Developing a Freshwater Species at Risk Research Network in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin

Fisheries and Oceans Canada provided $20,700 in funding in 2016 from the Partnership Fund to support the University of Toronto, Scarborough’s efforts in developing a freshwater species at risk research network in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin. The basin has the greatest diversity of freshwater fishes and molluscs in Canada and supports the most species listed as endangered or threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act. A combination of factors have caused these populations to decline including the effects of urbanization and agriculture, and a variety of cumulative ecosystem impacts such as habitat loss, invasive species, and climate change. In the long term, the research network will help assess populations of listed species, quantifying factors that are contributing to their decline, and identifying opportunities to mitigate threats and facilitate species recovery.

Project Number: CA2016.50
Year: 2016
Partner: University of Toronto
Principal Investigator(s): Nick Mandrak
Eco-region: Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River