The CEELab at Lakehead University is currently seeking students for two potential upcoming opportunities to begin in 2026.

MSc1: Impacts of water diversion on fish populations The student will conduct field work and evaluate long-term data from Lake 626 to evaluate the impacts of water diversion on the fish community (data collection spanning 2008-2025). The student will implement mark-recapture models to estimate abundance in tagged fish in several populations and assess relative abundance for all components of the fish population in several lakes, with the goal of estimating changes in fish production since diversion. 

PhD: Numeric and life history responses to plastic exposure  We are seeking a student to investigate the overall response to fish populations during the exposure and recovery to microplastics. Work will likely also include optimization of both single beam and/or wide-band hydroacoustic surveys in ELA lakes, as well as the potential to develop quantitative methods utilizing up-looking stationary deployments.

The CEElab is led by Dr. Michael Rennie,  a Research Fellow with the IISD-Experimental Lakes Area (ELA). Lakehead University is located on the shores of Lake Superior and is the only research-intensive Canadian University in Northwestern Ontario).

Interested students should send a CV, including cover letter expressing interest and relevant skills, as well as a copy of recent unofficial transcripts to mrennie@lakeheadu.ca. Please include the relevant position number in the e-mail (e.g. MSc1, MSc3) along with the candidate’s name in the subject line. Review of applications will occur as they are received. While the positions are targeted at domestic students, we encourage all qualified applicants from diverse cultural backgrounds and gender identities, indigenous persons, women and visible minorities to apply.