Tillmann Benfey

Professor

PhD

Biology

Bailey Hall 138

Fredericton

benfey@unb.ca
1 506 452 6293



Academic interests

  • Environmental physiology of fishes
  • Fish metabolism and bioenergetics
  • Use of single-sex and sterile populations of fish for aquaculture

Brief biography

I grew up in Montreal and completed my first degree at McGill (BSc Honours) followed by post-graduate studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MSc) and the University of British Columbia (PhD), and then a NATO Science Fellowship in England. I have been at UNB since 1989, where my research program in fish physiology emphasizes the application of scientific knowledge and training to advancing aquaculture.

I have supervised the research of approximately 50 graduate students (mostly at UNB), many of whom have gone on to careers in aquaculture. I am on the editorial advisory boards of the journals Aquaculture and Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria and am a past Associate Editor of the North American Journal of Aquaculture.

I have served twice as President of the Aquaculture Association of Canada and have been a science advisor to the United Nations (WHO and FAO), US government (FDA), and Canadian government (DFO), mostly on issues related to risk assessment/management of genetically modified fish. In addition to my research and teaching commitments at UNB, I am also Director of Animal Care.

Courses taught

  • BIOL 3802. Animal Physiology
  • BIOL 3908. Laboratory Studies in Vertebrate Physiology
  • BIOL 4211. Marine Research Experience (team taught)
  • BIOL 4991. Aquaculture in Canada

Selected research

Sevier, A., R. Smith, T. Benfey, R. Danzmann, N. Bernier & R. Moccia. 2019. Effects of biodensity on the growth, stress physiology, and welfare of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in freshwater. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology 231: 91-103.

Benfey, T.J. & R.H. Devlin. 2018. Ploidy has minimal effect on hypoxia tolerance at high temperature in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 91: 1091-1101. 

Benfey, T.J. 2016. Effectiveness of triploidy as a management tool for reproductive containment of farmed fish: Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) as a case study. Reviews in Aquaculture 8: 264-282. 

Thresher, R.E., K. Hayes, N.J. Bax, J. Teem, T.J. Benfey & F. Gould. 2014. Genetic control of invasive fish: technological options and its role in Integrated Pest Management. Biological Invasions 16: 1201-1216.