New Ontario Tech study will inform future management decision-making for ecologically sensitive ecosystems
Researcher: Dr. Andrea Kirkwood, Faculty of Science
Coastal wetlands and embayments are sensitive ecosystems located between rivers and the shoreline of lakes. Human activities including urban development and farming on land can influence the functioning of these ecosystems and the quality of water that flows through them. Healthy coastal wetlands can offer significant services in the form of water quality purification, flood control, and storm surge protection, as well as provide important habitat for wildlife. Because of the significance of healthy coastal wetlands, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) has prioritized the collection of water data from multiple coastal wetlands in western Lake Ontario over the last decade.
In partnership with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), Ontario Tech University researchers will work with TRCA staff to analyze TRCA’s long-term water quality and quantity datasets. They hope to understand:
- How water quality changes in the wetlands prior to entering/mixing with water along the shores of Lake Ontario
- How water-quality has changed over the last decade in these coast wetlands in response to environmental drivers like climate and water-level fluctuations.
The TRCA will gain data organization, analysis and a report on the 10+ years of data that they have collected, and TRCA team-members will gain new skills and data analytics knowledge from their work with Ontario Tech researchers. TRCA will also be able to utilize study results to inform future monitoring approaches and priorities, making informed management decisions related to these ecologically sensitive ecosystems.
Project length: May 1, 2020 – June 31, 2021
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