This project’s objective is to help improve knowledge regarding consumer perspectives of conventional car mobility and transport innovations in Canada, with particular focus on fully automated vehicles (FAVs), or vehicles that can drive themselves without requiring a driver to be paying attention. Innovations can alter the transport sector’s environmental sustainability – for example, electric vehicles […]

Biodiversity is critical in mediating, and even preventing, the spread of emerging zoonotic diseases, or diseases that are transmissible from wildlife to human populations. These include avian flu and Hantavirus. Understanding how threats to biodiversity conservation may also threaten human health is urgent, particularly as human development, changing environmental conditions and global trade are facilitating […]

The operation of a fuel cell to produce electricity requires a number of components outside the fuel cell stack itself. One key component is the humidifier. Proper operation of a Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell requires a certain humidity level to be maintained in the membrane(s) present in the stack; the humidifier fulfills this requirement […]

The objective of this research project is to improve the definition of extinction-risk for Pacific salmon species by determining which extinction-risk criteria best reflect the chance of quasi-extinction (extremely low abundance) for the individual conservation units (CUs), which are spatially-defined management units. Two sets of evaluation criteria will be used; those developed for Canadian biota […]

The Toronto and Region Area of Concern (TRAOC) has been one of the most polluted sites in the Great Lakes posing health risks to millions of people. The Remedial Action Plan (RAP) has made significant progress towards restoring the system and meeting the delisting targets. Yet, several critical questions still need to be addressed, such […]

Our overall project objective is to determine factors to optimize removal of nutrients and organic micropollutants (e.g., pesticides, and pharmaceuticals and personal care products aka “drugs”) in rural municipal sewage lagoons, through manipulative experiments with bench-scale and field-scale constructed wetlands.  This work will provide sound science on how best to remove such contaminants from wastewaters […]

Whitebark pine is an important high elevation species in BC’s coastal mountains, but it is vulnerable to extinction due to threats such as pest outbreaks and climate change. The species is therefore in dire need of restoration and research to both sustain future populations, and improve scientific knowledge of its ecological functions. The internship involves […]

  The purpose of the survey of the Upper Lynde Creek Watershed for redside dace habitat addresses the ability of current habitat measurements to accurately predict redside dace locations.  The survey will be completed in three phases.  The first phase identifies potential redside dace habitat by using GIS technology.  In addition, landowners are contacted to […]

  This project is the first to assess reliability of run reconstruction methods for estimating sockeye salmon abundance and exploitation rates in the Fraser River. Run reconstruction is a model-based approach to estimating fishery harvest rates and catch of up to 35 individual sockeye salmon stocks. Fishery managers typically require these estimates to design pre-season […]

Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, with Parks Canada, are undertaking a riparian restoration project on Lyell Island, Haida Gwaii.  On this island, Haida First Nation protests against old growth logging in 1984 led to the creation of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve. The project will restore salmon habitat and enhance biodiversity […]

  Salmon farms use the crustacean neurotoxin emamectin benzoate (EMB, trade name SLICE) to treat for sea lice parasites on farmed salmon.  EMB can spread to the surrounding marine sediment and present an exposure risk to non-target species that inhabit areas proximal to salmon farms, such as spot prawn.  Spot prawns are a profitable commercial […]

  Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is disease of importance to Alberta's cervid industry. Access to markets for Alberta cervids and cervid products has been denied because of CWD. Losing access to markets has severely affected the economic viability of the cervid industry, and continues to depress it today. Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) has […]