CURRENT ISSUE 10 Only Once Every Four Years at a SETAC World Congress, and Recognizes a Scientist for “Their Meticulous Research And
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THECURRENT Newsletter of the Society of Canadian Limnologists This issue: President’s Message............1 Honouring David Schindler.............................2 Recap of SIL in Torino......3 Research Highlight.............4 December 19, 2016 2017 Award winners...........5 SCL/CCFFR 2017............5 Turino, a student perspective..........................6 Student Spotlight................6 Limnoseminar update........7 Issue 10 Upcoming Meetings...........8 Recent Citings....................8 Right: Superior Sunrise. Sunrise over the Apostle Islands after a long evening of sampling water, benthos and zooplankton on Lake Superior on board the RV Blue Heron. Photo credit: Michael Rennie Message from the president Jérôme Marty, President Already, the last issue of the SCL Despite the restoration of a positive environment for newsletter for 2017. Once again, scientists in Canada, freshwater often remains a second thank you to our communication priority for several departments. The national science officer, Mike Rennie, for producing investment from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans this great document. provides little support to the Central and Arctic regions, which Since last spring, positive signals oversees many freshwater programs, and few positions in were received from the federal support of Great Lakes science. Last November, a significant government on its intention to use investment was announced for programs aiming at increasing and better recognize the role of marine safety and addressing the risk of oil spills in Canadian science to inform policy and waters: unfortunately, few resources will be invested to address decision-making. This month, the the increasing need to better understand the fate, behaviour search for a Chief Scientist, who and impacts of oil when spilled in freshwater. If we are to say will report to the Prime Minister, has that decision-making is based on science, it is my opinion that been publicly launched. There are positive signs for the we should let scientists do their work to investigate the funding of national programs supporting science in Canada foundational information prior to approving major and a noticeable effort has been made to consult with development such as pipelines projects. academia and scientific societies. As member of the The next SCL/CCFFR conference (Jan 5th to 8th) is now Partnership Group for Science and Engineering (PAGSE), the just around the corner and should be well attended given the SCL indirectly continues to contribute to consultations with location and the high number of limnologists in the Montreal the Minister of Science on science priorities in Canada. area. A very high number of applications were received from students seeking travel support and, this year for the first time, Continued on page 2 1 Continued from page 1 from young professionals. During the conference, the SCL will SCL business meeting on Saturday afternoon at 4PM. During celebrate the 2017 Frank Rigler prize, the top prize awarded the meeting, we will provide an update on SCL business and by our society for their significant contributions to Limnology. hold elections for treasurer, a position with a 3 year mandate This year the award goes to our past President Jules Blais as on the SCL board. well as two recipients of the Peters award for the best I wish you all happy holidays, with your family and published student paper in the past year (Daniel Gregoire friends and I look forward to seeing you at the conference in from U-Ottawa and Jamie Summers from Queen’s the New Year. Bonne année 2017 à tous ! University). We are looking forward to hearing these plenaries! Cheers, Importantly, I would like to draw the attention of SCL Jérôme Marty December 19, 2016 members attending the conference that we will be hosting the David Schindler receives Rachel Carlson Award Mike Rennie Dave Schindler was honored with the Rachel Carlson Award by the Society for Environmental Toxicology And Chemistry in Orlando, Florida at their 7th World Congress on November 8, 2016. The Rachel Carlson Award is bestowed CURRENT ISSUE 10 only once every four years at a SETAC World Congress, and recognizes a scientist for “their meticulous research and THE increasing awareness among the public for potential threats to the natural world”. It is fitting that Dave receive this award given the public face he has given for so many issues in limnology such at nutrient management and the environmental effects of industrial contamination, as well as being a vocal advocate for the inclusion of rigorous scientific advice in environmental policy. It seems only days go by before Dave is quoted in the media commenting on the latest limnological issue; not surprising given his impressive track record for groundbreaking, policy-relevant research throughout his career. Dave provided a thought-provoking lecture at SETAC, forcing the audience to challenge the David Schindler (right) receiving hte Rachel Carlson Award from concept of the environmental footprint of the world and to Karen Kidd at the SETAC World Congress, November 8, 2016. consider both conventional and unconventional means of achieving sustainability. Next up was Michael Paterson, Chief Scientist at the Dave’s award was also celebrated by a special session IISD-ELA, with a talk entitled “Whole-lake manipulations recognizing the amazing work that David has done at the Experimental Lakes Area do not support the need for throughout his career and the influence and impact it has nitrogen control to reduce eutrophication in lakes” The title left on the current generation of scientists. The session was is pretty self-explanatory, but Mike went through a series of organized by a number of David’s past students: Karen nutrient manipulation additions and removals at ELA to Kidd, a Tier 1 CRC and Professor at the University of New make his point crystal clear. Brunswick; Jules Blais, Professor at the University of Ottawa John Gunn, Tier I CRC and Professor at Laurentian and this year’s Rigler Award winner; and Heidi Swanson, an University summarized the results from the ELA Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo. Most of experiments on acidification, and placed the recovery of the presentations are archived on the web by SETAC, and that lake within the context of recovery from acidification can be found by following this link and searching on the being observed in lakes in the Sudbury-Killarney area. author’s name (links to each talk are also provided below). Derek Muir discussed the importance of Dave The first presenter of the day was Diane Orihel (Dave’s Schindler’s initial work in the Athabasca Oil Sands to help last PhD student), who’s talk “Dave Schindler’s Legacy: guide ongoing and future monitoring in the regions to Ecosystem-scale ecotoxicology” who effectively summarized understand the importance of atmospheric deposition of Dave’s approach to science as “big dreams, big science, and polyaromatic compounds in that region. His talk was not big impact”. She highlighted the whole-ecosystem recorded. experimental approach that was pioneered by David at the Jules Blais started his talk pointing out that David Experimental Lakes Area, and the importance that this Schindler is one of the “most effective science approach plays in guiding the science needed for communicators in the business” who is as comfortable environmental policy. talking to first nations and ranchers as he is talking to Prime Continued on page 3 2 Continued from page 2 Ministers. His talk also focused on limnological Dave’s work on the Athabasca Oil processes and biota Sands and it’s role in addressing using the ELA impacts on lakes across spatial and dataset in the temporal scales , with a a focus on 1990’s, and the use of lake sediments as archives. discussed current In her talk “Integration of research using the Indigenous knowledge and western ELA data to test science in studies of northern some of the December 19, 2016 ecotoxicology”, Heidi Swanson hypotheses outlined The speakers and guests of the David Schindler symposium at SETAC 2016 in Orlando, Florida. Left to right: Derek Muir, Michael focused on Dave’s skill at by Dave’s early Paterson, Helen Baulch, John Gunn, Heidi Swanson, Dave Schindler, communicating and engaging local work as they relate Michael Rennie, Jules Blais, Linda Kimpe, Diane Orihel and Karen Kidd. communities in research, especially to fishes. Climate First Nations, and provided a variability was a number of current examples of work demonstrable factor in fish growth change by examining winter by her and her colleagues that and life history traits in a number of biogeochemistry. She also recounted emulate forming those connections fish species and populations at the Dave’s history as a mentor, and with local communities. ELA. recounted a great story about how Michael Rennie discussed Dave Helen Baulch closed the session Dave (and apparently, his neighbor) Schindler’s foundational work on honouring Dave, also discussing had in rescuing her MSc thesis CURRENT ISSUE 10 examining climate effects on some of Dave’s work on climate research from a thunderstorm. THE SIL Congress, Turino Italy Jérôme Marty President, SCL During the first week of August the 33rd SIL congress was held in Torino, Italy. Under the theme of “Science for sustainable freshwater use”, close to 800 participants contributed to 48 sessions. Perhaps one of the most important attractions for participants to attend the SIL congress is the geographically diverse Workshop on predictive limnology (and Italian delicacies) range of freshwater research topics. hosted in Corconio Learning about the water quality and quantity issues for some of the most highly populated areas of the world gives nutrients (see her article on her online and another contribution on us, as Canadians, not only an experience at SIL on page 6). predictive limnology is in preparation. appreciation of the luxury we have access One session, organized by A. The SIL congress was also an to, but also raises awareness about the Cattaneo, Y.