Team
Scientific director
David Didier, Ph.D.
Professor in geography, Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Geography
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Contact: david_didier@uqar.ca
David Didier is a professor in geography at UQAR, specializing in coastal geomorphology. His work focuses on the impact of waves and water levels on Arctic coasts.
Research agents and auxiliairies
Jérémy Baudry, M.Sc.
Research agent
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Jeremy has a master's degree in physical oceanography. He is interested in modeling waves and hydrodynamic processes in coastal environments. In particular, he is involved in the development of a wave and coastal water level forecasting system in Grise Fiord (Ausuittuq) in order to reduce the risk of hazards during storms. His work focuses in particular on the processes affecting wave propagation in shallow waters as well as wave-ice interactions in the marginal zone. He has also participated in several studies aimed at characterizing the impact of waves generated by ships in confined environments, particularly in Cambridge Bay and the St. Lawrence River.
Antoine Boisson, Ph.D.
Research agent
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Antoine has been studying the coastal environments of Nunavik for about 10 years, focusing on research areas such as the description and characterization of coasts, coastal permafrost dynamics, and the feasibility of creating maritime infrastructures. He has also analyzed maritime vulnerability in the Kuujjuaq estuary and is currently leading an MSP project on coastal dynamics and hazards in five key sites: Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuaraik, Umiujaq, Salluit, Tasiujaq, and Kangiqsualujjuaq. His coastal geomorphology work employs methodologies such as drones, sensors installed in the coastal zone, photographic systems, and conducting interviews with community members.
Vincent Denarié, M.Sc.
Research auxiliary
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Vincent is involved in several research projects in Nunavut and takes part in field campaigns, notably in Grise Fiord (Ausuittuq). He handles the logistics of these missions and coordinates with community members. A second component of his work focuses on modeling wave conditions in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and on wave–ice interactions in the marginal ice zone.
Denys Dubuc
Research agent
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Denys is involved in the project called Atlas of Nunavik Coastal Ecosystem. The aim of this project is to map the coastline and ecosystems north of the 55th parallel using high-resolution satellite imagery. In addition to a fine-scale segmentation, the project aims to delineate and characterize coastal ecosystems using remote sensing tools such as semi-automated analysis and artificial intelligence.
Gaël Fiala-Valada
Research agent
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Gaël contributes to the Atlas du littoral du Nord-du-Québec project, which focuses on nearly 13,000km of coastline extending from James Bay to Nunavik. His primary responsibilities include digitizing the coastline and conducting morphosedimentary characterization. He also participates in field campaigns, contributing to data collection and the installation of scientific equipment.
Samuel Gagnon, Ph.D.
Research agent
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Samuel collaborates on the Kugluktuk and Grise Fiord projects and is in charge of the coastal characterization in Cambridge Bay to describe and understand the evolution of the coastline over the last 70 years. Samuel is also studying the development of gullies in Cambridge Bay to understand the mechanism of gully formation and their interactions with sediment transport and coastal erosion. His work in periglacial geomorphology uses drone remote sensing, digital mapping, sedimentology and cryostratigraphy.
Sidik Klaa, M.Sc.
Master's student in computer science
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Sidik Klaa is working on the Atlas of Nunavik Coastal Ecosystems project, where his main task involves the surface classification of coastal ecosystems using Sentinel-2 satellite images. To accomplish this, Sidik employs deep learning techniques, particularly Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), to analyze and classify the various ecological zones of Nunavik. The objective of his research is to provide precise and automated mapping of coastal ecosystems, thereby facilitating the management and preservation of these sensitive environments.
Faten Zouaghi, M.Sc.
Research agent
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Faten studies the geomorphological processes affecting the Arctic coasts, particularly erosion caused by permafrost thaw and rising sea levels, creating risks of submersion. She focuses on the impacts of climate change, such as the reduction of sea ice and changes in meteorological conditions, which disrupt local ecosystems. Using advanced technologies like remote sensing and numerical modeling, she collects and analyzes data to improve coastal resource management and raise public awareness of environmental issues.
Ph.D. Students and Postdoctoral fellows
Clémentine Fanton, M.Sc.
Ph.D. Candidate in geography
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Clémentine is currently a PhD student between France and Quebec, working on the influence of North Atlantic storms on the western coastlines of Iceland. Her research focuses on shoreline morphogenic dynamics induced by extreme waves and high water levels. To this end, she conducts annual spring field campaigns in Iceland, using drone flights, sedimentology and DGPS monitoring to carry out topo-morphological analyses of beaches. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the diversity of morphological and sedimentological conditions in the face of extreme hydrodynamic forcing in this sub-Arctic region, based on in situ observations.
Ana Heras Duran, M.Sc.
Ph.D. Candidate in oceanography
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Ana is a Ph.D. student in physical oceanography and glaciology, supervised by Prof. Didier (UQAR) and co-supervised by Dr. Romain Millan (Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement, Grenoble) and Prof. Paul G. Myers (University of Alberta). Her research is part of the ASIQ project, a community-based initiative in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago carried out in collaboration with the Inuit community of Ausuittuq (Grise Fiord). Her work focuses on the marine physical dynamics of Jones Sound, the distribution and evolution of Atlantic Water in the region, and its impact on glacier melt. She combines observations (conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) profiles and moorings) with numerical model outputs from the Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean (NEMO) or reanalysis products, and uses remote sensing to characterize glacier retreat and ice velocity on several glaciers in the area, including Belcher Glacier.
Felix Parkinson, M.Sc.
Ph.D. Candidate in oceanography
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Felix studies rock-slope hazards affecting alpine and coastal Arctic cliffs affected by permafrost thaw and hydrometeorological changes. Under the supervision of Francis Gauthier, David Didier, and Jeffrey Crompton, his research aims to understand how climatic, cryogenic, and oceanic forcings influence the deformation of unstable rock masses that precedes slope failure in Grise Fiord, Nunavut and in the Coastal Mountains of British Columbia. His work integrates multiple remote sensing techniques, including ground-based and satellite radar interferometry, drone photogrammetry, rock-slope stability analysis, and in situ meteorological instrumentation.
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Yohan Quénet, M.Sc.
Ph.D. Candidate in oceanography
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Yohan studies the morphodynamic changes of a beach at the Cambridge Bay site in Nunavut. Using measurement instruments, a video camera, and surveys conducted during ice-free periods over the past two years, he aims to identify the processes responsible for the site’s erosion. In addition to the in situ study, he also investigates the decadal variability of the system using satellite data to examine geophysical processes such as shoreline evolution and incident wave conditions. He is pursuing his Ph.D. in oceanography at UQAR under the supervision of David Didier (UQAR), Stéphanie Coulombe (POLAR), and Stéphane Bertin (CNRS).
Sima Teimourianmotlagh, M.Sc.
Ph.D. Candidate in oceanography
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Sima, a PhD student in oceanography, is studying long-term coastal migration patterns in Nunavut under the supervision of David Didier and Simon Bélanger. Her research focuses on spatiotemporal variability, coastal exposure mapping, and the identification of vulnerable hotspots. By analyzing satellite imagery and climate data, she investigates the factors driving coastal changes. Utilizing remote sensing, Sima maps regions with significant coastal migration and develops a framework for coastal adaptation in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Her work aims to produce detailed maps of coastline positions, insights into coastal exposure trends, and assessments of communities most affected by coastal migration.
Zahra Gholami, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral fellow
Université du Québec à Rimouski
With over 12 years of experience in port engineering and academia, including a PhD in Physical Oceanography, expertise focuses on optimizing longshore sediment transport equations using meta-heuristic algorithms. Currently a postdoctoral researcher at UQAR, the work centers on coastal hazards and shoreline morphology in Nunavik, analyzing shoreline dynamics and developing coastal hazard models.
Olorunfemi Omonigbehin, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral fellow
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Femi studies how Arctic coasts respond to waves, sea ice, and permafrost dynamics in a warming climate. His work combines theory, laboratory experiments, and numerical modelling. At UQAR, he leads the TECAGrise project: Hydromorphodynamic Modelling of Cobble Beaches in Canada’s High Arctic: Towards an Efficient Climate Adaptation in Grise Fiord. The project aims to quantify erosion and flooding hazards in Grise Fiord (Ausuittuq) and builds on the community-based NU-COAST monitoring program in partnership with indigenous organizations. and is co-developed with local partners. He is supervised by Professor David Didier and Professor France Floc’h (Université de Bretagne Occidentale, France).
Master's students
Samuel Binette
Master's student in geography
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Samuel has been part of LNAR since 2023. His work is centred in western Nunavut in the Kitikmeot region, mainly in Kugluktuk and Ikaluktutiak. For his MSc project, he is investigating morphodynamic and crysotratigraphic processes in the Coppermine River Delta. Most specifically, he aims to understand the geomorphological evolution at this interface, at a local and regional scale.
Émile Bujold
Master's student in geography
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Émile is investigating tsunamis triggered by landslides and glacial calving near Ausuittuq (Grise Fiord), Nunavut. Under the supervision of David Didier, his research aims to understand how these extreme events interact with the coastal geomorphology of Ellesmere Island and evaluate the associated risks for nearby communities. His study employs advanced methodologies, including drone-based photogrammetry, wave dynamics analysis using pressure sensors and buoys, as well as the analysis of satellite imagery and historical aerial photographs.
Nicolas Canham
Master's student in water sciences
Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS)
Nicolas aims to validate the ArcDelRCM model in the Canadian context using hydrodynamic data collected in the field in Kugluktuk, Nunavut, allowing for the prediction of coastal changes in the Coppermine Delta. Under the direction of Jacob Stolle, his validation of ArcDelRCM will improve the predictions of coastal erosion rates and distributions in the Canadian Arctic with greater accuracy than previously possible. He is testing a new model that has simpler field data needs than current hydrodynamic models.
Charles Jourdain Bonneau
Master's student in geography
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Charles is studying coastal hazards affecting the shores of the Ausuittuq community, Grise Fiord, Nunavut. Under the supervision of David Didier and co-supervision of Guillaume Marie, he is analyzing hydrodynamic parameters responsible for coastal flooding and erosion. His main goal is to develop an empirical equation for total water levels to estimate the recurrence of storms impacting the community.
Béatrice Noël
Master's student in geography
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Béatrice is interested in the morphodynamics of coastal environments in the Canadian high Arctic. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree on the evolution of a paraglacial system at the margin of Jakeman Glacier (Sirmialuk) in Nunavut, under the supervision of David Didier and in collaboration with the members of the community of Ausuittuq (Grise Fiord). Her work primarily aims to better understand the effects of glacial retreat and hydrodynamics on the evolution of these coastlines. She has participated in various research projects in Nunavik and Nunavut as part of LNAR.
Béatrice Roberge
Master's student in geography
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Béatrice studies the morphodynamic evolution of the Naqsaq delta spits in Grise Fiord (Ausuittuq), Nunavut. Under the supervision of David Didier, she seeks to understand how the littoral spits and the alluvial floodplain have evolved since 1952 in response to storms and waves. Her work in Arctic coastal geomorphology combines drone photogrammetry, multibeam bathymetry, historical aerial imagery and oceanographic monitoring.
Master's students
Charlotte Stancu
Master's student in geography
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Charlotte is studying the factors influencing the generation of submarine landslides in a high-arctic fjord (Grise Fiord, Nunavut), under the supervision of David Didier, Alexandre Normandeau and Jordan Eamer. In addition, she is working with Audrey Limoges on a paleoceanographic analysis to better understand historical variations in the marine environment, including the presence of sea ice and its possible influence on submarine landslide triggers.
Past students
Alice Hugh, 2024
Past and Present Evolution of a High Arctic delta
Master of Resource Management: Coastal and Marine Management
University Centre of the Westfjords
Lara Kumm, 2024
Coastal Classification of Jones Sound in the Canadian High Arctic
Master of Resource Management: Coastal and Marine Management
University Centre of the Westfjords
Julie Major, 2024
Caractérisation et analyse de l’évolution spatio-temporelle du littoral de Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik à Umiujaq (Nunavik)
Maîtrise en géographie
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Faten Zouaghi, 2024
Analyse de l’impact morphologique engendré par des structures de protection côtière dans des marais au Bas-Saint-Laurent et au Nunavik
Maîtrise en géographie
Université du Québec à Rimouski