CRI- Northern Rivers

OVER A DECADE OF EXPERIENCE IN Arctic, sub-Arctic, and boreal aquatic biodiversity research and monitoringCRI’s Northern Rivers Research: Photo: Joseph Culp 1 Working with Environment and 7 Photo: Marilynn KullmanPartnering with local Climate Change Canada, the Photo: Mark Gautreaucommunities and companies Government of the Northwest Hudson Bay Photo: Andrea Listerto generate new knowledge Territories and Parks Canada Photo: Andrea Chuteabout contaminants in fish to evaluate the impacts of Ontario from High Arctic lakes. permafrost thaw slumping.A model that merges fundamental and Beaufort Sea Studying the 8 Working with the Departmentapplied science to address increasing Working with the Ka’a’Gee Tu 1 impacts of oil sands of Fisheries and Oceans Canadapressures to northern regions First Nation, Government of the 2 operations on the Québec to provide guidance for the Northwest Territories and Fisheries Athabasca watershed 11 collection and sampling ofNorthern regions are increasingly experiencing rapid, 2Photo: Andrea Lister and Oceans Canada to determine 7 in northern Alberta. fish for Environmental Effectshuman-induced changes to aquatic ecosystems. These 3 fish health in the Tathlina and Nunavut Monitoring in northern lakes.changes threaten the natural environment and the 4 Kakisa lakes, Northwest Territories.livelihoods and traditions of northern communities Manitoba Collaborating with community membersworldwide. Scientific and community efforts are Advising the Government 7expanding to understand the importance of northern of the Northwest Territories’ 12 9 and Environment and Climate Changewaters and what changes may occur with increasing Photo: Andrea Lister Water Resource Division as itpressures. establishes a biomonitoring Canada to determine if emerald shiner program for large (Notropis atherinoides) or spottail shinerFor more than a decade, CRI Science Directors transboundary rivers. (Notropis hudsonius) would be usefuland their teams have been actively involved in indicator species to investigate point-research and monitoring of northern freshwater Working with local source disturbances on northern rivers.ecosystems. CRI research encompasses various aquatic communities and the Slaveenvironments including rivers, lakes, estuaries and River and Delta Partnership Yukon Territory Northwest Territories 10 Working with Environment and Climate International Collaborationdeltas. CRI is committed to integrated, ecosystem- (SRDP) to implement Change Canada to examine northern for Arctic Research and Monitoringbased monitoring and assessment that is coordinated the Slave Watershed 8 10 rivers to develop models that willand harmonized at the watershed scale. CRI partners Environmental Effects further the understanding of how river Since 2010, the Canadian Rivers Institute has been assistingwork with local communities, government agencies, Program (SWEEP). 34 ecosystems change with current trends in coordinating the international efforts of the Arctic Council’sindustry, and academia to provide new information to 9 in global temperatures. Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) – Freshwater.regulatory agencies, creating effective public policy for Through its partnership with Environment and Climate Changeprotecting aquatic environments and the quality of life Photo: Anna Meissner 6 Labrador Canada (ECCC), CRI has been the Secretariat responsible forin Canada and abroad. coordinating the implementation of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity British Columbia Alberta 12 Monitoring Plan, which provides Arctic countries with a structure and set of guidelines for initiating and developing monitoring activitiesFor more detailed information: Newfoundland that employ common approaches and indicators. Saskatchewan Through the implementation process, the CRI has played a lead role in organizing the collection of monitoring data from thePhoto: US National Park Service Developing an integrated approach PEI circumpolar region and managing the CBMP-freshwater database BruNneswwick to support the development of the first regional and circumpolar 5 with the US National Park Service Studying peatlands to assessments of Arctic freshwater biodiversity. As the Secretariat of the Nova Scotia provide insight into CBMP-freshwater, CRI aims to continue to improve communication and researchers from Simon Fraser the future hydrology of and coordination of Arctic freshwater scientists and further its University to change the perception of 11 fens where increases collaboration with First Nations, Métis, Inuit, government, academia, the evolutionary potential of different in annual runoff are and industry to support management decisions in Canada’s Arctic that sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) anticipated. protect freshwater biodiversity. life history strategies. The Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) is an international 5 network of scientists, governments, Indigenous organizations and conservation groups working to harmonize and integrate efforts to monitor the Arctic’s living Photo: Jelle Faber Working with local communities, Photo: Jess Kidd resources. The CBMP has been endorsed by the Arctic Council and the UN Photo: Noemie Jenni Convention on Biological Diversity and the official Arctic Biodiversity Observation 6 Environment and Climate Network of the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEOBON). CRI is working with CBMP partners across the Arctic to harmonize and Change Canada, Parks Canada enhance long-term freshwater monitoring efforts. and the provincial governments For more information: www.caff.is/freshwater. of Alberta and the Northwest Territories to monitor the Peace- Athabasca Delta.

CRI’S NORTHERN RIVERS RESEARCH: Project Summaries1 2 35689 10 11 121. CRI Science Director Joseph Culp and 2. CRI Science Director Deborah 3. CRI Associate Jennifer Lento is 5. CRI Science Director Scott Pavey 6. Environment and Climate Change 8. CRI Science Director Michelle Gray and 9. From 2013-2015, CRI Science Directors 10. CRI Science Directors Allen Curry, 1. CRI Science Director André St-Hilaire 12. For 20 years, CRI Science DirectorsCRI Associate Jennifer Lento worked MacLatchy and CRI Associate Heidi assisting the Government of the worked with the US National Park Scientists Dr. Donald Baird (CRI Science CRI Associate Kelly Munkittrick worked Deborah MacLatchy and Mark Servos Joseph Culp and Karen Kidd, and CRI from the Université du Québec has been Michael van den Heuvel and Natachawith Environment and Climate Change Swanson work alongside the Ka’a’ Northwest Territories’ (GNWT) Water Service and researchers from Simon Director) and Dr. Daniel Peters and Dr. with Fisheries and Oceans Canada collaborated with community members Associates Wendy Monk and Jennifer involved with Water Budget Analysis Hogan, along with CRI AssociateCanada (ECCC), the Government of Gee Tu First Nation, the Government Resource Division in establishing Fraser University to discover the most Wendy Monk (both CRI Associates) are (DFO) to develop a protocol for the and Environment and Climate Change Lento worked with Environment and in aqualyzed peatlands in the James Collin Arens, have been studying thethe Northwest Territories (GNWT) of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) a biomonitoring program for large recent case of ecological speciation in working with Parks Canada, Alberta collection and sampling of slimy sculpin Canada (ECCC) to complete a pilot Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to Bay region. Bogs and fens are the two impacts of oil sands operations onand Parks Canada to evaluate the and Fisheries and Oceans Canada transboundary rivers. CRI researchers the wild following natural colonization Environment and Parks, Aurora Research (Cottus cognatus) in Lac de Gras, NT, project at Fort Smith, NT. The purpose of examine the river continuum concept main types of peatlands in the James the Athabasca watershed in northerneffects of permafrost thaw slumping (DFO) to assess the health of fish in the have been focused on developing of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). Centre (Dr. Sarah Rosolen) and CRI and other northern lakes. The objective the project was to determine whether across spatial scales of small to large Bay region. Minerotrophic fens cover a Alberta. The research has been focusedon the structure and function of Tathlina and Kakisa lakes, located in protocols for benthic macroinvertebrate sockeye salmon is an important species Associate Dr. Mehrdad Hajibabaei of the protocol is to provide guidance local small-bodied fish with limited river ecosystems, and along a climatic large proportion of land in mid-latitude on evaluating the health of fish in thebiotic communities in streams and southern Northwest Territories (NT). sampling and analyses for long-term of cultural, economic, and aesthetic (University of Guelph) and local for environmental effects monitoring home ranges would be useful to gradient from temperate (Atlantic Quebec. Over the last century, these Athabasca River and the response of fishrivers in the Peel Plateau and Banks Since 2012, whitefish and walleye water quality monitoring. importance in the Alaskan Peninsula communities to carry out research and (EEM) in northern regions. Industrial investigate point-source disturbances on Canada) to northern rivers. The Koroc fens have been slowly transformed into health to aquatic reclamation. YellowIsland, Northwest Territories. Research have been collected annually during of southwest Alaska. This research led monitoring on the Peace-Athabasca developments in northern Canada northern rivers. Emerald shiner (Notropis River flows from the Torngat Mountains shallow lakes due to a rise in water levels, perch has been a focal species for thesequestions addressed how slumping the winter and summer months. The Dr. Lento is based at the University of to the most recent documentation of Delta. are required to monitor the aquatic atherinoides) and spottail shiner (Notropis for more than 150 kilometres until it which is a process known as aqualysis. studies. Research highlights includechanges algal biomass, decomposition, standardized growth and reproductive New Brunswick. ecological divergence following natural environments that they influence. hudsonius) were captured from the Slave reaches the sea. The Koroc River provides These aqualysed fens have altered the discovery of immune impairmentand benthic invertebrate diversity and indices of these fish species are assessed colonization ever described in any Dr. Baird and Dr. Monk are based at the Monitoring these aquatic environments River downstream and upstream of an a longitudinal profile of habitats and reactions to rain events. For two years, leading to disease in fish exposedabundance. to provide baseline data that help to 4 fish species within 100 generations, University of New Brunswick. Dr. Peters presents unique challenges that are not outflow pipe of the Fort Smith sewage biotic community composition for four sites in the La Grande River Basin to high concentrations of oil sands- predict how these northern fisheries including adaptive changes in adult is based at the University of Victoria, and encountered in southern regions. An lagoon. Body, liver, and gonad weights contrasts with the smaller Arctic/Alpine were monitored for rainfall, water table related compounds. The atmosphericDr. Culp is currently based at Wilfrid may respond to potential future 4. From 2013-2015, CRI Science body shape and egg size. Dr. Hajibabaei is based at the University objective of EEM programs is to assess along with key reproductive hormones streams of the Torngat Mountains and the levels, and surface runoff. Summer and deposition of contaminants appearsLaurier University, and Dr. Lento disturbances, including climate change Director Tim Jardine worked alongside of Guelph. the effect of industrial effluents on fish were compared. No differences in gonad large, temperate streams to the south. fall hydrographs for rain events were to be more important than seepageis based at the University of New and oil and gas activities. These fisheries researchers from the University of Additionally, juvenile body shapes and fish habitat. or body weights in fish among different Using stable isotopes, and continuous generated, and in situ water table and of process affected waters from leaseBrunswick. are an important source of food and Saskatchewan in partnership with were found to be adaptive to different 7 sites were detected. The liver size of water temperature and level data, these outlet surface runoff were compared. sites. Additionally, a novel method to income for First Nation communities in local communities and the Slave swimming and feeding strategies. Dr. Gray is based at the University of emerald shiner at the outflow pipe was northern rivers provide the end point in The results indicate that the location and estimate fish exposure through the NT. Currently, the project is focused on River and Delta Partnership (SRDP) Kokanee, the non-anadromous form 7. CRI Science Director Karen Kidd and New Brunswick and Dr. Munkittrick larger than fish at other sites, however, developing models to understand how shape of individual ponds may influence examination of naphthenic acids in bile increasing the number of lakes sampled to implement the Slave Watershed of sockeye, were also examined CRI Associate Heidi Swanson partnered is based at Wilfrid Laurier University. which indicates a possible response to river ecosystems change with the current rates of runoff. This research provides was developed. and analyzing mercury contamination Environmental Effects Program (SWEEP). to determine the timing of three with local communities and companies CRI student Dr. Tim Arciszewski also contaminants or nutrients. Reproductive trends in global temperatures. insight into the future hydrology of fens in the food web of the lakes. SWEEP developed a community-based independent origins of populations to generate new knowledge about contributed to this project. hormone levels of female emerald in this region where annual runoff is Dr. van den Heuvel is based at the monitoring program to monitor the in Katmai National Park and Preserve, contaminants in fish from High Arctic shiner were different downstream of Dr. Curry, Dr. Monk and Dr. Lento anticipated to increase. University of Prince Edward Island, Dr. Dr. MacLatchy is based at Wilfrid Slave River and Delta watershed. Alaska. The integrated approach of this lakes. Mercury and other persistent the outflow pipe. The results indicate are based at the University of New Hogan is based at the University of Laurier University and Dr. Swanson is Traditional knowledge and western research has changed the perception contaminants accumulate in food chains emerald shiner are present in sufficient Brunswick. Dr. Culp is based at Wilfrid Dr. St-Hilaire is based at the Institut Saskatchewan, and Dr. Arens is at Golder based at the University of Waterloo. Staff science were employed to establish of the evolutionary potential of the to levels that may pose a threat to fish numbers at these sites and may be Laurier University, and Dr. Kidd is based national de la recherché scientifique Associates in Edmonton. and students involved in this research indicators of health for the Slave River different life history strategies of sockeye and wildlife and people who eat fish. useful for future biomonitoring studies in at McMaster University. (INRS) at the Université du Québec. include Dr. Andrea Lister, Dr. Gerald and Delta. salmon, and prompted managers to re- CRI researchers have conducted studies northern rivers. Tetreault, and Grant Harrison. prioritize conservation efforts. in lakes near Hope Bay and Resolute, Dr. Jardine is based at the University of Nunavut to understand how the diet Saskatchewan. Dr. Pavey is based at the University of and migration of Arctic char (Salvelinus Dr. MacLatchy is based at Wilfrid Laurier CRI scientists and their networks of • Understanding how changes in water Founded by four researchers based New Brunswick. alpinus) and lake trout (Salvelinus University and Dr. Servos is based at the research associates, graduate students flow affect biological processes; at UNB in 2001, CRI has grown For more information: namaycush) from lakes to coastal waters University of Waterloo. Staff and students and staff support communities, into a collaborative of hundreds sweep.insighthosting.com/ For more information: affect their levels of contaminants. involved in this research include Dr. governments, and industry in making • Developing indicators that best of scientists based at dozens of www.scottpavey.com Andrea Lister, Brett Pomeroy, Lauren informed, evidence-based decisions measure biological and water quality institutions across Canada and Dr. Kidd is based at McMaster University Jones, and Dr. Gerald Tetreault. through high-impact research. Their changes in rivers; around the world. and Dr. Swanson is based at the research focuses on protecting and University of Waterloo. improving the health of rivers through • A dvancing monitoring practices to canadianriversinstitute.com innovative science that is translated into improve how aquatic ecosystems knowledge needed to create a paradigm affected by human activities are shift in river management, by: managed.