The Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit (Co-op Unit), housed within the Vale Living With Lakes Centre, was established in 1989 and is a unique and successful partnership between Laurentian University, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) and Canadian Forest Services, Natural Resources Canada, with collaborators from the mining industry (Vale and Glencore SINO), several other universities (York, Queens, Nipissing, Norwegian University of Life Sciences) and the City of Greater Sudbury.
It was established as the first resource management co-op unit in Ontario to share resources and create closer, more effective working relationships between government, industry and universities to effectively address important, applied, environmental research questions.
From an initial focus on restoration ecology of acid and metal damaged waters of northeastern Ontario, the Co-op Unit has broadened its research to address multiple stressors that may affect the health of aquatic ecosystems throughout the north. These include climate change, invasive species, urban development, trace contaminants, loss of biodiversity and excessive exploitation. New research is focused on understanding the vulnerable ecosystems in Far North Ontario, which are under increasing pressures from resource extraction industries and climate change. Science is desperately needed in this area so that development can happen in a responsible way to benefit Aboriginal communities and all Canadians.
Research Programs
- Climate Change and Multiple Stressor Research
- FIRNNO
- Improved Methods of Assessing Fish Communities
- Land Water Linkages for Recovery – TALER
- Mercury Bioaccumulation in Northern Lakes and Rivers
- Rehabalitation of Plant Communities in the Hudson’s Bay Lowlands after Mining
- Reproductive Ecology of Northern Fishes
- Restoration Ecology
- Ring of Fire Lakes Survey
- Serpent River Watershed Study
- Thermocline Deepening Experiment
Researchers and Program Leads
Jackie Litzgus
Director, Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit (CFEU), Vale Living with Lakes Centre (VLWLC)
Dr. Jane Goodall Research Fellow in Conservation Biology
VLWLC, School of Natural Sciences (SoNS), Laurentian University
Chantal Barriault
Director, Science Communication Graduate Program
VLWLC, SoNS, Laurentian University
Brie Edwards
Biomonitoring Scientist
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
VLWLC Cross-appointed Faculty, SoNS, Laurentian University
Elizabeth (Liz) Favot
Assistant Professor of Aquatic Ecology, School of Natural Sciences
Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit, Vale Living with Lakes Centre
Tom Johnston
Fisheries Research Scientist
Ministry of Natural Resources
VLWLC, Cross-appointed Faculty, SoNS, Laurentian University
Nadia Mykytczuk
President and CEO MIRARCO
Executive Director, Goodman School of Mines
Environmental Microbiologist
VLWLC, Cross-appointed Faculty, SoNS, Laurentian University
Chantal Sarrazin-Delay
Team Lead, Up North on Climate
VLWLC, Adjunct Faculty, SoNS, Laurentian University
Researchers Located Within Laurentian University Departments
Mateus Pepinelli
Assistant Professor, SoNS, Laurentian University
Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit, Vale Living with Lakes Centre
Janice Kenney
Associate Professor, School of Natural Sciences
Laurentian University
Researchers At Other Institutions
Shelley Arnott
Aquatic Ecologist, Adjunct Laurentian
Faculty, Dept. of Biology, Queens University, Kingston, ON
Nathan Basiliko
Environmental Microbiologist, Adjunct Laurentian
Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University
Erik Emilson
Research Scientist CFS, Cross-appointed Faculty, SoNS, Laurentian University
Great Lakes For. Res. Centre, CFS NRCAN, Sault Ste Marie, ON
April James
CRC Tier 2 Watershed Analysis and Modelling
Biology, Nipissing University, North Bay, ON
Gretchen Lescord
Assistant Professor, University of Florida
School of Forests, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences
Director of Florida LAKEWATCH
Colin McCarter
CRC Tier 2 Climate and Environmental Change
Assistant Professor, Nipissing University
Pascale Roy-Léveillée
Research Chair in Permafrost Geomorphology, Université Laval
Associate Professor of Geography, Université Laval
Heidi Swanson
Aquatic Ecologist
Jarislowsky Chair in Sustainable Water Futures, Wilfrid Laurier University
Andrew Tanentzap
Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Climate Change and Northern Ecosystems
School of the Environment, Trent University
Adjunct Faculty, SoNS, Laurentian University
Shaun Watmough
Professor and Director, School of the Environment
Trent University
Pete Whittington
Professor and Chair, Department of Geography and Environment, Brandon University
CFEU Senior Research Fellows
Peter Beckett
CFEU Senior Research Fellow in Ecosystem Restoration
VLWLC, Emeritus Faculty, SoNS, Laurentian University
John Gunn
CFEU Senior Fellow in Stressed Aquatic Systems
VLWLC, Emeritus Faculty, SoNS, Laurentian University
Founding Director of VLWLC, 2011-2022
Bill Keller
CFEU Senior Research Fellow in Northern Studies
VLWLC, Laurentian University
David Pearson
CFEU Senior Research Fellow in Climate Adaptation
Associate Lead, Science and Communication, Up North on Climate
VLWLC, Emeritus Faculty, SoNS, Laurentian University
Charles Ramcharan
CFEU Senior Research Fellow in Freshwater Biology
Emeritus Faculty, SoNS, Laurentian University
Bjorn Rosseland
Fish Physiologist and Ecotoxicologist
Emeritus Faculty, Norwegian University of Life Sci., Aas, Norway
Graeme Spiers
CFEU Senior Research Fellow in Pedology (Soil Science)
Emeritus Faculty, SoNS, Laurentian University
Norm Yan
CFEU Senior Research Fellow in Aquatic Ecology
Emeritus Faculty, Biology, York University
Co-op Unit Annual Reports
| Report | Date | Download Link |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 Annual Report | 2011 | Download PDF |
| 2010 Annual Report | 2010 | Download PDF |
| 2009 Annual Report | 2009 | Download PDF |
| 2008 Annual Report | 2008 | Download PDF |
| 2007 Annual Report | 2007 | Download PDF |
| 2006 Annual Report | 2006 | Download PDF |
| 2005 Annual Report | 2005 | Download PDF |
| 2004 Annual Report | 2004 | Download PDF |
| 2003 Annual Report | 2003 | Download PDF |
| 2002 Annual Report | 2002 | Download PDF |
| 2001 Annual Report | 2001 | Download PDF |
Special Reports
| Report | Date | Download Link |
|---|---|---|
| Far North Science Advisory Panel Report, Science for a Changing Far North | 2010 | Link |
| Aurora Trout Lakes Ecosystem Data Report 1976-2006 | 2008 | Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 |
| Data Report: 25 Years of Extensive Monitoring of Acidified Lakes in the Sudbury Area, 1981-2005 | 2006 | |
| Nordic Index Netting Manual of Instructions and Provincial Biodiversity Benchmark Values | 2005 | |
| Provincial Summary of Northern Pike Life History Characteristics | 2005 | |
| Practical Guide to Identifying Freshwater Crustacean Zooplankton, 2nd Edition | 2004 | |
| Recovery of Acid and Metal-Damaged Lakes Near Sudbury Ontario | 2004 | |
| Fish Community Assessment of Junction Creek | 2004 | |
| The Past Present and Future of Sudbury’s Lakes | 2002 | |
| Fall Walleye Index Netting Manual | 2002 | |
| Regional Summaries of Walleye Life History Characteristics Based on Ontario’s Fall Walleye Index Netting (FWIN) Program1993-2001 | 2002 | |
| Nepahwin Lake Watershed: Its past, present and future | 1996 | |
| Ramsey Lake: An Assessment of the Fish Community and a Review of the Fisheries Management History | 1989 | |
| Chemical and Biological Status of Killarney Park Lakes 1995-1997 | 1989 |
Restoration and Recovery of an Industrial Region (Book)
| Section | Chapter | Title | Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro | Introduction | Restoration and Recovery of an Industrial Region | |
| Section A | Foreward | History of Geology, Mineral Exploration and Environmental Damage | |
| Section A | Chapter 1 | Geological and Geographic Setting | |
| Section A | Chapter 2 | Early History of Human Activities in the Sudbury Area and Ecological Damage to Landscape | |
| Section A | Chapter 3 | Reading the Records Stored in Lake Sediments: A Method of Examining the History and Extent of Industrial Damage to Lakes | |
| Section B | Foreward | Trends in Natural Recovery and Emissions Reductions | |
| Section B | Chapter 4 | Declining Industrial Emissions, Improving Air Quality, and Reduced Damage to Vegetation | |
| Section B | Chapter 5 | Lake Water Quality Improvements and Recovering Communities | |
| Section B | Chapter 6 | Lichens: Sensitive Indicators of Improving Air Quality | |
| Section B | Chapter 7 | Natural Recovery of Vascular Plant Communities on the Industrial Barrens of the Sudbury Area | |
| Section C | Foreward | Goals of Restoration | |
| Section C | Chapter 8 | Municipal Land Restoration Program: The Regreening Process | |
| Section C | Chapter 9 | Revegetation of the Copper Cliff Tailings Area | |
| Section C | Chapter 10 | Engineered Wetlands as a Tailings Rehabilitation Strategy | |
| Section C | Chapter 11 | Preservation of Biodiversity: Aurora Trout | |
| Section C | Chapter 12 | Partnerships for Wildlife Restoration: Peregrine Falcons | |
| Section D | Foreward | Research Topics in Restoration Ecology | |
| Section D | Chapter 13 | Dynamics of Plant Communities and Soils in Revegated Ecosystems: A Sudbury Case Study | |
| Section D | Colour Insert | Plates 1-18 | |
| Section D | Chapter 14 | Lake Sediments: Sources or Sinks of Industrially Mobilized Elements? | |
| Section D | Chapter 15 | Liming of Sudbury Lakes: Lessons for Recovery of Aquatic Biota from Acidification | |
| Section D | Chapter 16 | Trends in Waterfowl Populations: Evidence of Recovery from Acidification | |
| Section D | Chapter 17 | Acidification and Metal Contamination: Implications for Soil Biota of Sudbury | |
| Section D | Chapter 18 | Birch Coppice Woodlands near the Sudbury Smelters: Dynamics of a Forest Monoculture | |
| Section D | Chapter 19 | Potential Role for Lowbush Blueberry in Colonizing Metal-Contaminated Ecosystems | |
| Section D | Chapter 20 | Urban Lakes: Integrators of Environmental Damage and Recovery | |
| Section E | Foreward | Planning for the Future | |
| Section E | Chapter 21 | Developments in Emission Control Technologies/Strategies: A Case Study | |
| Section E | Chapter 22 | Integrated Management and Progressive Rehabilitation of Industrial Lands | |
| Section E | Chapter 23 | Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems: Technologies for Mapping and Monitoring Environmental Health | |
| Section E | Chapter 24 | Catchment Management in the Industrial Landscape | |
| Section E | Chapter 25 | Planning for the Environmentally Friendly City | |
| Section E | Chapter 26 | From Restoration to Sustainable Ecosystems | |
| Index | Index | Index |
The Vale Living with Lakes Centre at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Canada is located in the “City of Lakes” within one of the great mining regions of the world.
The Centre is a multidisciplinary research and monitoring institute designed to assist in the protection and management of northern aquatic ecosystems. It is a place of experimentation and innovation where top young scientists are trained.
The Centre is well equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories and workshop and conference facilities. However, its uniqueness lies in its strong culture of collaboration and science communication, building on a long history of partnerships among scientists, universities, government agencies, and industries.
Here we have the makings of a true “incubator” of new ideas and approaches for the advancement of environmental science. Important too is the bold statement that the building itself makes – an award-winning building that demonstrates the best of energy and water saving technologies.