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Patrice Couture

Areas of expertise

Ecotoxicology , Biogeochemistry and trace metals in aquatic ecosystems

  • Full Professor

Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre

490 de la Couronne Street
Québec City, Quebec  G1K 9A9
CANADA

See the research centre

Research interests

Professor Couture and his team work on the effects of metals and other stressors (anthropogenic or natural) on the physiological condition of aquatic organisms, particularly freshwater fish. Much of their recent research has focused on perch (Perca flavescens) in the regions of Sudbury, Ontario, and Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, two areas with significant mining and metallurgical activities. These study areas are unique natural laboratories for research on metals such as copper, cadmium, zinc, and nickel that are potentially harmful for the environment. Their studies, whether they are on perch, eel, or fathead minnow, use a variety of biochemical, physiological, and genomic tools to examine the toxicity mechanisms of contaminants affecting fish health.

Publications

Bérubé, Roxanne, Garnier, Camille, Lefebvre-Raine, Molly, Gauthier, Charles, Bergeron, Normand É., Triffault-Bouchet, Gaëlle, Langlois, Valérie S. & Couture, Patrice (2023). Early developmental toxicity of Atlantic salmon exposed to conventional and unconventional oils. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 250: Art. 114487.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114487

Indiketi, Nishodi, Lhoste, Élise, Grenon, Marie-Claire, Gagnon, Mathieu, Veilleux, Éloïse, Triffault-Bouchet, Gaëlle & Couture, Patrice (2023). Toxicity and risk management of oil-spiked sediments by diluted bitumen for two freshwater benthic invertebrates. Environmental Pollution, 327: Art. 121497.
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121497

Suominen, Emily, Speers-Roesch, Ben, Fadhlaoui, Mariem, Couture, Patrice, Blewett, Tamzin A. & Crémazy, Anne (2023). The effects of winter cold acclimation on acute and chronic cadmium bioaccumulation and toxicity in the banded killifish (Fundulus diaphanus). Aquatic Toxicology, 262: Art. 106667.
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2023.106667

Indiketi, Nishodi, Grenon, Marie-Claire, Groleau, Paule-Émilie, Veilleux, Éloïse, Triffault-Bouchet, Gaëlle & Couture, Patrice (2022). The effects of dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons on benthic organisms: Chironomids and amphipods. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 237: Art. 113554.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113554

Bérubé, Roxanne, Lefebvre-Raine, Molly, Gauthier, Charles, Bourdin, Thibault, Bellot, Pauline, Triffault-Bouchet, Gaëlle, Langlois, Valérie S. & Couture, Patrice (2021). Comparative toxicity of conventional and unconventional oils during rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) embryonic development: From molecular to health consequences. Chemosphere, 288 (Part 2): Art. 132521.
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132521

Bérubé, Roxanne, Gauthier, Charles, Bourdin, Thibault, Bouffard, Marilou, Triffault-Bouchet, Gaëlle, Langlois, Valérie S. & Couture, Patrice (2021). Lethal and sublethal effects of diluted bitumen and conventional oil on fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) larvae exposed during their early development. Aquatic Toxicology, 237: Art. 105884.
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.105884

Cledón, Maximiliano, Tremblay, Louis A., Griffiths, Charles, Fadhlaoui, Mariem, Champeau, Olivier, Albentosa, Mariana, Besada, Victoria, Fernandez, Victor H., McKindsey, Christopher W., Bendell, Leah I., Zhang, Bin, Garcia-Esquivel, Zaul, Curiel, Sergio, Brar, Satinder Kaur, Kumar, Pratik, Laroche, Olivier & Couture, Patrice (2021). Trace metal residues in marine mussels: A global survey. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 40 (12): 3434-3440.
DOI: 10.1002/etc.5228

Defo, Michel A., Mercier, Laurie, Beauvais, Conrad, Brua, Robert B., Tetreault, Gerald, Fontaine, Anthony, Couture, Patrice, Verreault, Jonathan & Houde, Magali (2021). Time-dependent biological responses of juvenile yellow perch (Perca flavescens) exposed in situ to a major urban effluent. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 222: Art. 112486.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112483

Lara-Jacobo, Linda Ramona, Gauthier, Charles, Xin, Qin, Dupont, Félix, Couture, Patrice, Triffault-Bouchet, Gaëlle, Dettman, Heather & Langlois, Valérie S. (2021). Fate and fathead minnow embryotoxicity of weathering crude oil in a pilot-scale spill tank. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 40 (1): 127-138.
DOI: 10.1002/etc.4891

Ryskie, Sébastien, Neculita, Carmen Mihaela, Rosa, Éric, Coudert, Lucie & Couture, Patrice (2021). Active treatment of contaminants of emerging concern in cold mine water using advanced oxidation and membrane-related processes: A review. Minerals, 11 (3): Art. 259.
DOI: 10.3390/min11030259

Schiano Di Lombo, Magali, Weeks-Santos, Shannon, Clérandeau, Christelle, Triffault-Bouchet, Gaëlle, Langlois, Valérie S., Couture, Patrice & Cachot, Jérôme (2021). Comparative developmental toxicity of conventional oils and diluted bitumen on early life stages of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Aquatic Toxicology, 239: Art. 105937.
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.105937

Martyniuk, Mackenzie Anne Clifford; Couture, Patrice; Tran, Lilian; Beaupré, Laurie & Power, Michael (2020). Seasonal variation of total mercury and condition indices of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in Northern Québec, Canada. Sci. Total Environ., 738: Art. 139450.
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139450

Martyniuk, Mackenzie Anne Clifford; Couture, Patrice; Tran, Lilian; Beaupré, Laurie; Urien, Nastassia & Power, Michael (2020). A seasonal comparison of trace metal concentrations in the tissues of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in Northern Québec, CanadaEcotoxicology, ONLINE.
DOI: 10.1007/s10646-020-02248-7

Urien, Nastassia; Caron, Antoine; Lerquet, Marc; Couture, Patrice & Campbell, Peter G. C. (2020). Optimization of a subcellular metal fractionation method for fish liver: Homogenization, subcellular separation, and trial isolation of nuclear materialsLimnol. Oceanogr. Methods, ONLINE.
DOI: 10.1002/lom3.10371

Bertucci, Anthony; Pierron, Fabien; Ye, Tao; Gonzalez, Patrice; Couture, Patrice & Baudrimont, Magalie (2019). Identification and expression of microRNAs in european eels Anguilla anguilla from two natural sites with different pollution levelsEnviron. Pollut., 250: 274-283.
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.04.029

Pierron, Fabien; Daffe, Guillemine; Lambert, Patrick; Couture, Patrice & Baudrimont, Magalie (2019). Retrotransposon methylation and activity in wild fish (A. anguilla): A matter of sizeEnviron. Pollut., 245: 494-503.
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.11.014

Slaveykova VI, Couture P, Duquesne S, D’Hugues P & Sánchez W (2019). Recycling, reuse, and circular economy: a challenge for ecotoxicological researchEnviron. Sci. Pollut. Res., 26 (21): 22097-22100.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04626-z

Caron, Antoine; Rosabal-Rodriguez, Maikel; Drevet, Ophelie; Couture, Patrice & Campbell, Peter G. C. (2018). Binding of trace elements (Ag, Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, and Tl) to cytosolic biomolecules in livers of juvenile yellow perch (Perca flavescens) collected from lakes representing metal contamination gradientsEnviron. Toxicol. Chem., 37 (2): 576-586.
DOI: 10.1002/etc.3998

Defo, Michel A.; Bernatchez, Louis; Campbell, Peter G. C. & Couture, Patrice (2018). Temporal variations in kidney metal concentrations and their implications for retinoid metabolism and oxidative stress response in wild yellow perch (Perca flavescens)Aquat. Toxicol., 202: 26-35.
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2018.06.007

Fadhlaoui, Mariem; Pierron, Fabien & Couture, Patrice (2018). Temperature and metal exposure affect membrane fatty acid composition and transcription of desaturases and elongases in fathead minnow muscle and brainEcotox. Environ. Safe., 148: 632-643.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.10.040

Patey, Géraldine; Couillard, Catherine M.; Drouineau, Hilaire; Verreault, Guy; Pierron, Fabien; Lambert, Patrick; Baudrimont, Magalie & Couture, Patrice (2018). Early back-calculated size-at-age of Atlantic yellow eels sampled along ecological gradients in the Gironde and St. Lawrence hydrographical systemsCan. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. / J. Can. Sci. Halieut. Aquat., 75 (8): 1270-1279.
DOI: 10.1139/cjfas-2017-0025

Urien, Nastassia; Cooper, Sophie; Caron, Antoine; Sonnenberg, Helga; Rozon-Ramilo, Lisa; Campbell, Peter G. C. & Couture, Patrice (2018). Subcellular partitioning of metals and metalloids (As, Cd, Cu, Se and Zn) in liver and gonads of wild white suckers (Catostomus commersonii) collected downstream from a mining operationAquat. Toxicol., 202: 105-116.
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2018.07.001

Urien, Nastassia; Jacob, Sabrina; Couture, Patrice & Campbell, Peter G. C. (2018). Cytosolic distribution of metals (Cd, Cu) and metalloids (As, Se) in livers and gonads of field-collected fish exposed to an environmental contamination gradient: An SEC-ICP-MS analysisEnvironments, 5 (9): Art. 102.
DOI: 10.3390/environments5090102

Lacaze, Émilie; Gauthier, Charles; André, C.; Couture, Patrice; Desrosiers, Mélanie; Cloutier, F. & Gagné, François (2017). Municipal effluent exposures in fathead minnows during partial life cycle: Endocrine disruptive effects and impact on reproduction. Curr. Topics Toxicol., 13: 31-45.

Lacaze, Émilie; Gauthier, Charles; Couture, Patrice; André, C.; Cloutier, F. & Gagné, François (2017). The effects of municipal effluents on oxidative stress, immunocompetence and DNA integrity in fathead minnow juveniles. Curr. Topics Toxicol., 13: 69-80.

Patey, Géraldine; Couillard, Catherine M.; Perron, Fabien; Beaudrimont, Magalie & Couture, Patrice (2017). Biotransformation, antioxidant and histopathological biomarker responses to contaminants in European and American yellow eels from the Gironde and St. Lawrence estuariesChemosphere, 188: 292-303.
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.08.139

Baillon, Lucie; Pierron, Fabien; Oses, Jennifer.; Pannetier, Pauline; Normandeau, Eric; Couture, Patrice; Labadie, Pierre; Budzinski, Hélène; Lambert, Patrick; Bernatchez, Louis & Baudrimont, Magalie (2016). Detecting the exposure to Cd and PCBs by means of a non-invasive transcriptomic approach in laboratory and wild contaminated European eels (Anguilla anguilla)Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., 23 (6): 5431-5441.
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5754-2

Baillon, Lucie; Pierron, Fabien; Pannetier, Pauline; Normandeau, Eric; Couture, Patrice; Labadie, Pierre; Budzinski, Hélène; Lambert, Patrick; Bernatchez, Louis & Baudrimont, Magalie (2016). Gene transcription profiling in wild and laboratory-exposed eels: Effect of captivity and in situ chronic exposure to pollutionSci. Total Environ., 571: 92-102.
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.07.131

Bougas, Bérénice; Normandeau, Eric; Grasset, Julie; Defo, Michel A.; Campbell, Peter G. C.; Couture, Patrice & Bernatchez, Louis (2016). Transcriptional response of yellow perch to changes in ambient metal concentrations – A reciprocal field transplantation experimentAquat. Toxicol., 173: 132-142.
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.12.014

Caron, Antoine; Pannetier, Pauline; Rosabal-Rodriguez, Maikel; Budzinski, Hélène; Lauzent, Mathilde; Labadie, Pierre; Nasri, Bouchra; Pierron, Fabien; Baudrimont, Magalie & Couture, Patrice (2016). Organic and inorganic contamination impacts on metabolic capacities in American and European yellow eelsCan. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. / J. Can. Sci. Halieut. Aquat., 73 (10): 1557-1566.
DOI: 10.1139/cjfas-2015-0473

Couture, P.; Campbell, P. G. C. & Rosabal, M. (2016). Evidence of metal contamination in Lac Dasserat using benthic invertebrates and yellow perch. In: Alpay, S., (Ed.). Multidisciplinary environmental science investigations surrounding the former Aldermac mine, Abitibi, Quebec: The Lac Dasserat study workshop summarized. (Chapitre 2.2): 10-15. Ressources naturelles Canada / Natural Resources Canada.
DOI: 10.4095/297747

Fadhlaoui, Mariem & Couture, Patrice (2016). Combined effects of temperature and metal exposure on the fatty acid composition of cell membranes, antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation in yellow perch (Perca flavescens)Aquat. Toxicol., 180 (Novembre): 45-55.
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2016.09.005

Grasset, Julie; Ollivier, Élodie; Bougas, Bérénice; Yannic, Glenn; Campbell, Peter G. C.; Bernatchez, Louis & Couture, Patrice (2016). Combined effects of temperature changes and metal contamination at different levels of biological organization in yellow perchAquat. Toxicol., 177: 324-332.
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2016.06.008

Laporte, Martin; Pavey, Scott A.; Rougeux, Clément; Pierron, Fabien; Lauzent, Mathilde; Budzinski, Hélène; Labadie, Pierre; Geneste, Emmanuel; Couture, Patrice; Baudrimont, Magalie & Bernatchez, Louis (2016). RAD sequencing reveals within-generation polygenic selection in response to anthropogenic organic and metal contamination in North Atlantic EelsMol. Ecol., 25 (1): 219-237.
DOI: 10.1111/mec.13466

Pannetier, Pauline; Caron, Antoine; Campbell, Peter G. C.; Pierron, Fabien; Baudrimont, Magalie & Couture, Patrice (2016). A comparison of metal concentrations in the tissues of yellow American eel (Anguilla rostrata) and European eel (Anguilla anguilla)Sci. Total Environ., 569-570: 1435-1445.
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.06.232

Baillon, L.; Oses, J.; Pierron, F.; Du Colombier, S. B.; Caron, A.; Normandeau, E.; Lambert, P.; Couture, P.; Labadie, P.; Budzinski, H.; Dufour, S.; Bernatchez, L. & Baudrimont, M. (2015). Gonadal transcriptome analysis of wild contaminated female European eels during artificial gonad maturationChemosphere, 139: 303-309.
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.06.007

Baillon, L.; Pierron, F.; Coudret, R.; Normendeau, E.; Caron, A.; Peluhet, L.; Labadie, P.; Budzinski, H.; Durrieu, G.; Sarraco, J.; Elie, P.; Couture, P.; Baudrimont, M. & Bernatchez, L. (2015). Transcriptome profile analysis reveals specific signatures of pollutants in Atlantic eelsEcotoxicology, 24 (1): 71-84.
DOI: 10.1007/s10646-014-1356-x

Couture, Patrice & Pyle, Greg G., (Eds). (2015) Biology of Perch. pp. 317. CRC Press Book.

Couture, Patrice & Pyle, Greg G. (2015). Introduction to biology of Perch. In: Couture, Patrice & Pyle, Greg G., (Eds). Biology of Perch. pp. 1-6. CRC Press Book.
DOI: 10.1201/b18806-2

Couture, Patrice; Pyle, Greg G.; Campbell, Peter G. C. & Hontela, Alice (2015). Using Perca as biomonitors in ecotoxicological studies. In: Couture, Patrice & Pyle, Greg G., (Eds). Biology of Perch. pp. 271-303. CRC Press Book.
DOI: 10.1201/b18806-11

Defo, M. A.; Bernatchez, L.; Campbell, P. G. C. & Couture, P. (2015). Transcriptional and biochemical markers in transplanted Perca flavescens to characterize cadmium- and copper-induced oxidative stress in the fieldAquat. Toxicol., 162: 39-53.
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.02.014

Rosabal, M.; Pierron, F.; Couture, P.; Baudrimont, M.; Hare, L. & Campbell, P. G. C. (2015). Subcellular partitioning of non-essential trace metals (Ag, As, Cd, Ni, Pb, Tl) in livers of American (Anguilla rostrata) and European (Anguilla anguilla) yellow eelsAquat. Toxicol., 160: 128-141.
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.01.011