed a methodology to test for its presence in oyster habitats.

According to her supervisor Dr. Sarah Stewart-Clark, Hall’s findings have not only helped the aquaculture industry in Nova Scotia, but also those across the globe, with her research having been used in the United States, Russia, and New Zealand.

As a current Dal master’s student, Hall continues to conduct aquaculture research with real-world applications.

Read more in “This is Agriculture: Creating healthier oceans around the world” on trurodaily.com.