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Amanda M. Savoie
Research Scientist, Botany

Contact Information
Email: asavoie@nature.ca
Tel: 613.566.4748
Fax: 613.364.4027
Twitter: @iheartseaweed
Amanda studies the species diversity, biogeography and taxonomy of marine macroalgae in Canada.
Specialties
- Canadian seaweed diversity.
- Red algal systematics: taxonomy, phylogenetics, and evolution.
- The red algal order Ceramiales.
- DNA barcoding and molecular phylogenetics.
Education
- Ph.D., Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, 2017.
- B.Sc. Honours, Environmental Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, 2009.
Nicolas Séguin © Nicolas Séguin
Amanda holding up a specimen of red algae near Saint-Siméon, Quebec.
Profile
Amanda Savoie is a phycologist who studies species diversity, biogeography, and systematics of marine macroalgae (a.k.a. seaweeds) in Canada. The coastline of Canada borders three oceans and is the longest in the world. Although red algae play a critical role in the coastal ecosystem, accurate knowledge on red algal species diversity and biogeography is lacking. There are approximately 500 species of red algae in Canada, but this number is likely underestimated.
Amanda is interested in seaweed diversity in general, but she specializes in using a combination of molecular and traditional techniques to investigate taxonomically difficult species of red algae. She is particularly interested in the families Delesseriaceae and Rhodomelaceae, speciose and taxonomically challenging groups.
Main Research Project
- Marine Macroalgae in Canada.
Professional Services
- Development Committee, Northeast Algal Society.
- Macroalgal identification.
Links
ResearchGate Profile
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amanda_Savoie
ORCID ID
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1701-9106
Northeast Algal Society
https://e-neas.org
Phycological Society of America
https://www.psaalgae.org
Algaebase
https://www.algaebase.org
Canadian Association for Underwater Science
http://caus.ca
Seaweeds Are Superstars—Find Out Why (2 min. 52 sec.)
Publications
Bouchard, A., P.B. Hamilton, A.M. Savoie and J.R. Starr. 2020. Molecular and morphological data reveal hidden diversity in common North American Frustulia species (Amphipleuraceae). Diatom Research 34(4): 205–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/0269249X.2019.1704889
Hamilton, P.B., A.M. Savoie, C.M. Sayre, O. Skibbe, J. Zimmermann and R.D. Bull. 2019. Novel Neidium Pfitzer species from western Canada based upon morphology and plastid DNA sequences. Phytotaxa 419(1): 39–62. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.419.1.3
Savoie, A.M. and G.W. Saunders. 2019. A molecular assessment of species diversity and generic boundaries in the red algal tribes Polysiphonieae and Streblocladieae (Rhodomelaceae, Rhodophyta) in Canada. European Journal of Phycology 54(1): 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/09670262.2018.1483531
Filloramo, G.V., A.M. Savoie, O. Selivanova, M.J. Wynne and G.W. Saunders. 2017. Key Kamchatkan collections provide new taxonomic and distributional insights for reportedly pan-North Pacific species of Rhodymeniophycidae (Rhodophyta). Phycologia 56(3): 296–302. https://doi.org/10.2216/15-145.1
Amanda M. Savoie © Canadian Museum of Nature
Waves crashing onto seaweed covered rocks in Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia.
Savoie, A.M. and G.W. Saunders. 2016. A molecular phylogenetic and DNA barcode assessment of the tribe Pterosiphonieae (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) emphasizing the Northeast Pacific. Botany 94: 917-939. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjb-2016-0083
Savoie, A.M. and G.W. Saunders. 2015. Evidence for the introduction of the Asian red alga Neosiphonia japonica and its introgression with Neosiphonia harveyi (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) in the Northwest Atlantic. Molecular Ecology 24(23): 5927–5937. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.13429
Savoie, A.M. and G.W. Saunders. 2013. First record of the invasive red alga Heterosiphonia japonica (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) in Canada. Bioinvasions Records 2(1): 27–32. https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2013.2.1.04
Amanda M. Savoie © Amanda M. Savoie
A collection of Phycodrys rubens (Rhodophyta) from New Brunswick.
Papers/Abstracts in Conference Proceedings/Books
Savoie, A.M. and G.W. Saunders. 2011. Establishing species limits and phylogenetic relationships for Northwest Atlantic Polysiphonia (Rhodophyta) using an integrated taxonomic approach. Joint Meeting of the Phycological Society of America, International Society of Protistologists & Northwest Algal Symposium, Seattle, Washington, July 12–16, 2011.
Savoie, A.M., M. Barbeau and K. Haralampides. 2009. Effects of density of the amphipod Corophium volutator on sediment properties on a mudflat. Proceedings of the 8th BoFEP Science Workshop. pp. 269–275.