Freshwater turtle populations are vulnerable to human impacts because of their life history traits, where even small disturbances can lead to major population declines. To protect these vulnerable species, we need to better understand the risks and benefits of interactions between people and turtle. For this project, we are particularly interested in interactions through water-based recreation (cottaging, boating, fishing, etc.) and provide evidence for best practices and mitigative strategies applied to freshwater recreational activities.

The mountain pine beetle (MPB) has killed more than 20 M hectares of mainly lodgepole pine forests in western Canada over the past two decades. Factors linked to climate change and forest management have led to range expansion of MPB into novel habitats. We aim to use an interdisciplinary approach to develop knowledge, tools and frameworks that can support the mitigation of risk of MPB epidemic and build resiliency.  

GEN-FISH is a team of researchers, professionals, and community-members who are working to determine the location and abundance of Canada’s 200+ freshwater fish species, and measure how they are performing in the face of increasing (mostly human-caused) stressors. The team has proposed several toolkits (Fish Survey Toolkit, Fish Health Toolkit and Decision-Guiding Toolkit using environmental DNA and genomics technology and approaches to provide more affordable and reliable methods for surveying fish. 

As climate change continues to impact ecosystems globally, the Canadian Arctic is experiencing this change at a rate of at least twice as much as the global average. These climate-associated changes impact both the ecosystems and the Inuit communities in this region who depend on this surrounding environment for a variety of reasons including tradition, culture, and subsistence hunting and fishing practices.

Collaboration with local Inuit communities has been key to the success of ECCC coastal surveys. Ecological knowledge of eiders and their marine environment as well as the navigation skills of Inuit hunters have contributed greatly to the design, safety, productivity, and efficiency of the surveys. Moreover, Inuit communities are often interested in participating because of their reliance on seabirds as an important source of food. This is a key reason why local Inuit made up the majority of the survey field crews over the years.