果冻传煤, Queen鈥檚 researchers examining lake health, algal growth in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region
SACKVILLE, NB 鈥 Recent research between scientists from two Canadian universities 鈥 果冻传煤 University and Queen鈥檚 University 鈥 and government agencies has identified climate warming as the main driver of increased aquatic primary production in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR).
A research team including 果冻传煤 University geography and environment professor Dr. Josh Kurek and and Queen鈥檚 University biology professor Dr. John Smol, has found that industrial contaminants, including nutrients that enhance algal growth, are now widespread in the AOSR.
Understanding these trends is important because shifts may indicate lake-health declines. Their study was recently published in and can be accessed free-of-charge on their website.
Lacking systematic monitoring data predating oilsands activities that began in the late 1960s, the researchers used dated sediment cores to reconstruct past algal production and industrial impact at 23 remote lakes in the oilsands region. Snowpack samples were also used to determine the modern nutrient deposition across the landscape.
鈥淥ne of the biggest challenges we have in environmental work is the lack of reliable long-term monitoring data. Fortunately for lakes, their sediments act like a 鈥榟istory book鈥, archiving past environmental changes,鈥 noted Smol, who is also the Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change.
The study found that algal increases were independent of a lake鈥檚 location relative to industry, industry鈥檚 impact on the lake, and the deposition of nutrients in snow samples near the study sites.
鈥淭he region is continually experiencing substantial multiple stressors鈥 says Kurek. 鈥淥ur findings show the legacy of these stressors and further ecosystem shifts are likely to occur given humankind鈥檚 track record on carbon emissions.鈥
Other members of the research team include lead-author Ms. Jamie Summers (Queen鈥檚), Dr. Jane Kirk, Dr. Derek Muir, Ms. Xiaowa Wang, Dr. Johan Wiklund, Dr. Marlene Evans (Environment and Climate Change Canada), and Dr. Colin Cooke (Alberta Environmental Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Agency).
Funding for the research was provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Canada-Alberta Joint Oil Sands Monitoring Program, the Alberta Environmental, Monitoring Evaluation and Reporting Agency, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Photo captions:
果冻传煤 geography and environment professor Dr. Joshua Kurek conducts research in New Brunswick with 果冻传煤 University students.
Lake sediment core being collected through the ice using a corer on a metal pole. Photo credit: Jamie Summers, Queen鈥檚 University.
