Title: Assistant Professor
Institution: University of New England
Address: Girard Marine Science Center, School of Marine and Environmental Programs, 11 Hills Beach Rd, Biddeford, Maine 04005
Email: gyoon@une.edu
Phone: (207) 602-2856
Visit Gwangseok’s Research Website
Research Interests: climate change biology, fish biology, fish aquaculture, recirculating aquaculture system, fish nutrition, metabolism, fish behavior, fish
Biographical Sketch:
Dr. Gwangseok Rex Yoon is an assistant professor in the School of Marine and Environmental Programs at the University of New England (UNE), where he leads the Conservation Physiology and Aquaculture (CPA) Laboratory. His research focuses on understanding how environmental and anthropogenic stressors—including temperature, hypoxia, acidification, diet, and emerging contaminants—affect the physiology and behavior of aquatic organisms. By integrating approaches from enzymology, metabolic physiology to behavioral assays, his work contributes to both conservation of threatened species and the advancement of sustainable aquaculture practices.
Dr. Yoon received his BSc in Marine Biology and Aquaculture from Pukyong National University (Busan, South Korea), where he studied on how recirculating aquaculture systems influence metabolism and growth of cultured fish. He then completed MSc and PhD degrees in Biological Sciences at the University of Manitoba (Winnipeg, Canada). His doctoral research centered around the conservation aquaculture research of the federally endangered lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in which he investigated how temperature, dissolved oxygen, diet, and habitat conditions shape energy metabolism, fatty acid utilization, and their influences on overwintering survival. Collaborating with First Nations communities, Manitoba Hydro, and provincial agencies, he aimed to contribute to development of rearing protocols for improving post-release survival and supporting the sustainable repopulation of lake sturgeon.
Following his PhD, Dr. Yoon pursued postdoctoral research at the University of Toronto Scarborough. His postdoctoral projects broadened his expertise to marine species, examining the interactive effects of ocean acidification and heat stress on metabolic physiology and swimming performance of f threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). He also contributed to collaborative projects on invertebrate physiology under climate stressors and gained extensive experience in advanced techniques, including respirometry, biochemical assays, histology, and behavioral assays.
At UNE, Dr. Yoon established the CPA Lab in August 2024. His current research program bridges conservation physiology and aquaculture by investigating how environmental change and pharmaceutical contaminants such as GLP-1 receptor agonists influence energy metabolism, feeding behavior, and growth in both native and invasive aquatic species. His research integrates fundamental physiological principles with applied conservation and resource management, providing insights into species resilience and sustainable aquaculture practice under rapid climate change.
Throughout his career, Dr. Yoon has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, presented at international conferences, and secured competitive funding, including the recent UNE/GMRI Accelerator Fund (2025). He has also been recognized with multiple fellowships and awards, such as the Best Young Professional Member Award from the Association of Korean-Canadian Scientists and Engineers, Graduate fellowships from the University of Manitoba and The Centre for Environmental Research in the Anthropocene (CERA) Postdoctoral Fellowship at University of Toronto. In addition to his research, he is committed to mentoring a number of undergraduate and graduate students, advancing inclusive research training, and contributing to professional societies in fisheries and comparative animal physiology.
Education:
Postdoctoral Training from University of Toronto (Toronto, ON) (2022-2024)
Ph.D. in Biology from University of Manitoba (Winnipeg, MB), granted 2022
MSc in Biology from University of Manitoba (Winnipeg, MB), granted 2017
BSc in Marine Biology and Aquaculture from Pukyong National Unviersity (Busan, Korea), granted in 2012