Collaborating to advance water research

trevor.kenney — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:00:29 +0000

By studying water issues locally, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge water researchers are discovering fundamental principles about water systems and their management that bolster a global body of knowledge.

Lars Brinkmann, a PhD candidate in the Department of Biological Sciences, is the inaugural recipient of a $30,000 fellowship – the largest individual student award endowed at the U of L. The fellowship is made possible by energy company Nexen Inc. and their initial investment of $300,000 which, when matched through the Province of Alberta's Access to the Future Fund, will establish a $600,000 endowment for graduate scholarships and fellowships in water research at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Brinkmann is exploring how mercury concentrations in fish are affected by the food web. He explains that even in seemingly pristine bodies of water, traces of mercury often threaten the health of humans and other animals in the ecosystem.

"Mercury is a serious problem because it's a very potent neurotoxin, and it has very adverse effects in human adults. What's even worse is that at very low concentrations, it still has a very bad effect on developing fetuses," Brinkmann explains.

The heavy metal is a byproduct of some industrial processes. Even water systems nowhere near a point of contamination can contain mercury, as it is transported by rain and wind.

Mercury becomes most concentrated at the top of the food web. Predatory fish can contain very toxic levels of mercury and can be dangerous for humans to consume. However, the concentration is affected by what those fish eat and how they allocate energy to survive (like spawning, movement and growth of the body), which makes concentrations in ecosystems quite variable.

Brinkmann hopes to find out why the food web is causing so much variation by studying the fish in the South Saskatchewan River Basin and determining how their energy budgets relate to mercury concentration. His work suggests that it's not the size of a fish that minimizes concentration, but rather its rate of growth; fish that grow quickly tend to have less mercury in their tissues.

Brinkmann's supervisor, Dr. Joseph Rasmussen, a professor in the U of L's Department of Biological Sciences and a Canada Research Chair (Aquatic Systems), explains that the doctoral student's research is filling an important gap in the literature. Most of the research on mercury toxicology hasn't dealt with food web interactions.

"It treats food web components as generic, but it's hugely variable from one system to another," Rasmussen says.

In recent years, emission controls have limited the amount of mercury that industry produces, but it continues to pose an environmental threat. It's becoming more important to find ways to manage the pollutant once it's in the system, Rasmussen explains.

"It's good to promote practices that reduce emissions, but you can't control it like a tap. However, you can manage the system on the other end and, say, manage our fisheries in such a way that we reduce mercury in fish."

When it comes to Alberta's spring systems – the points at which groundwater comes to the surface – even less is known. That's why a team of U of L researchers and partners is studying the natural springs as a strategy to learn more about groundwater and ensure the resource is used sustainably in the future. But at the moment, scientists don't understand the role springs play in local habitats.

"One might imagine that because springs are relatively scarce, their ecological value might be limited. Conversely, they provide unique environments, and it's likely that there may be some unique organisms that rely on them," explains Dr. Stewart Rood, a U of L Board of Governors Research Chair in Environmental Science and 2008 Killam Research Fellowship recipient.

Rood has been collaborating with Dr. Abe Springer, a professor with Northern Arizona ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, to better understand the province's springs. The Alberta Springs Project – modelled after Springer's and colleagues' Southwestern U.S. springs studies – was created when Springer visited the U of L as its first Fulbright Scholar in water research in 2007.

The Alberta Springs Project will investigate springs throughout southern Alberta, including those of the Porcupine Hills region, an outcrop of foothills that is not directly linked to the Rocky Mountain zones. In the areas with springs, the topographical conditions allow for groundwater to come to the surface and create a diverse array of springs.

The project is broad. In addition to inventorying the springs, researchers are studying their hydrology, water chemistry and aquatic and riparian ecology. They hope to find out, among other things, how springs are impacted by seasonal and climatic changes, how the type of spring affects the area's biology and how groundwater relates to surface water. The research initiative will also compare the spring systems in Alberta, Arizona and Wisconsin.

Eventually, the information will help Alberta plan for the future.

"As surface water resources become overextended in a region, the next source of water which is typically tapped is groundwater stored in aquifers," Springer says. "Alberta is in a unique position of not yet having significantly tapped the extensive groundwater resources of the province, so there is still time to plan for better management of them and minimize or mitigate any potential future impact to aquifers or springs from groundwater use."

The Alberta Springs Project has secured $200,000 in funding over four years from the Imperial Oil Foundation, and it has attracted researchers from across North America.

"One emphasis of this project is to bring together individuals with shared interests in order to better understand what we know and don't know and to develop a more systematic strategy for studying and inventorying springs," Rood says.

Support from Nexen Inc. makes a big splash

trevor.kenney — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:57:46 +0000

Tromping through bubbling brooks; sun streaming through mountain peaks; faint scents of pine; fishing in a small aluminum boat – all images you wouldn't expect to associate with work. But for U of L doctoral student Lars Brinkmann, these images fill the landscape of his daily life throughout the summer months.

Brinkmann is the first to admit that sometimes his research feels a lot more like vacation than a scholarly pursuit. But don't be deceived – the discoveries that result from his studies have significant ripple effects in the way we understand fish populations and ultimately the environmental impacts of human actions.

As a past U of L undergraduate and graduate student, and now as a doctoral student, Brinkmann has worked to understand how mercury levels in fish populations are affected by the food they eat and the amount of energy they use to survive. He also looks at how different food web structures can result in lower mercury concentrations in fish.

It's research that's hard to fully appreciate until you
understand its impact. Brinkmann explains that understanding mercury levels in fish populations can ultimately help with conservation efforts (such as preserving native fish populations) and lake management (including sustainable ways to build reservoirs or clear-cut forests).

This fall, Brinkmann received a major boost to his academic career when he was selected to receive a $30,000 fellowship, the largest individual student award endowed at the U of L.

It's an award made possible through Nexen Inc., an independent, Canadian-based global
energy company that has donated funds to support the creation of a $600,000 endowment fund – the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's single largest corporate-funded award for graduate students.

Nexen Inc.'s initial investment of $300,000, when matched through the Province of Alberta's Access to the Future Fund, will establish graduate scholarships and fellowships in water research at the U of L. These prestigious awards will continue to help attract and retain top students like Brinkmann.

"We chose to create this endowment for two reasons," says Nexen President and CEO Charlie Fischer. "First, because we are strong supporters of post-secondary education and believe this is the key to future economic success. And second, because we believe in environmental sustainability and using resources wisely. Research on water will help companies like Nexen plan environmentally-sensitive projects in the future."

For Brinkmann, having industries like Nexen support research is a move in the right direction.

"Receiving this award is such an honour, and it's exciting because it shows that Nexen recognizes the importance of environmental research," explains Brinkmann. "In the past, I think environmental research was viewed as something that would block exploration and progress. But the reality is that environmental research should be determining how we can ensure progress and exploration of resources, while at the same minimizing, or even eliminating, the effects on the environment. This funding shows that we are on our way to achieving that goal."

For additional information about Nexen's donation, visit uleth.ca/giving.

UNews - Lars Brinkmann

Collaborating to advance water research

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