(2019)
My general research interests lie in addressing how fish, especially elasmobranchs, deal with stressors in their day-to-day lives from a physiological perspective. My current work aims to integrate the fields of fish physiology, ecology and behavioural science to incorporate an understanding of the physiological mechanisms underpinning the role of the stress axis in governing predator-prey interactions in a number of teleost and elasmobranch species. My work will also aim to address some questions concerning basic stress physiological operations in these animals and will hopefully be employed to predict changes in predator-prey interactions in the face of increasing anthropogenic induced stress in fish. I’m also highly interested in any work concerning elasmobranch physiological and ecological dynamics.
Background
2012-2014: M.Sc. in Biology, McMaster University (Hamilton, ON)
Thesis Title (Co-supervised by Chris Wood and Pat Wright): Functional characterization of renal ammonia transport and acid-base regulation in teleost and elasmobranch fishes
2008-2012: B.Sc. Marine and Freshwater Biology, University of Guelph (Guelph, ON)
Honours Thesis Topic (Supervised by James Ballantyne): The interaction between urea and cold temperatures in protein denaturation and possible adaptations by elasmobranch fish
2012-2013: Ontario graduate scholarship holder
Advanced open water PADI certified diver
Amateur marine photographer (http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/profile/322033/#recent)
Research Gate Profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael_Lawrence10
Lab Publications (38)
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Carbajal, A., M.J. Lawrence, K.M. Gilmour, M. Lopez-Bejar and S.J. Cooke. 2023 . Evaluation of the effects of exogenous cortisol manipulation and the glucocorticoid antagonist, RU486, on the exploratory tendency of bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). Fish Physiology and Biochemistry. 49: 1187-1198.
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Lawrence, M.J, T.S. Prystay, M. Dick, E.J. Eliason, C.K. Elvidge, S.G. Hinch, D.A. Patterson, A.G. Lotto and S.J. Cooke. 2023. Metabolic constraints and individual variation shape the trade-off between physiological recovery and antipredator responses in adult sockeye salmon. Journal of Fish Biology. 103:280-291.
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Desforges, J.E., K. Birnie-Gauvin, F. Jutfelt, K.M. Gilmour, E.J. Eliason, T.L. Dressler, D.J. McKenzie, A.E. Bates, M.J. Lawrence, N. Fangue and S.J. Cooke. 2023. The ecological relevance of critical thermal maxima methodology (CTM) for fishes. Journal of Fish Biology. 102:1000-1016
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Zolderdo, A.J., A.E.I. Abrams, M.J. Lawrence, C.H. Reid, C.D. Suski, K.M. Gilmour, and S.J. Cooke. 2023. Freshwater protected areas can preserve high-performance phenotypes in populations of a popular sportfish. Conservation Physiology. 11:coad004.
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Brownscombe, J.W., M.J. Lawrence, D. Deslauriers, R. Filgueira, R.J. Boyd, and S.J. Cooke. 2022. Applied fish bioenergetics. Pages 141-188 in: S.J. Cooke, N.A. Fangue, A.P. Farrell, C.J. Brauner and E.J. Eliason, Eds. Conservation Physiology for the Anthropocene – A Systems Approach. Fish Physiology Series Vol 39A. Academic Press, Cambridge, MA.
