Weston Family Awards in Northern Research

The University of British Columbia 

Sofie is a master’s student at The University of British Columbia (UBC) studying the controls, patterns and impacts of tundra ‘greening’ in Arctic ecosystems.

During her undergraduate degree she worked closely with Tundra Ecology Lab as a field and lab assistant, and spent two unforgettable summers in the High Arctic where she helped collect data for a variety of projects. There, she focused on active layer depth change in relation to climate warming and snow melt dynamics.

For her master’s, she is combining long-term ecological monitoring and proximal remote sensing using kites and time-lapse cameras to examine landscape-level patterns and changes in phenology, snowmelt, and albedo in relation to controls like temperature, soil moisture and topography.

This research – which is taking place at Alexandra Fiord, a long-term monitoring site on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut – is in collaboration with the International Tundra Experiment and the High-Latitude Drone Ecology Network. It will contribute to ongoing efforts to understand Arctic greening and help bridge the spatial gap that currently exists between long-term plot- and satellite-level data.

Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

As a master’s student in limnology — the study of inland waters — Pénélope examines freshwater systems in the Canadian High Arctic. Lakes and ponds are a major part of the Arctic landscape, yet they are not fully understood. With global warming making the Arctic one of the fastest warming regions on the planet, understanding these systems – and how to protect them – is vital to ensure the survival of the countless species that call them home.

University of New Brunswick

Matt is completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of New Brunswick, studying the potential impacts of climate change on fish in the Canadian Arctic, with a specific focus on Arctic char. Matt grew up in the small northern town of Fort Nelson, B.C. on the Alaska Highway, which cultivated his lifelong passion and appreciation for the North and northern biology.

Growing up and working extensively in the north, Matt experienced first-hand that limited exposure and opportunities are significant barriers to northern youth pursuing education and careers in science. In addition to conducting his research, Matt aims to help increase northern participation in conservation science by carrying out youth science outreach programs to improve exposure, science literacy and opportunity.

For more information on Matt and his research, check out his website at: www.arcticphysiology.com

Université Laval

Mathilde is a PhD student in biology at Université Laval. She is studying the impact of the physical properties of snow on lemmings in the Arctic.

Lemmings are small rodents that play a very important role in the Arctic ecosystem as the primary prey of many predators found in these regions. During the long Arctic winter, they remain active in the snow, where they dig tunnels to get to the plants they feed on and build the nests where they reproduce. As a result of climate change, rain-on-snow events are likely to increase in frequency in Arctic regions, thereby encouraging the formation of refrozen layers in the snowpack. This hardening of the snowpack can have negative consequences for lemmings, which then have to expend more energy to dig in harder snow.

The data for her research project is collected on Bylot Island, Nunavut. Mathilde has spent three summers collecting data on this island. As a biologist with a passion for nature and the great outdoors, it was her dream to do fieldwork on this isolated island in the Canadian Arctic.

Carleton University

A PhD student at Carleton University, Will studies Chinook Salmon from the Upper Yukon River, which are of utmost cultural importance to the communities along the iconic waterway.

Upper Yukon River Chinook Salmon undertake the world’s longest salmon migration. The approximately 3,200 km journey takes the fish through Whitehorse where they face the additional challenge of passing the Whitehorse Hydro Plant. To do this, salmon must swim through a fish ladder — a man-made structure constructed to provide migrating fish a safe route around the dam to the river upstream.

Using tracking tags to monitor fish movement, Will and his fellow researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of the Whitehorse Rapids Fish Ladder and increasing knowledge on where salmon spawn upstream of the facility. Findings from his work may inform improvements at the fish ladder and may identify candidate areas for protection and restoration to ultimately help facilitate the recovery of this iconic salmon population.

McGill University

Shannon is a PhD candidate at McGill University studying the effects of changing sea-ice on seabirds breeding in Nunavut.

Her research is determining how changes in sea ice are shifting the timing of breeding and movement of thick-billed murres, an abundant seabird in the Canadian Arctic. She combines decades of seabird monitoring from Coats Island with modern remote sensing and small tracking devices. This allows her to see how the birds adjust to environmental change. This project will be a comprehensive and powerful test of the effects of climate change on an Arctic-breeding species.

University of Victoria

Matthew Asplin recently completed his postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Geography at the University of Victoria and now works in the private sector at ASL Environmental Sciences Inc. as a scientific project manager.

During the tenure of his award, Matthew used data analysis tools commonly found in the artificial intelligence sector to analyze the meteorological drivers of storm surges in the Western Canadian Arctic, which have the potential to impact coastal Northern Indigenous communities.

By advancing this work further into the realm of artificial intelligence, Matthew’s work could help alert local Indigenous communities to risks in their area and inform future Arctic shipping and economic development activities.

University of Alberta

McKenzie Kuhn is a doctoral student at the University of Alberta studying the rate of methane emissions from lakes in the Northwest Territories and northern parts of Alberta.

Her research could lead to important insights into how these natural sources of methane – a potent greenhouse gas – contribute to greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and how these emissions will change over time. The results could help government and policy makers in Canada’s North set more specific reduction targets for carbon emissions.

McGill University

Allison Patterson is a doctoral student at McGill University studying the movement patterns and behaviour of thick-billed murres, an abundant species of Arctic seabird, off the coast of Coats Island in Nunavut.

Thick-billed murres have been identified as a priority species within the Arctic. By using biologgers – a type of electronic sensor tracker that is attached to an animal and used to collect information such as location, traveling speeds, local environmental conditions, and more – Allison is able to track the movement of these birds during the winter and monitor their behaviour during the ten months of the year that they are at sea.

This work is part of an international collaboration with researchers from Denmark, France and Canada that is helping inform government ministries, such as Parks Canada, on the planning of marine-protected areas in the North.