Eco-evolutionary dynamics in aquatic environments

Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec
What the facility does

Ecology and evolution of aquatic ecosystems currently under anthropogenic stress or at risk of being under stress in the future.

Areas of expertise

My research team studies the relationships between the ecological and evolutionary forces that maintain the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems. More specifically, we study the consequences of anthropogenic stress on the ecology and evolution of aquatic populations and communities. We look at how adaptive reactions influence ecological interactions in communities and ecosystem operation. Improving knowledge of the reciprocal influence between ecology and evolution is critical for adequately preserving aquatic resources and understanding the factors that influence biodiversity loss.

My research program is unique in Canada because it is the only eco-evolutionary program studying interior aquatic ecosystems in the country. The CFI’s infrastructure is used for studying key environmental issues that will increasingly threaten the integrity of 21ST century aquatic ecosystems, such as changes in water chemistry due to climate change, mining of metals, acidification, and altered food webs from exotic invasion and disrupted trophic interactions.

Research services

- Eco-evolutionary experimentation in the field and lab

- Microscopy and imaging

- Lipid and pigment extraction

- Metabolic performance

- Community genetics

Sectors of application
  • Education
  • Fisheries and aquaculture

Specialized lab

Equipment

Function

Acquatic ecosystem ecology and evolution

Truck

Field research

 

Boat, outboard motors, and trailer

Field research

 

Chemostats & associated equipment (water baths, pumps, pumpheads)

Eco-evolutionary laboratory experiments

 

High-resolution stereomicroscopes & camera

Community analyses of zooplankton and invertebrates

 

High-resolution inverted microscopes & camera

Community analyses of phytoplankton

 

Microbalance

Lipid and pigment extraction; preparation of media for chemostat experiments

 

Freeze dryer system

Lipid and pigment extraction

 

Nitrogen evaporator

Lipid and pigment extraction

 

Benchtop refrigerator centrifuge

Lipid and pigment extraction; resurrection ecology experiments

 

Fluorometer

Metabolic performance

 

Flammables storage freezer

Preservation of ethanol-preserved community genetics samples

 

PCR machine & gel electrophoresis

Community genetics

 

Automated temperature and conductivity dataloggers

Field research

 

Stream sampling unit

Field research

 

Clean bench

Sterile preparation of DNA samples and assembly of chemostat experiments

- Environment Canada

- Parks Canada

- Group for Interuniversity Research in Limnology and aquatic environment (GRIL)

- Quebec Center for Biodiversity Science (QCBS)

- WSP Canada Inc.

Title

URL

De minuscules baromètres du climat dans les lacs

http://www.sciencepresse.qc.ca/actualite/2013/05/09/minuscules-barometres-climat-lacs