Archives: Projects

Lake Superior is one of the largest lakes in the world. While it can often be considered a homogeneous entity, in reality there is tremendous variation in the types of aquatic ecosystems it supports, and yet very little is known about how this variation affects rates of energy flow and the sources of energy among food webs.

It is becoming apparent that activity, movement and habitat use are a major component of fish life histories, but are rarely accounted for when considering life history relationships and tradeoffs generally.

We are using historical data form IISD-ELA on lakes that have undergone disturbance, as well as lakes with gradients of productivity to evaluate correlates and drivers of fish productivity.

At the IISD-ELA, we have initiated SHRRIMP; the Stenotherm Habitat Restoration through RecolonIzation of Mysis Project.

Nanosilver is an emerging contaminant with broad potential for environmental release; it is an antimicrobial that is in many, many consumer products and is easily released into wastewater streams through laundry (it's in clothes, washing machines and detergents).

Recent investigations have demonstrated that invasive species (driessenids, Bythotrephes) can have potentially negative impacts on the growth of percid fishes in Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes.

While Lake Sturgeon are distributed widely through Canada, many populations have been greatly impacted by overharvest and anthropogenic disturbance.

As part of the NSERC Alliance-funded CRADLES project, and building off foundational work by former MSc student Scott Bergson, PhD student Jubayer Alam is investigating downcore patterns of the presence of Lake Trout, Mysis and Wood Frog among lakes in the Sudbury region varying in both their degree of anthropogenic impacts and elevation.

In closely related species, understanding the role of genetic incompatibilities in driving speciation is critical. Often, environmental gradients (i.

Lakemounts appear to be major centres of biological diversity and productivity, but very little is known about the potential driving mechanisms for these (to date, largely anecdotal) observations.