Marina Taskovic

2022 Weston Family Awards in Northern Research recipient

Master’s student
University of Alberta

When permafrost thaws, it can create a sort of landslide known as retrogressive thaw slumps. Marina is studying how these features—and the materials they release—affect ecosystems downstream in Northwest Territories.

Her goal is to understand the metabolic fate of carbon released from thaw slump features, the role of microorganisms in this process, and their potential impacts on aquatic food web productivity and carbon cycling. Microorganisms play an important role in global carbon cycling and ecosystem function and can therefore provide key information toward understanding the effects of permafrost thaw activity—and its potential impacts on ecosystem health.

A master’s student in the University of Alberta’s Department of Biological Sciences, Marina credits undergraduate studies in biology and sustainable agricultural food systems at Trent University for her interest in how living organisms contribute to the transformation of carbon and nutrients, and how environmental change can impact important animal-mediated processes. It allowed her to develop an
appreciation for how terrestrial-aquatic connectivity drives ecosystem structure and function, and led her to northern research.

Learn more about the Weston Family Awards in Northern Research.