Our efforts are motivated by general ecological principles and are commonly employed on applied topics. We use many approaches and tools, including field and lab experiments, large-scale observational datasets, to elucidate complex ecological interactions.
CRÉA_CC
Développer des Connaissances sur les Réalités Écosystémiques Aquatiques des Chic-Chocs Developing Knowledge on Aquatic Ecosystem Realities in the Chic-Choc Mountains
The name Chic-Chocs comes from the Mi'gmaq word, sigsôg, meaning “impenetrable barrier” or “rocky mountains”. The Chic-Chocs are a mountain range located on the eastern end of the Notre Dame Mountains, which are part of the Appalachian Mountains. The Chic-Chocs constitute a mosaic of globally, nationally, and regionally significant ecosystems. CRÉA_CC’s vision is to adopt conservation principles to ensure the sustainability and integrity of ecosystems for future generations. All CRÉA_CC’s partners are determined to create a collaborative hub with our Mi'gmaq members (for example, including culturally important lakes) while integrating the development of scientific knowledge to support sustainable management of aquatic resources.
We will first adopt an approach at the nexus of biogeochemistry and community ecology to better describe and understand these unique ecosystems. The hub’s research activities will therefore include an assessment of ice/snow cycling, carbon and nutrient cycling, and an inventory of the biodiversity and abundance of aquatic organisms in the Chic-Chocs (including detection of invasive species). These data would be a first step in facilitating long-term monitoring of phenological observations (indicators of ongoing change and adaptation) and will provide a rare description of the winter ecology of such habitats. Winter conditions are poorly understood factors that may determine summertime characteristics, resulting in cascading effects between seasons and food webs (e.g., phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish).
The name Chic-Chocs comes from the Mi'gmaq word, sigsôg, meaning “impenetrable barrier” or “rocky mountains”. The Chic-Chocs are a mountain range located on the eastern end of the Notre Dame Mountains, which are part of the Appalachian Mountains. The Chic-Chocs constitute a mosaic of globally, nationally, and regionally significant ecosystems. CRÉA_CC’s vision is to adopt conservation principles to ensure the sustainability and integrity of ecosystems for future generations. All CRÉA_CC’s partners are determined to create a collaborative hub with our Mi'gmaq members (for example, including culturally important lakes) while integrating the development of scientific knowledge to support sustainable management of aquatic resources.
We will first adopt an approach at the nexus of biogeochemistry and community ecology to better describe and understand these unique ecosystems. The hub’s research activities will therefore include an assessment of ice/snow cycling, carbon and nutrient cycling, and an inventory of the biodiversity and abundance of aquatic organisms in the Chic-Chocs (including detection of invasive species). These data would be a first step in facilitating long-term monitoring of phenological observations (indicators of ongoing change and adaptation) and will provide a rare description of the winter ecology of such habitats. Winter conditions are poorly understood factors that may determine summertime characteristics, resulting in cascading effects between seasons and food webs (e.g., phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish).
FISHES
Fostering Indigenous Small-scale fisheries for Health, Economy, and food Security
FISHES aims to integrate Genomics and Fisheries Science with Indigenous Knowledge to address critical socio-economic challenges and opportunities related to food security and commercial, recreational and subsistence fisheries. This project is funded through the competitive grant from Genome Canada (Large-Scale Applied Research Project Competition: Genomic Solutions for Agriculture, Agri-Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture).
FISHES is built around five integrated research activities:
1- Development of genomic resources for genotyping
2- Document population structure and local adaptation
3- Genomics bio-monitoring for maintaining fish food security in strategic northern regions
4- Assessing genomic signals of selection to predict fish stock vulnerability to climate change
5- Combining genomics, bio-monitoring and IK for inclusive fisheries co-management, and to enhance food security and socio-economic development in northern Indigenous community settings.
FISHES aims to integrate Genomics and Fisheries Science with Indigenous Knowledge to address critical socio-economic challenges and opportunities related to food security and commercial, recreational and subsistence fisheries. This project is funded through the competitive grant from Genome Canada (Large-Scale Applied Research Project Competition: Genomic Solutions for Agriculture, Agri-Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture).
FISHES is built around five integrated research activities:
1- Development of genomic resources for genotyping
2- Document population structure and local adaptation
3- Genomics bio-monitoring for maintaining fish food security in strategic northern regions
4- Assessing genomic signals of selection to predict fish stock vulnerability to climate change
5- Combining genomics, bio-monitoring and IK for inclusive fisheries co-management, and to enhance food security and socio-economic development in northern Indigenous community settings.
Great Bear Lake (NWT, Canada)
Long-term Monitoring Program (2000-present)
Along with Dr. Kimberly Howland, we have been conducting research on lake trout, lake whitefish, and cisco in Great Bear Lake since 2008.
Great Bear Lake is the most northerly lake of its size (i.e., 32 000 km2) and sustains unusually high diversity within species, providing unique opportunities to study intraspecific diversity. However, the extent and mechanisms of diversification within a species in large northern lakes remain unknown. In contrast to other large lakes, the pristine environment of Great Bear Lake should facilitate our investigation of divergence in a natural setting. We examine patterns of divergence in Lake Trout (4 forms), Cisco (2-4 forms), and Lake Whitefish (4 forms) observed in Great Bear Lake to determine if common mechanisms are driving differentiation across species. Understanding variation within and among species within this freshwater system should help identify processes that can modify interactions among species, ultimately affecting species-specific evolutionary trajectories. Multiple forms within a species contributes substantially to the biodiversity in northern systems and has been associated with ecosystem resilience to disturbances (e.g., climate change), highlighting the importance of understanding the foundation of biological diversity.
The project also incorporates the traditional knowledge to deepen the understanding of cumulative impacts caused by the present and foreseeable future fishing and other anthropogenic activities and climate change. Under this project, a workshop was held in 2012 at Déline and traditional knowledge regarding temporal change in fish community, subsistence fisheries, climate change and community approach towards a healthy ecosystem was gathered through interviews and discussions during the workshop under proper partnership with the community. As hypothesized, the pristine GBL ecosystem looks more developed, stable and in better health as compared to few other great lakes of Canada.
Along with Dr. Kimberly Howland, we have been conducting research on lake trout, lake whitefish, and cisco in Great Bear Lake since 2008.
Great Bear Lake is the most northerly lake of its size (i.e., 32 000 km2) and sustains unusually high diversity within species, providing unique opportunities to study intraspecific diversity. However, the extent and mechanisms of diversification within a species in large northern lakes remain unknown. In contrast to other large lakes, the pristine environment of Great Bear Lake should facilitate our investigation of divergence in a natural setting. We examine patterns of divergence in Lake Trout (4 forms), Cisco (2-4 forms), and Lake Whitefish (4 forms) observed in Great Bear Lake to determine if common mechanisms are driving differentiation across species. Understanding variation within and among species within this freshwater system should help identify processes that can modify interactions among species, ultimately affecting species-specific evolutionary trajectories. Multiple forms within a species contributes substantially to the biodiversity in northern systems and has been associated with ecosystem resilience to disturbances (e.g., climate change), highlighting the importance of understanding the foundation of biological diversity.
The project also incorporates the traditional knowledge to deepen the understanding of cumulative impacts caused by the present and foreseeable future fishing and other anthropogenic activities and climate change. Under this project, a workshop was held in 2012 at Déline and traditional knowledge regarding temporal change in fish community, subsistence fisheries, climate change and community approach towards a healthy ecosystem was gathered through interviews and discussions during the workshop under proper partnership with the community. As hypothesized, the pristine GBL ecosystem looks more developed, stable and in better health as compared to few other great lakes of Canada.
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Telemetry - Scottish Salmon
This project aims to identify a range of possible sources of salmon mortality during the long migration of young smolts to their feeding grounds using telemetry. The project focus on the freshwater domain of the smolt migration.
The core aim will be to determine how successfully smolts move down the main stem and into the transitional waters of the estuary and start to identify key factors or suspects that may be influencing the survival of these fish. This will then be used to feed information into policy makers and local fishery organisations to help improve survival of smolts.
The core aim will be to determine how successfully smolts move down the main stem and into the transitional waters of the estuary and start to identify key factors or suspects that may be influencing the survival of these fish. This will then be used to feed information into policy makers and local fishery organisations to help improve survival of smolts.
