CANADIAN RIVERS INSTITUTE - UNB€¦ · The CRI effectively clusters research across the...

CANADIAN RIVERS INSTITUTE

PROGRESS REPORT

AUGUST 31, 2005 TO AUGUST 31, 2008

Report Prepared for UNB Board of Governors

Canadian Rivers Institute Progress Report, August 2008

i

Acknowledgements

The report was prepared by Kelly Munkittrick, Allen Curry, and Heather Boyd-Kinnie.

© Canadian Rivers Institute, 2008

Photograph by Roger Smith


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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... i Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1

Director's Report (2008) ............................................................................................................. 8 List of Members of Management Board, Fellows and Associates ............................................. 9

Fellows .................................................................................................................................. 10 Associates ............................................................................................................................. 12

UNB‘s Commitment ................................................................................................................. 15

Partnerships and Agreements .................................................................................................... 17 New Developments at the Canadian Rivers Institute ............................................................... 20 H.B.N. Hynes River Lecture Series .......................................................................................... 25

International and Field Courses ................................................................................................ 27 Location of CRI Members and Associated Research Projects within Canada ......................... 30 Fellows ...................................................................................................................................... 40

Donald Baird ......................................................................................................................... 40 Simon Courtenay .................................................................................................................. 45 Joseph Culp ........................................................................................................................... 50

Richard A. Cunjak ................................................................................................................ 57 R. Allen Curry ....................................................................................................................... 61

Michelle Gray ....................................................................................................................... 65 Katy Haralampides................................................................................................................ 67 Karen Kidd ............................................................................................................................ 70

Deborah L. MacLatchy ......................................................................................................... 76 Kerry MacQuarrie ................................................................................................................. 79 Kelly R. Munkittrick ............................................................................................................. 83 Bob Newbury ........................................................................................................................ 87

Stephen Peake ....................................................................................................................... 90 André St-Hilaire .................................................................................................................... 94 Michael R. van den Heuvel ................................................................................................... 98

Affiliated Research Groups/Labs ............................................................................................ 101 Stable Isotopes in Nature Laboratory (SINLAB) ............................................................... 101 NB Cooperative Fisheries and Wildlife Research Unit (NBCFWRU) ............................... 102

New Brunswick Aquatic Data Warehouse (NBADW) ....................................................... 102 Benthic Macroinvertebrate Lab .......................................................................................... 102


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Introduction

Canada contains 20% of the world‘s freshwater reserves, and its rivers discharge 7% of the

world‘s renewable water supply. Freshwater research in Canada is internationally renowned, yet

we face major challenges to manage our water resources and rivers in a rapidly changing world.

Canada needs to invest in river science for sound stewardship and to maintain a strong

international science leadership.

To meet these water resources challenges, the University of New Brunswick (UNB) created the

Canadian Rivers Institute (CRI) in 2001, linking researchers on both its campuses (UNBF &

UNBSJ). The CRI‘s mandate remains as it originated: to develop the aquatic science needed to

understand, protect, and sustain water resources for the region, nation, and planet. By

establishing a national centre, UNB promoted a national scope for the CRI‘s river research which

includes issues relevant to all Canadians, but often not studied, e.g., winter ecology of rivers and

pan-Arctic river ecohydrology. The growth of the Institute has been prodigious; its Fellows and

students are achieving numerous successes (4 Canada Research Chairs, >$1.5M/y in research

funding) with many Canadian and international partnerships.

The CRI‘s innovative approach to research and education is the foundation of its

accomplishments. The Institute has expanded to 15 Fellows and 35 Associate Fellows and has a

total operating budget >$5M/y. Its success is based on recruiting internationally respected

researchers dedicated to the CRI mandate. Besides the linked academic centres at UNB, the CRI

engages in national water issues via CRI Fellows located at the University of Prince Edward

Island (UPEI), Université du Québec (UQ), Wilfred Laurier University (WLU), and CRI research

nodes in Pinawa, MB and Kelowna, BC. Water issues relevant to Canada are further

incorporated through an innovative collaboration between academic and government science at

UNBF, namely Environment Canada (EC), Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), and growing

collaborations with Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada (AAFC). These co-locations use

memoranda of understanding to integrate federal scientists (3) into UNB‘s academic community.

Consequently, CRI research has direct links to water issues of the federal government. This

innovative model merges academic ideas-based and applied needs-based science and rapidly

transfers new knowledge to regulatory agencies, creating effective public policy to improve

society and the quality of life in Canada and abroad.

The CRI effectively clusters research across the disciplines of natural science, engineering, and

social science. Its multidisciplinary and cross-sector approach focuses research on societal


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demands for water resources while addressing the important questions of sustainability of aquatic

ecosystems. Selected examples of CRI‘s influence reach across municipal (City of Fredericton),

provincial (NB Clean Water, Fish and Wildlife Acts), national (Environmental Effects

Monitoring Regulations) and international (Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program,

Ramsar) boundaries.

The CRI grew significantly in 2005 when we opened our first building at UNBSJ. The Fellows at

UNBSJ use the new facility to assess the health of river systems, develop laboratory methods for

research on environmental stressors found in Canada, e.g., industrial discharges and sewage, and

study persistent organic pollutants such as pesticides in aquatic food webs and their potential to

affect human health. Our growth in Saint John was complemented by a Canada Foundation for

Innovation grant which provided the opportunity to expand the CRI at the University of Prince

Edward Island by adding a CRC Tier II (M. van den Heuvel) and research to identify the

mechanisms of action and chemistry of unknown causative agents of multiple anthropogenic

stressors on fish populations.

At UNBF, the CRI team is integrated across three themes: 1) Ecosystem Structure and Process -

developing knowledge of the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems across scales

addressing ecosystem sensitivity, resiliency, and connectivity, bio-diversity, and climate change;

2) Ecohydrology – developing knowledge of links between physical and ecological components

of aquatic ecosystems (e.g., processes at the surface water-groundwater interface), bioengineered

structures in rivers (dams, fishways, etc.), and ecohydraulics problems of erosion and sediment

deposition, and 3) Applied Conservation Biology. All CRI Fellows contribute to our efforts to

develop innovative strategies to improve integrated planning and natural resource management,

e.g., advancing sustainable development principles through research, education, outreach, and

community involvement.

Environmental assessment and monitoring in aquatic ecosystems are currently conducted across

the country with various objectives, by various organizations, and following a variety of

protocols; it is a multi-billion dollar industry in Canada and abroad. Improving these approaches

continues to be a focal part of our research at the CRI because our core philosophy remains

addressing immediate societal needs with the best available science (merging needs- and

academic-based science). One important undertaking at the CRI has been to develop standardized

environmental monitoring requirements for a variety of purposes, including environmental impact

assessment, cumulative effects assessment, environmental risk assessment, and environmental

surveillance and monitoring. Such standardization of information (data) is critical for quality


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assurance, and ensures its broad use, integration, and application in management decisions. The

diverse and established expertise assembled within the CRI and the strong links to regulatory

agencies have ensured that research is timely, appropriate, and adequate for use by the regulatory

agencies. Approximately 50% of CRI‘s annual research is directly funded by government

departments and industry.

Economic globalization is expanding international demand for these tools and approaches for

environmental monitoring and impact assessment of aquatic ecosystems. The demand is driven

both by a desire for multi-national companies to meet North American environmental standards,

and by the internationalization of trade agreements, with the resulting need to standardize

environmental approaches in the face of market globalization. This rapidly changing economic

environment creates a demand and new opportunities for both knowledge and technology

industries, and where the CRI positions itself in the global market for environmental science-

based technologies.

In 2006, UNB commissioned a ―Strategic Business Plan and Financial Model for the CRI‖

prepared by Halifax Global, Ltd. They described the CRI as a viable, successful research

Institute with vibrant operations on both campuses and a considerable track record of

achievement. The CRI represents an important strategic investment for UNB with returns that

include $3.4 million in research grants (2006), $1.2 million in research contracts (2006), and

>$5.0 million in capital funding. The CRI‘s academic performance is one that stands out across

Canada and internationally. Overall, the CRI should be considered a significant academic asset

and an ‗investment‘ that has proven to be a very successful generator of funded research, and

particularly of research contracts which contribute funds to the overhead costs of the University.

The report recommended the following strategy, ―Develop and operate the Canadian Rivers

Institute as a research and education organization that has the capacity, facilities and talent to

conduct leading edge research in watershed management and related sciences, that in turn will

attract graduate and post graduate students from across the world. This will in turn attract

international companies and non‐governmental organizations to engage the CRI to undertake

funded, science‐based research contracts.‖

To ensure that the Institute has the operational capacity to deliver this strategy, one immediate

need, and a significant opportunity, exists to create a world-class research space and equipment

for its existing researchers and the projected expansion of the research team at UNBF. UNB

hired a Special Advisor to the VP Research to finalize funding for infrastructure, e.g., a CFI

proposal for $6.2 million is to be submitted in October 2008. The new facility will insure the


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university and Canada are poised to move on transformative ideas and new ways of approaching

research questions that have the potential to challenge existing perspectives, create new areas of

research activity, and lead to new technologies in the field of applied aquatic sciences.

The CRI‘s research continues to evolve its complementary, direct link to federal science priorities

because of the co-locations and intensive collaborations with federal research teams. EC‘s

Aquatic Ecosystem Impacts Research Division has been integrated in the CRI and is responsible

for developing diagnostic methods to identify the effects of complex stress regimes on aquatic

ecosystem structure and function (e.g., combined effects of nutrient-pesticide-sediment inputs on

ecosystem function and biodiversity). This includes methods such as emerging species trait

assessment in aquatic biomonitoring and identification of the causes of human-induced

impairment of aquatic ecosystem quality. The EC-CRI researchers continue to support federal

programs including the Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN) and Canadian

Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Water Quality Index, and collaborations

through programmes such as the Environmental Effects Monitoring Program, National Agri-

Environmental Standards Initiative, International Polar Year research, Parks Canada Ecological

Integrity Programme, and the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program. DFO is in its first

5-year MOU with the CRI at UNBF. There are 9 CRI graduate students studying DFO issues that

involve collaborations with DFO's Centres of Expertise for Offshore Oil and Gas Environmental,

Aquatic Habitat Research, and Impacts on Fish and Fish Habitat.

There are many other successful collaborations with partners across a variety of sectors. New

Brunswick‘s Environment and Natural Resources Departments have been collaborators with the

CRI since its inception. Neither department has a research group and they consult and depend on

the CRI to provide guidance and necessary research on provincial water resources and aquatic

sciences issues. The province has funded >$1M of CRI research to date. This research has

directly altered the NB Clean Water and Fish and Wildlife Acts. In addition to research, CRI

graduates now permeate the staff of these departments. The CRI continues with ongoing

collaboration in the private sector, e.g., hydroelectricity companies, environmental engineering

and consulting companies, the peat moss industry, national and international pulp and paper

companies, metal and diamond mining operations. Our successful collaboration with J.D. Irving,

Limited earned a 2005 NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation which recognizes top Canadian

achievements in research and development between universities and industry. The CRI team

continues to work with industry around the world to transform their activities into sustainable

operations for the protecting the health of aquatic ecosystems. The CRI was a founding research

group in the CWN (National Centre of Excellence) and whose achievements (Protecting


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Watersheds and Ecosystems) were pivotal in the CWN‘s successful renewal in 2008. The CWN

is a collaboration among universities, governments, and industries that has developed a variety of

scientific projects and initiatives that address key water-related issues facing Canadians while

embracing strong multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral partnerships. Many of the CRI‘s national

collaborations have emerged from our work in the CWN. In 2005, the CRI joined with the

United Nations to become a regional (Americas) training centre for the UNU‘s International

Network on Water, Environment and Health. The UNU Diploma in Integrated Water Resources

Management is aimed at practicing professionals in the water sector who seek to upgrade their

knowledge of modern water management concepts and practices. Agriculture and Agri-Foods

Canada (AAFC) is also partnering with the CRI by supporting research in the National Agri-

Environmental Standards Initiative and Watershed Evaluation of Beneficial Management

Practices, and regional AAFC-provincial water agreements. AAFC is discussing a possible move

to the CRI following the EC model.

Each year, the CRI expands the reach of its partnerships: e.g., collaborations with the Province of

Prince Edward Island to address issues of agriculture-derived nitrogen in groundwater and

estuaries, water abstraction for irrigation; development of a biomonitoring programme for

northern rivers with Parks Canada, the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Nunavut,

Nunatsiavut, and Kativik Regional Governments, the community of Kangiqsualujjuaq, and the

Nunavik Research Centre (Makivik Corporation).

The CRI placement in a post-secondary institution allows it to feed societal desire to translate

research and new knowledge into an enriching, stimulating, and innovative training environment.

The CRI is dedicated to training of the next generation of water resources and aquatic science

professionals. To date, the CRI has graduated >70 PhD and MSc students who have gone on to

careers spanning the spectrum of research (university, industry, government, and non-government

agencies), consulting, education (professors, lecturers, instructors, and teachers), and

management (industry, government, and non-government agencies). Each CRI researcher has an

average of 4.5 active graduate students, 0.8 post-doctoral fellows, 1 staff, and 1.5 undergraduates

(in summer programmes, Honours students, or volunteers). In addition, our professional

development training for those already in careers services >200 people and generates >$100,000

in revenues annually.

In September 2008, the CRI will introduce a new undergraduate programme designed to produce

water resources scientists and professionals that have the multi- and inter-disciplinary and cross-

sector training espoused by the CRI and its collaborators, i.e., merging ideas- and needs-based


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science (B.Sc. Environment and Natural Resources in Water Resources Management; UNB

Fredericton). Our next step will be a Masters of Environmental Consulting for Aquatic

Resources. This 1-year, MBA-style programme will train undergraduates and professionals to be

effective as consultants in the environmental impact assessment and monitoring industry. The

programme is a direct response to persistent requests to the CRI from the environmental

consulting industry.

Water is recognized as the commodity of most importance in the 21st Century. The United

Nations has proclaimed the period 2005-2015 as the International Decade for Action on ―Water

for Life‖ with a resolution to maintain a greater focus on water-related issues on all levels and

specifically, pledging to reduce by 50% the proportion of people without sustainable access to

safe drinking water by 2015. Canada has stewardship of 20% of the world‘s fresh water and

Canadian rivers discharge 7% of the world‘s renewable water supply. Despite our vast water

resources, about 60% of Canada's fresh water drains to the north, but 85% of our population lives

within 300 km of the southern border with the United States. The Great Lakes alone provide

drinking water to 9M Canadians. Amazingly, many of our heavily populated areas discharge raw

or primary treated sewage directly to our waters and health problems related to water pollution

are estimated to cost Canadians $300M each year.

Canada is slowly embracing the significance of its water resources and developing plans and

actions to protect both quality and quantity (e.g., EC‘s Threats to Sources of Drinking Water,

Aquatic Ecosystem Health, and Water Availability in Canada). The CRI has and will continue to

benefit Canadians because its founding principle is to provide the science needed to address the

immediacy of this growing societal demand to protect and conserve water resources. The CRI

has created an innovative model that seamlessly merges the ideas-based science of academics

with applied, needs-based technical know-how. The co-location of academic and government

researchers at the CRI is ensuring that the direction of research benefits societal needs and that

the findings are effectively and rapidly communicated to governments for use in policy

development in Canada and globally.

In its short history, the CRI‘s research has transformed regulations in New Brunswick‘s Clean

Water Act and Fish and Wildlife Act as well as the municipal water management plans of the

Cities of Fredericton and North Battleford. CRI researchers were directly involved in the

implementation of the Environmental Effects Regulations for pulp and paper and metal mining

(Canadian Fisheries Act) and remain on the management teams. CRI researchers are active in

many national research programmes such as the Species at Risk Act and Recovery Teams, DFO‘s


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Centre of Expertise on Hydropower Impacts on Fish and Fish Habitat and Centre for Offshore Oil

and Gas Environmental Research, the National Agri-Environmental Standards Initiative of the

Environment Chapter of AAFC's Agricultural Policy Framework, and the Circumpolar

Biodiversity Monitoring Program. A significant portion of CRI research involves collaborations

with industry to transform their activities into sustainable operations that protect the health of

aquatic ecosystems, e.g., J.D. Irving, Limited, Manitoba Hydro, and Diavik Diamond Mines Inc.

In addition, CRI researchers are members of many national working groups on water resources

and aquatic sciences. The CRI team has proven its effectiveness for addressing the water and

aquatic resources needs of Canadians by virtue of this multi- and inter-disciplinary and sector

approach.

The CRI has adopted a Communication Strategy (February 2008) with its main objective to

―position CRI as a centre of excellence for advancing river, estuarine and watershed sciences, and

promoting healthy waterways,‖ with one of its goals to ―ensure that the outcomes of CRI research

are broadly disseminated to both the scientific and non-scientific communities and have a

significant impact on the management of aquatic resources.‖ This is a formalization of the past

and continuing actions of the CRI to transfer its new knowledge rapidly to water and aquatic

resources managers and policy makers.


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Director's Report (2008)

There has been no shortage of exciting initiatives at the Canadian Rivers Institute in the

last few years. A perusal of our web site (that will be re-launched in 2008) shows our expansion

of infrastructure with the opening of a $5M UNB Saint John facility where we focus on aquatic

ecosystem health assessment, fish reproductive physiology, and eco-toxicology, the addition of 2

new Fellows at UPEI and INRS (Mike van den Huevel and André St. Hilaire), training

programmes, web services, and much more. Our statistics for the last few years are impressive:

>$1.5M in research revenues annually, >35 students graduated (PhD, MSc), >40 students in

graduate programmes each year, and >250 peer-reviewed publications.

Our research continues to expand in scope with projects across Canada dealing with

agricultural (chemical use and water abstraction), hydroelectric developments, water supply

issues, biomonitoring in Arctic rivers, and international projects in Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, and

Uruguay. Recognition that our work is growing is demonstrated by Karen Kidd‘s research on the

collapse of a fish population following exposure to a synthetic estrogen being selected by

Discover magazine as one of the top 100 science news stories of 2007.

CRI education and training is expanding as well. We now offer courses for graduate

students and professionals in river habitats, hydraulics, and restoration, electrofishing

certification, and the online training component of Environment Canada‘s Canadian Aquatic

Biomonitoring Network (CABIN). Each year, we generate >$100,000 in course revenues. In the

fall of 2008, our first cohort of undergraduates begins in the new BSc in Environment and Natural

Resources, Water Resources Management Major. Look for more courses and programmes

coming in 2009.

The Stable Isotopes in Nature Laboratory (SINLAB) now has 6 staff and continues to

expand its services to a meet the needs of a large and expanding international clientele comprised

of researchers working in terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems. The CRI Benthic

Macroinvertebrate Laboratory has grown to 6 staff offering taxonomic services to a wide

spectrum of researchers and the private sector. Overall, we generated >$100,000 in consulting

revenues last year.

Our next big challenge is a new research and training facility at UNB Fredericton. To

address our present need and stalled growth, we are working to build a 45,000 sq.ft. complex for

175 researchers, staff, and students.

I am very proud of our continuing contributions to water sciences and management, and

the CRI team is looking forward to continuing to make a significant difference in this important

field within Canada and internationally.

Allen Curry, Director, August 2008


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List of Members of Management Board, Fellows and Associates

Members of Management Board

Gregory Kealey, Chair

Vice-President (Research) and Provost, University of New Brunswick

Alex Bielak

Director, Science and Technology Liaison, S&T Strategies Directorate, Science and Technology

Branch, NWRI, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON

Bill Borland

Vice President, Canadian Federal Programs, AMEC Earth & Environmental, Saint John, NB.

Rick Butts

Science Director, Soil, Water and Air Quality, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Fredericton,

NB.

Peter Cronin

Manager, Fisheries, NB Department of Natural Resources, Fredericton, NB.

Allen Curry

Director, CRI (January 2004-present), University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB.

Susan Farquharson

Executive Director, Southwest New Brunswick, Marine Resources Planning Initiative

Karen Kidd

Treasurer, CRI (January 4006-present), University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB.

David Magee

Dean of Science, UNB Fredericton, Fredericton, NB

Kelly Munkittrick

Associate Director, CRI (January 2001-present), University of New Brunswick, Saint John,

NB.

Ruth Shaw

Dean of Science, Applied Science and Engineering, UNB Saint John, Saint John, NB.

Fred Wrona

Director, Aquatic Ecosystem Impacts Research Division, Water Science and Technology

Directorate, Environment Canada, Victoria, BC.

Sylvain Paradis (ex officio)

Director General, Ecosystem Science, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ottawa, ON.


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Fellows Affiliation Original

Appointment

Date

E-Mail Address

Baird, D.J., Ph.D.

Research Scientist, NWRI,

Environment Canada,

Fredericton, NB;

Visiting Research Professor,

Biology, CRI, UNB

Fredericton

December 6,

2003

[email protected]

Courtenay, S., Ph.D.

Research Scientist, DFO,

Gulf Region;


Biology, CRI, UNB

Fredericton

June 10, 2005 [email protected]

Culp, J. M., Ph.D.

Research Scientist, NWRI,

Environment Canada

Fredericton, NB;


Biology, CRI, UNB

Fredericton

October 28,

2002

[email protected]

Cunjak, R. Ph.D.

Professor, Canada Research

Chair, Biology, CRI, Forestry

& Environmental

Management, UNB

Fredericton

Original

Appointment

[email protected]

Curry, R. A., Ph.D.

Director of CRI; Professor of

Biology and Forestry&

Environmental Management,

UNB, Fredericton, NB

Original

Appointment

[email protected]

Gray, M.A., Ph.D.

CRI Training Coordinator

and Program Development


October 12,

2006

[email protected]

Haralampides, K., Ph.D. Professor of Civil Engineering, UNB,

Fredericton, NB

January 24, 2002 [email protected]

Kidd, K., Ph.D.


Chair, Biology, CRI, UNB,

Saint John, NB

August 27, 2004 [email protected]


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MacLatchy, D.L., Ph.D.

Dean, Faculty of Science,

Wilfred Laurier University,

ON

Original

Appointment

[email protected]

MacQuarrie, K., Ph.D.


Professor of Civil

Engineering, Canada

Research Chair, UNB,

Fredericton, NB

October 18,

2001

[email protected]

Munkittrick, K.R. Ph.D.


Chair, Biology, CRI, UNB,

Saint John, NB

Original

Appointment

[email protected]

Newbury, R.W. Ph.D.

P.Eng.

Engineer and Owner,

Newbury Hydraulics;

Instructor, Stream

Restoration Course

Okanagan Centre, BC


Peake, S. J., Ph.D.

Professor, Biology, CRI



St-Hilaire, A.,Ph.D.

Professor, Chair in Statistical

Hydrology, Université du

Québec, Québec, QC

January 1, 2008 andre_saint-

hilaire@inrs-

ete.uquebec.ca van den Heuvel, M.,Ph.D.

Professor, Canada research

Chair, Biology, CRI, UPEI,

Charlottetown, PEI

October 12,

2006

[email protected]


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Associates Affiliation Original

Appointment

Date

E-Mail Address

Abrahams, M. Ph.D. Prof of Zoology, U.

Manitoba

May 26, 2006

[email protected]

Al, T., PhD. Professor of

Geochemistry, UNB,

Fredericton, NB

October 18, 2001 [email protected]

Anderson, G., Ph.D. Associate Professor,

Zoology, U. Manitoba

May 26, 2006

[email protected]

Aguilar. C.M., Ph.D. Head of Ecology Group,

Centro de Investigaciones

Marinas, University of

Havana, Cuba

Sept. 1, 2008 [email protected]

Beckley, T., Ph.D. Professor of Sociology,

FOREM, UNB

May 26, 2006

[email protected]

Benoy, G., Ph.D. Research Scientist, EC

(NWRI)/ AAFC,

Fredericton, NB

May 26, 2006

[email protected]

Bunn, S., Ph.D. Professor of Biology,

Griffith Univ., Australia


Caissie, D., Ph.D.,

P.Eng.

Fish Habitat Research

Biologist, Department of

Fisheries and Oceans,

Moncton


Chambers, P., Ph.D. Research Scientist, EC

(NWRI Saskatoon)


Clarke, K., M.Sc. Biologist, DFO, St. John's,

NF


Cote, D. Biologist, Parks Canada


Currie, S., Ph.D. Professor of Biology,

Mount. Allison University


Dalton, S., Ph.D. Director, ERSD, Forestry

& Environmental

Management, UNB

Fredericton, NB


Devito, K., Ph.D. Professor of Biology

Hydrogeology, U. Alberta

December 6,

2003

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


13

Dubé, M., Ph.D CRC, Ecotoxicology, U.

Sask.


Frego, Kate, Ph.D. Professor of Biology,

UNB SJ


Glozier , Nancy Aquatic Ecosystem

Scientist, Prairie/Northern,

EC

May 26, 2006

[email protected]

Gonzales-Sanson, G.,

Ph.D.

Director of Cuban

Operational Centre of the

Int‘l Ocean Institute,

Centro de Investigaciones

Marinas, University of

Havana, Cuba


Heard, S., Ph.D. Professor of Biology,



Hewitt, M., Ph.D Research Scientist, EC

(NWRI/CCIW)


Holdway, D., Ph.D. CRC Ecotoxicology,

UOIT, Oshawa, ON


Houlahan, J., Ph.D. Professor of Biology,

UNB SJ, Saint John, NB

December 6,

2003

[email protected]

Hudon, C, Ph.D. Research Scientist, Water

Science and Technology

Directorate, Environment

Canada, St. Lawrence

Centre Montreal, QC


Jackson, L., Ph.D. Professor of Biologist, U.

Calgary, AB


Kieffer, J., Ph.D Professor of Biology,

UNB, Saint John, NB


McMaster, M., Ph.D. Research Scientist, NWRI,

Burlington, ON


Methven, D., Ph.D. Instructor of Biology,

UNB SJ, Saint John, NB

December 6,

2003

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


14

Parker, R., M.Sc Environment Canada,

Fredericton, NB


Parrott, J., Ph.D. Research Scientist, NWRI,

Burlington, ON

June 30, 2003

[email protected]

Peters, Daniel Research Scientist, EC

NWRI-Victoria, BC

October 12,

2006

[email protected]

Post, J., Ph.D. Professor of Biology, U.

Calgary, AB


Randall, R., Ph.D. Section Manager, Fish

Habitat Scientist

Fisheries and Oceans

Canada,Great Lakes Lab

for Fisheries and Aquatic

Sciences

Sept.1, 2008 [email protected]

Roussel, J.-M., Ph.D. Research Scientist,

INRA, Brittany, France


Scrimgeour, G. Ph.D. Aquatic Ecologist, Parks

Canada, Western and

Northern Service Centre,

Calgary, Alta.


Teather, K., Ph.D. Professor of Biology,

UPEI, Charlottetown,

PEI


Van den Brink, P.,

Ph.D.

Senior Science

Researcher, Alterra,

Wageningen University

and Research Centre

May 26, 2006 [email protected]

Van Der Kraak, G.,

Ph.D.

Professor, U Guelph, ON


Wassenaar, Len,

Ph.D.

Research Scientist, EC

(NWRI Saskatoon)


Whoriskey,

Frederick, Jr., Ph.D.

V.P. Research, Atlantic

Salmon Federation

May 26, 2006 [email protected]

Wissink, R., M. Phil. Biologist, Parks Canada, NB

December 6,

2003

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


15

UNB’s Commitment

In 2001, UNB created the Canadian Rivers Institute as its third major institutional research centre. A

Research Institute is the most formal of research groups at UNB—an organization approved and

constituted by the University Senates and the Board of Governors to undertake interdisciplinary research

involving more than one faculty. It is operationally and financially responsible to UNB through the

Vice-President Research. Each institute has a Director appointed by the Board of Governors on the

recommendation of the Vice-President Research and a Management Board to oversee the activities of

the institute. The Management Board is chaired by UNB‘s Vice-President Research and includes two

Deans and representatives of CRI partners in the federal and provincial governments, industry and non-

government agencies. The activities of research institutes must be beneficial to UNB and to the

community as a whole, notably in their orientation to specific problems, capacity to form creative

partnerships inside and outside UNB, capacity to attract supplementary research funding and

contribution to the educational, UNB‘s research and public service missions of UNB. The initial

approval and ongoing management requires a constitution, annual reporting and five-year strategic

management plans that fully describe projected revenues and expenditures, outside financial support, the

net value of the endeavour to the university, staffing plans, space and infrastructure requirements,

milestones and an evaluation of the impact on UNB‘s teaching program.

The CRI was created to advance UNB‘s national and international competitiveness and leadership in the

aquatic sciences. The designation of the CRI as one of only three formal institutes at UNB is indicative

of the university‘s commitment to the initiative. Since its inception, UNB has invested and expanded the

CRI‘s initial team of two professors and two Tier 1 Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) to include five of

the university‘s 18 CRCs and three professors. UNB has provided the research space and associated

operating costs for these people and their programmes i.e. research assistantships to support graduate

students, secretarial, clerical and technical support, library resources, multimedia facilities, networking

support, provision of office and laboratory space as required. In the early years of the CRI, there was no

provincial matching fund program, so UNB also provided $250,000 for the two original CRC CFIs. In

2005, UNB, in partnership with the Province of New Brunswick, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

(ACOA) and Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), built and sustains the operation of a $5M

addition to the KC Irving Building at UNB Saint John for the CRI research team on that campus. UNB

has facilitated the expansion of CRI‘s partnership with Environment Canada and the Department of

Fisheries and Oceans by providing the office and laboratory space for three scientists, five staff and

associated post-doctoral and graduate students. Supporting the physical space also requires support of

research proposals including use of restricted funding allocations to the university (e.g., CRI‘s Stable

Isotopes in Nature Laboratory, R. Cunjak). UNB‘s investment in the CRI has created an institute

generating >$1.5M in research revenue.


16

The need to consolidate and provide space for growth has been evident for several years. In 2006, UNB

commissioned Halifax Global Inc. to prepare a CRI Strategic Business Plan and Financial Model that

identified the necessity of a new state-of-the art facility to consolidate and grow the CRI. Since 2007, a

Special Advisor to the President has been working to implement report recommendations—specifically

the creation of the new CRI facility at UNB Fredericton. The new facility has a structured financial

model including an annual UNB commitment of $1M.

The CRI was created in support of the Global Environment and Resources theme (UNB‘s Strategic

Research Plan) and a commitment to build capacity to sustain UNB‘s global leadership in freshwater

and estuarine ecology, surface and groundwater hydrology and social ecology of natural resources. Our

geography provides us with many research and networking opportunities. These natural geographical

strengths are the basis for this research theme, to which the five CRC Chairs have been allocated to

focus on the ecological health of Canadian rivers while promoting collaboration between the two UNB

campuses and other Maritime universities, governments and community groups. Protecting our supplies

of fresh water, associated marine habitat and fish and wildlife populations are foundational tasks

essential for our people and nation to prosper.


17

Partnerships and Agreements

Research Agreements

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)

A Memorandum of Understanding with the Gulf Region was developed with a goal to promote and

achieve a high level of interaction between the activities of the Oceans and Science Branch, Gulf Region

and CRI on issues including the potential impacts of seafood processing operations and bivalve

aquaculture on estuarine and coastal environments. www.glf.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/

Signing of MOU with DFO, Gulf Region

Environment Canada National Water Research Institute (NWRI) and Environment Canada -

Atlantic Region

Focus: To develop a national focal point for innovation that will be the departmental lead on Cumulative

Effects on Aquatic Biodiversity. From Atlantic Canada, NWRI will lead a multidisciplinary, national

program that bases integrated watershed management on the principles of Cumulative Effects

Assessment research. This research network will create research linkages with the federal government,

universities, the provinces and industry. http://www.nwri.ca/ and http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/

Background:-Jim Jones, Reg‘l Dir. General, DFO; Simon Courtenay, Research Scientist DFO- CRI;

Michael Chadwick, Reg‘l Dir, Science, DFO; Gary Saunders, UNB Biology Chair; Dwight

Ball, Exec. Dir. UNB ORS

Foreground: Greg Kealey, UNB V-P Research; Wendy Watson-Wright, ADM Science, DFO; Allen

Curry, Director, CRI

http://www.glf.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/http://www.nwri.ca/http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/


18

University of Prince Edward Island

Focus: To encourage the exchange of students, faculty members, research fellows and visiting scholars

to facilitate inter-institutional study and research, faculty development and the sharing of joint research

interests. http://www.upei.ca/biology/

Laboratoire d'écologie, INRA, Rennes, France www.rennes.inra.fr

Focus: The areas of cooperation include all programs of mutual interest, especially in the areas of

aquatic ecology and agricultural impacts. The agreement aims to facilitate the exchange of scientists and

the promotion of joint research projects and training programs.

Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center, University of Massachusetts, USA

Focus: To encourage the exchange of graduate students carrying out joint research projects, and to

facilitate inter-institutional research on river hydraulics, fish ecology, and biotelemetry. Research

directed at resolving environmental problems in rivers that border the USA and Canada are of special

interest to both parties.

http://www.lsc.usgs.gov/CAFLindex.asp

Centre for Riverine Landscapes, Griffith University, Australia

Focus: To encourage the exchange of graduate students carrying out joint research projects, to facilitate

inter-institutional research on river ecosystems, and to facilitate teaching of field courses dealing with

issues of mutual interest.

http://www.gu.edu.au/text/centre/riverlandscapes

New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources, NBCFWRU

Focus: The New Brunswick Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (NBCFWRU) was created by

a collaboration of DNR and UNB to provide the science in support of managing and conserving the

freshwater fisheries resources of NB.

http://www.unb.ca/nbcfwru/NBCFWRU.html

New Brunswick Department of Environment, Letter of Cooperation

Focus: To develop a partnership with CRI and its affiliates to provide the Sciences Reporting Branch,

Department of the Environment with information to stay abreast of emerging issues and advances in the

areas of applied surface water research, and to increase scientific collaboration and technology transfer

between the two agencies. http://www.gnb.ca

http://www.upei.ca/biology/file:///C:\Users\hkinnie\Desktop\CRI\www.rennes.inra.frhttp://www.lsc.usgs.gov/CAFLindex.asphttp://www.gu.edu.au/text/centre/riverlandscapeshttp://www.unb.ca/nbcfwru/NBCFWRU.htmlhttp://www.gnb.ca/


19

Partnerships

Canadian Water Network (CWN; an NSERC National Centre of Excellence)

The CWN is a major partner in the Saint John River studies, and supports several partnering studies

http://www.nce.gc.ca/nces-rces/cwn_e.htm

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Maine, USA

We are actively collaborating on research projects related to the Saint John, Androscoggin and

Aroostook Rivers, ME. http://www.maine.gov/dep/index.shtml

Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada

We have initiated research partnerships on the issues of pesticide, erosion, and water abstraction impacts

on river systems, in addition to partnerships in the National Agri-Environmental Standards Initiative.

http://www4.agr.gc.ca/

University of Calgary, Calgary, AB

We are actively collaborating with several key people (Lee Jackson, John Post, Ed McCauley) involved

in the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research. http://www.albertaingenuity.ca

EULA Research Center, Concepcion, Chile

We have begun discussions on collaborations with the EULA centre on research related to the BioBio

River, which has extensive pulp mill and hydroelectric development, similar to the Saint John River.

http://www.eula.cl

Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, Universidad de La Habana, Havana, Cuba

We have a number of active collaborations with this group related to environmental assessment and

monitoring of river discharge impacts on coral reefs and nearshore areas.

http://www.gulfbase.org/organization/view.php?oid=cim

http://www.nce.gc.ca/nces-rces/cwn_e.htmhttp://www.maine.gov/dep/index.shtmlhttp://www4.agr.gc.ca/http://www.albertaingenuity.ca/http://www.eula.cl/http://www.gulfbase.org/organization/view.php?oid=cim


20

New Developments at the Canadian Rivers Institute

2008 Launch of Saint John River Atlas

The CRI launched the Saint John River Atlas, which provides on-line access to environmental,

biological and social information for the Saint John River, New Brunswick.

http://cri.nbwaters.unb.ca/sjratlas/site/index.castle. The site includes interactive and published maps,

time series data, scientific reports and publications. The Saint John River Atlas is a collaborative

initiative between the Canadian Rivers Institute, NB Department of Natural Resources, NB Department

of the Environment, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and various conservation and environmental

organizations throughout the watershed. Funding was provided by GeoConnections Canada, NB

Environmental Trust Fund, NB Wildlife Trust Fund, and the Province of New Brunswick.

New CRI building in Saint John (13 October, 2006)

The new Canadian Rivers Institute building on the UNB Saint John campus was officially opened on

October 13, 2006. Dr. Kathryn Hamer emceed the event, at which speakers included: Dr. Ed Doherty

(Minister of Postsecondary Education, Training and Labour), Dr. Allen Curry (Director of CRI), Dr.

Greg Kealey (VP Research, UNB) and Mr. Hermel Vienneau (New Brunswick VP of ACOA). When the

speeches and official ribbon cutting were officially over, about 50 guests from the university and region

toured the building.

Funded by CFI, ACOA, the province of New Brunswick and UNB Saint John, the Institute is the new

home of Fellows Karen Kidd, Kelly Munkittrick, and Associates Jeff Houlahan and Jim Kieffer. Offices

for CRI's visiting researchers, Environment Canada partners, and United Nations University staff are

also located here. Collaborative research space includes: Environmental Physiology and Ecotoxicology

Lab, Environmental Chemistry Lab, GIS and Modeling Lab, Incubator Lab, Flume Room, four Aquatic

Holding Rooms, four Aquatic Bioassay Rooms, Dissection and Tissue Preparation Lab, and Field

Transition and Storage Area. Graduate and undergraduate student offices are associated with each of the

lab areas. The collaborative research space and co-location of students and researchers provides a

dynamic and interactive research environment.

http://cri.nbwaters.unb.ca/sjratlas/site/index.castle


21

Canadian Rivers Institute Building in Saint John

Harrison McCain Visiting Professorship

In 2007, UNB introduced the Harrison McCain Visiting Professorships. The first selected professor was

Dr. Gaspar González-Sansón of the Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, Universidad de La Habana,

Havana, Cuba, and long time colleague of the CRI and now associate fellow. Gaspar spent 4 months

working in the CRI labs at UNB and visiting lab of associates across Canada.

CRI Retreats

The CRI held its inaugural annual retreat at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in St. Andrews,

October 21-22, 2006. Over 50 graduate students, technicians, Associates, and Fellows from New

Brunswick, PEI, and Quebec, as well as our Hynes lecturer, Judy Meyer from Georgia, attended. On

Saturday, the group took part in an interactive and engaging discussion about the importance of (and

sometimes incidents associated with!) communicating science to the public (thanks to Alex Bielak from

Environment Canada for a thought-provoking presentation). With communication skills accordingly

enhanced, the group then tackled a discussion on the philosophy of science (led by Allen Curry and

creatively encouraged by Kelly Munkittrick and Jeff Houlahan).


22

Don McAlpine from the New Brunswick Museum also gave an insightful talk on museum collections

and their importance in research programs, and motivated several graduate students to go on tours of the

museum‘s archives. The evening was set aside for socializing, and socialize we did! Spurred on by the

previous day‘s discussion of communication, the next morning found several people attending a media

training course held by Dan Tanaka of UNBSJ.

October 13- 14, 2007: 2nd

Annual Retreat, St. Andrew‘s, NB

At our second annual student-focused retreat, we spent the morning learning how to "Communicating

with Insight" with Michael McLean. The workshop produce personality profiles for everyone and then

we discussed how to work/communicate/collaborate with different personalities in any workplace.

Later, there was an update on CRI activities and the results of our CRI survey (Allen Curry and Michelle

Gray) and then an engaging panel discussion on "Community Engagement/Activism" and the

importance and ways that scientists can get involved outside of the work environment chaired by Bob

Newbury (Hynes Lecturer) and CRI Board members Sue Farquharson and Bill Borland.

Conferences/Events Held

Canadian Rivers Institute Symposium, Wu Conference Centre, UNB Fredericton, June 4, 2008.

CRI Day has become part of RiverFest in collaboration with the Saint John River Society. 75 attendees,

including representatives from the educational community, private industry, government departments,

participated in this event featuring many topics such as: measuring riverine community metabolism

using stable oxygen isotopes; new Saint John River Atlas; fish responses to oil refinery effluent;

response of mummichog and fathead minnow exposes to pulp mill effluent in adult reproductive tests;

aquatic food sources in Bay of Fundy river systems; evidence for lunar spawning in northern

mummichog held in the laboratory; analyzing the effects of artificial nutrient fertilization on the

productivity of inner Bay of Fundy streams; nutrient masking of contaminant effects; identifying

patterns in the climatic and hydrological regimes of small rivers; groundwater availability in the Canaan-

Washademoak watershed; use of the estuarine fish (mummichog) as an indicator species for

environmental effects monitoring; effects of agriculturally-dervied nitrite on the estuarine food web-

structure and fish community of PEI; environmental factors structuring the Northumberland Straight fish

community.

13th

Canadian CF-IRMS Workshop, Wu Conference Centre, UNB Fredericton, June 24-27, 2007.

The Continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry workshop was hosted by the Stable Isotopes in

Nature Laboratory in 2007. The CF-IRMS workshop is an international forum involving experienced

and novice CF-IRMS users where emerging applications and technical developments in CF-IRMS are


23

discussed. The organizing and committee chair was Anne McGeatchy, SINLAB Manager. The

workshop was organized with introductory workshops intended for novice users. The workshop topics

included an introduction to stable isotopes, and detailed information on the theory and use of various

peripheral continuous flow equipment as requested by the attendees. A manufacturers‘ forum

highlighted new developments in CF-IRMS technology, and often provided information on how to solve

technical difficulties associated with the CF-IRMS equipment and software. Oral presentations were

made on SIA applications by distinguished researchers, from a wide variety of disciplines. Graduate

students also present their findings during the session and compete for a student prize. The final day

involved equipment demonstrations and laboratory tours of the Stable Isotopes in Nature Laboratory

(SINLAB) and other UNB facilities.

Having the 13th CF-IRMS workshop was an excellent opportunity to showcase the research expertise

and facilities (e.g., SINLAB) at the University of New Brunswick. There was a wide ranging

background amongst the 60 workshop delegates including: graduate students, research scientists,

engineers, and technical staff from private, academic, and government laboratories. The delegates were

from 5 countries, 8 Canadian Provinces, and 17 US States. Holding the workshop at The University of

New Brunswick was evidence of recognition for the research being carried out at this institution, and

brought UNB to the attention of the international isotopic community.

Healthy Watersheds – Healthy Fisheries, Hugh John Fleming Forestry Complex, Fredericton,

March 29-30, 2007. A jointly sponsored workshop with NB Departments of Natural Resources and

Environment, Agriculture Canada, NB Wildlife Trust Fund, and the Atlantic Salmon Federation. The

workshop was attended by>100 individuals and various organizations interested in improving and

maintaining the quality of watersheds. There were presentations by expert guest speakers, resource

managers, and watershed leaders that described the functions and values of a healthy watershed. The

goal was to assist community and regulatory planners to develop a Watershed Plan specific to their own

geographical area and interests.

Canadian Rivers Institute Symposium, Wu Conference Centre, UNB Fredericton, May 18, 2006.

Over 70 participants heard and read posters on topics such as: interactions structuring fish assemblages

in Catamaran Brook; movements and behavior by juvenile Atlantic Salmon in relation to ice conditions

in small rivers in Canada and Norway; Downstream movement and migratory success of Atlantic

Salmon smolts in relation to ectoparasitism in three watersheds in New Brunswick and Quebec; spatial

scale and development of a fish sampling protocol in Saint John Harbour; methods to derive pressure

sensitivity information using biomonitoring and distributional data; New Brunswick‘s water

classification-an environmental program using benthic and macroinvertebrate communities; nutrient


24

status variability in the Kennebecasis and Nashwaak Watersheds; responses of fish and invertebrate

populations to industrial and municipal effluents in the upper Saint john River; status and nutrient

loading on the Saint John River; mercury in streams and rivers; the response of fish to exposures to oil

refinery effluent; recovery from exhaustive exercise in brook trout; growth rates of American eels in

relation to habitat; influence of suspended oyster aquaculture on estuarine benthic communities;

aquaculture waste from freshwater cage cultures-is it a sources of food for native biota.

Atlantic Canada Coastal and Estuarine Science Society (ACCESS), Workshop and Annual

General Meeting, Wu Conference Centre, UNB Fredericton, May 16-18, 2006. This annual meeting

was held in conjunction with CRI Day (May 18) and the two meeting were titled: ―Rivers are connected

to the sea – and it does matter‖ and ―The connectivity of Maritime aquatic habitats‖. The themes of the

ACCESS meeting were the trials and tribulations of estuary and lagoon living, life goes on beyond the

barrier islands, and aquaculture-the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Linking Watersheds Workshop: Integrated Water Basin Management, Wu Conference Centre,

UNB Fredericton, February 26, 2006. The workshop was jointly coordinated by the Canadian Water

Network (CWN), the United Nations University International Network on Water, Environment and

Health (UNU-INWEH), and the Canadian Rivers Institute (CRI). The overall goal was to create inter-

basin partnerships, expand partnerships within basins by creating a standardized set of information for

our studies to collect, and basin-specific research priorities. At the workshop, representatives from 12

countries discussed research approaches and methods, contrasted data requirements and investigative

objectives in a series of watersheds with varying political and regulatory environments; and the key

tools used in watershed management planning.


25

H.B.N. Hynes River Lecture Series

Every fall, the Canadian Rivers Institute hosts the H.B.N. Hynes Lecture series and brings a researcher

who is internationally renowned in aquatic sciences to the University of New Brunswick.

We were pleased to have Dr. Robert (Bob) Newbury, Ph.D., P.Eng.,

Fellow of the Canadian Rivers Institute, and President of Newbury

Hydraulics Engineering, as our 5th annual Hynes Lecturer in October

2007. Dr. Newbury‘s lectures were: Restoring Rivers for Fish and

Fishers (UNBF) which examined the water conditions that fish and

aquatic insects interpret and adapt to with remarkable skill and which

are used strategically used by insects and fish for migration,

spawning, feeding and resting; Stream Restoration Science - New

Blends of Old Wine (UNBSJ) which showed how the present uncomplicated hydraulic theory for

uniform and rapidly-varied river flow is derived from many observations and experiments carried out in

the 18th century.The early science and contemporary observations were presented and then illustrated in

a few examples of restoring fish habitats and migration in channelized and dammed streams.

Dr. Judy Meyer, Professor of Ecology from the University of

Georgia, was our 4th Annual Hynes Lecturer in October 2006. Her

public lecture was entitled ―Birthplaces of Rivers: The Diversity,

Destruction, and Restoration of Headwater Streams‖ and was held on

Thursday, October 19th,

at 7 pm in the Hazen Hall Lecture Theatre at

UNBSJ. This lecture described the impacts that human activities are

having on streams and some of the ways that we can restore the

health of these systems in New Brunswick. It was exceptionally well attended by members of the public

(> 90 people) and generated a lot of interest during and after her visit. She also gave a science lecture on

the Fredericton campus on Friday, October 20th in Loring Bailey Hall 146; this talk was entitled

―Forest-stream Linkages in an Urbanizing Landscape.‖ and was also very well attended (> 100 people)

by the scientific community and members of the public.

Dr. Meyer joined the faculty at the University of Georgia in 1977 where she has focused her research on

nutrient pollution in streams and rivers, on the natural processes that maintain water quality, and on the


26

effects that development and water management have on aquatic systems. She has been heavily involved

in public education, has worked with numerous conservation organizations, and has targeted much of

her research towards addressing issues of concern to these groups and to the general public. She has also

been a consistent and effective advocate for streams and has provided her expertise on issues such as the

importance of wetlands and small streams to the health of river networks, the importance of stream

buffer zones to native fish, the impacts of logging on water quality, and the effects of lawn and

agricultural fertilizers and pesticides on streams to numerous groups. The faculty, staff, and graduate

students of the Canadian Rivers Institute and the University of New Brunswick really benefited from her

expertise and insights during her visit, and were inspired by her enthusiasm and commitment to

improving water quality.

We were pleased to bring Dr. N. LeRoy Poff to UNB Fredericton and UNB

Saint John in October 2005 as the third annual H.B.N. Hynes Lecturer. Dr.

Poff is an Associate Professor in the Biology Department at Colorado State

University. On October 13th, spoke at UNB Saint John on ―Using Species

Traits to Explain Lotic Community Response to Multi-Scaled

Environmental Gradients.‖ He gave a public lecture at UNB Fredericton on

―Homogenization of Hydrologic Landscapes – Implications for Riverine

Biodiversity and Resilience.‖ Dr. Poff studies the structure and function of

river and stream ecosystems and how changes in habitat (such as flow),

land-use patterns, and climate affect aquatic communities. For more information on Dr. Poff, view his

web site at rydberg.biology.colostate.edu/~poff/.


27

International and Field Courses

Backpack Electrofishing Certificate

Background instructional and examination materials (web-based course tools) with a 1-day, in-field

training component. Ongoing, with 70 students each year. Fredericton and other locations as required by

organizations requesting this service course. Instructors: Dr. Michelle Gray and Mark Gautreau

Biological Monitoring of Pulp Mill Effluents

Standardize approach and sampling protocols for EEM. Uruguay, January 2006. Instructor: Dr. Kelly

Munkittrick (Students: 25).

Human Impacts on Coral Reefs of Cuba

Undergraduate level course (UNB‘s BIOL 4373) examining the impacts of humans on the coral reefs of

Cuba, joint with the University of Havana. Havana, April 2005 and 2007. Instructors: Dr. Allen Curry,

Gaspar González-Sansón, Consuelo Aguilar, and Kelly Munkittrick (Students: 15 Canadians and 10

Cubans)

Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN)

Starting in April 2008, this is a new on-line national training program for Environment Canada‘s

CABIN programme - a national, collaborative program and network for collecting, assessing and

distributing information on the biological condition and biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems in Canada.

The development of CABIN began over 10 years ago through extensive biological assessments in the

Great Lakes and the Fraser River of British Columbia. As a national program, CABIN is maintained by

Environment Canada (EC) to establish a network of reference sites available to all users interested in

assessing the biological health of fresh water in Canada. CABIN provides participants with a nationally

standardized protocol for the collection of benthic macroinvertebrate and stream information that is then

shared in the network using online tools. Partnering with other agencies and departments allows

everyone to get the ultimate product at a fraction of the cost. This data sharing is also useful for future

projects as historical data is beneficial to understanding current trends. CABIN includes internet-based

tools for storing, assessing and reporting data available to trained network participants. It is a network of

networks with participation from diverse organizations - from community groups for local watershed

monitoring to national biodiversity and risk assessment studies.

The national CABIN team of Environment Canada in partnership with the Canadian Rivers Institute

(CRI) at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) has developed a new online training program to

provide interested participants with a nationally standardized protocol for aquatic biomonitoring. The


28

new program will consist of 5 on-line learning modules followed by a short 2-day certification

workshop.

Canadian Water Network, Graduate Student Watershed Course

2005. Along the Fraser River, BC; Instructors: Dr. Kelly Munkittrick, co-taught (Students: 30)

2006. Along the Saint John, NB; Instructors: Dr. Kelly Munkittrick, co-taught (Students: 30)

Ecological Risk Assessment

2006. Guadalajara, Mexico. Instructor: Dr. Kelly Munkittrick (Students: 30)

2008. Guadalajara, Mexico, Instructors: Drs. Kelly Munkittrick and Karen Kidd (Students: 30)

Monitoring the Effects of Multiple Stressors in River Systems

2005. Concepcion, Chile; Instructor: Dr. Kelly Munkittrick, co-taught (Students: 18)

Pulp Mill Industry and its Impact on Aquatic Ecosystems.

2006. Concepcion, Chile; Instructors: Dr. Kelly Munkittrick, co-taught (Students: 25).

Practical Multivariate Analysis for Biologists

A 1-day in-class workshop held at UNB Fredericton, January 9, 2007. Instructor: Dr. Nelli Horrigan,

Post-doctoral Fellow, CRI (Students: 35)

River Habitats and Hydraulics. Field Course. (BIOL 6183 / CE 6414)

A full credit field course to provide theoretical and practical understanding of the hydrology and ecology

of natural, large river ecosystems; interdisciplinary focus of abiotic-biotic interactions via group and

individual study; fluvial geomorphology, open-channel hydraulics, environmental perturbations, habitat

survey and sampling design, fish/invertebrate identification and ecology, fish habitat requirements,

nutrient/trophic dynamics, impact assessment and river habitat restoration. Emphasis will be on the

conservation of river environments as unique, complex ecosystems by using a catchment (landscape)

perspective. Rotating locations in western and eastern Canada.

2005, Kananaskis, AB: Instructors: Drs. Cunjak, Newbury, Craig (Students:15)

2006, Fundy National Park, Drs. Cunjak, Newbury, Craig (Students:18)

2007, Kananaskis, AB; Instructors: Drs. Cunjak, Newbury, Craig (Students:12).


29

Stream Restoration Design and Monitoring

The first offering as a CRI course was June, 2007. Lead Instructor: Dr. Bob Newbury, Newbury

Hydraulics, CRI Fellow, coordinated and co-taught by Dr. M. Gray with lectures by Kelly Munkittrick,

Allen Curry, Joseph Culp, and Steve Peake (Students: 25)

Using Small-bodied Fish Species in Environmental Monitoring.

2005. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Conference. Instructors: Dr. Kelly

Munkittrick co-taught (Students: 25)

The United Nations Integrated Water Resources Management Diploma.

Students earn United Nations Integrated Water Resources Management Diploma through the Canadian

Rivers Institute. The programme consists of 9, 25-hour e-learning courses and a final face-to-face on-

campus course (ongoing: currently 6 students enrolled).


30

Location of CRI Members and Associated Research Projects within Canada

Locations of CRI Members and associated research projects within Canada.


31

Canada Research Chair

Funding Amount Source CRI Personnel

Tier I Canada Research

Chair in River Ecosystem

Science , UNB

(Jan. 1, 2001, Renewed Jan.

1, 2008).

A detailed assessment of the

aquatic habitats of the Atlantic

Salmon population in New

Brunswick's rivers and bays.

$ 200,000/yr NSERC Cunjak

Tier II Canada Research

Chair, UNB

(2004-2009)

Canada Research Chair in

Chemical Contamination of

Food Webs.

$100,000/yr NSERC Kidd


Chair, UNB

(2003-2007)


Groundwater-Surface Water

Interaction.

$100,000/yr NSERC MacQuarrie

Tier I Canada Research

Chair in Ecosystem Health

Assessment UNB

Jan. 1, 2001, Renewed Jan.

1, 2008. Study of the fish populations

of the Saint John River and

the effects of industrial and

urban effluents.

$200,000/yr NSERC Munkittrick


Chair, UPEI

(Sept. 2005 –2010)


Watershed Ecological

Integrity.

$100,000/yr NSERC Van den Heuvel


32

Research Funding Amount Source CRI Fellows (in bold)

Agriculture and Agri-

Food Canada

(2004-2006)

Effects of Water Level

Changes on Stream Biota

in PEI.

250,000 Agriculture and

Agrifood Curry, Baird, Culp

Canadian Water

Network (2006-2008) The development of a

framework for

assimilative capacity of

the Saint John River.

$360,000 Canadian Water

Network (CWN) Munkittrick et. al

City of North Battleford

Saskatchewan:

Implications for Well

Performance

(2007-2008) Groundwater

flow characterization for

Research Wells 1 and 2.

$35,000

City of North

Battleford

Saskatchewan

MacQuarrie

Diavik Diamond Mines

Inc. (2005-2006) Health

and Fish Population

Assessment in Lac de

Gras, NT.

$ 129,000 Diavik Diamond

Mines Inc. Gray, Curry, Munkittrick

International Polar Year

Funds (2007-20011)

Climate variability and

change effects on char in

the arctic.

$2,000,000 Int‘l Polar Year

Funds

Reist, Muir,

Wrona,Dempson,Power,Halden,Bell,

Doige, Kidd

Environment Canada

Clean Air Regulatory Agenda Mercury Science

Program (2008-2011)

This study is improving

the understanding of

mercury contamination in

Canadian freshwaters.

$1,025,000 CARA Mercurial

Science Program

Burgess, Fournier, Champoux,

Scheuhammer, Tuominen,

Campbell, Kidd.


33

Environment Canada

Clean Air Regulatory Agenda Mercury Science

Program (2008-2011)

Trends of mercury

deposition and

bioaccumulation

downwind of major

Canadian emission

sources inferred from

sediment cores and food

webs.

$455,000 CARA Mercurial

Science Program

Muir, Evans, Jackson,Yang, Wang,

Burgess, Campbell, Hintelmann,

O‘Driscoll, Kidd, Sanei, Goodarzi

Environment Canada

Biomonitoring and

biodiversity assessment.

$140,000 Environment Canada Baird

Geoconnections

(2007-2008)

Atlas of the Saint John

River.

$98,000 Geoconnections Curry

Grand Lake Meadows

Endowment Fund

Biodiversity and

monitoring of

invertebrates in Grand

Lake Meadows.

$10,000 GLM Fund Baird, Curry

Grand Lake Meadows

Endowment Fund

Biodiversity inventory of

Grand Lake Meadows

wetlands.

$12,000 GLM Fund Baird

Manitoba Hydro

(2007 – 2013)

Award approved: Sept

2006.

Ecology and habitat use

by lake sturgeon in the

Winnipeg River.

$1,560,000 Man. Hydro Peake

National Agri-

Environmental

Standards Initiative

(2004-2008)

Development of instream

flow standards for small

agricultural watersheds.

$645,000

Agriculture and Agri-

Food Canada

(AAFC)

Baird, Peters


34

National Agri-

Environmental


(2006-2008)

Development of

suspended and bedded

sediment standards for

agricultural watersheds.

$320,000

National Agri-

Environmental


Culp, Benoy

NSERC Collaborative

Research Development

Proposal with JD Irving,

Ltd. (2003-2007) An

ecohydraulics approach to

increasing riverine

production of wild

Atlantic salmon.

$227,000 NSERC Cunjak, Haralampides

NSERC Collaborative

Research Development

with Miramar Mining

Corporation (2007-2008)

The effect of anadromous

Arctic charr on food web

structure and contaminant

bioaccumulation in coastal

Arctic lakes.

$64,500 NSERC CRD Kidd

NSERC Discovery Grant

(2005-2010) A unified

approach to predict

combined effects of

natural and anthropogenic

stressors on aquatic

invertebrates.

$108,000 NSERC Baird

NSERC Discovery Grant

(2004-2009)

Ecological Assessment of

Benthic Food Webs in

Large Rivers.

$89,000 NSERC Culp

NCE /NSERC

(01,2005-12, 2006)

Canadian Water

Network

Saint John River Studies.

$30,000 NSERC, CWN Curry


35

NCE /NSERC

(2001-2006) Collaborative

Mercury Research

Network (COMERN).

$24,000 NSC/NSERC Cunjak

NSERC (International

Polar Year)

(2007- 2012)

Arctic Bionet.

$505,000 NSERC/Environment

Canada Baird, Curry, Wrona, Culp

NSERC

(2006-2010)

Thermal Regime of

Rivers.

$15,500 NSERC Curry

NSERC Special

Research Opportunity

With Université du

Québec and McGill

Probabilistic climate

change scenarios.

$60,000/yr NSERC St. Hilaire

NSERC Strategic Grant

(2009-20012)

Manipulative whole pond

experiments to examine

the ecosystem-level

effects of pesticide

applications.

$584,000 NSERC Houlahan, Kidd, Trudeau, Pauli,

Thompson

NSERC Strategic Grant

(2009-2011)

Yr. 1

$168,069

Yr. 2

$182, 894

Yr. 3

$149, 810

NSERC

Barbeau(lead), Haralampides,

Hamilton, Watmough, Wang,

Addison

NSERC

(2005-2010)

Numerical modelling of

groundwater-surface water

interactions.

$140,000 NSERC MacQuarrie

NSERC

(2005-2008)

Nitrogen fluxes from

watersheds to nutrient-

sensitive estuaries.



36

NSERC

(2004-2007)

GeoTopo3D:

Development of a 3D

modelling platform for

exploration, assessment

and efficient management

of mineral, petroleum and

groundwater resources.


NSERC

(2003-2006)

Evaluation of the fate of

landfill and manure

nitrogen in groundwater

and surface water using

environmental isotopes.


NSERC

(2005-2009)

Ecology and habitat use

by lake sturgeon in the

Winnipeg River.

$878,000 NSERC Peake

New Brunswick

Environmental Trust

Fund (2004-2005) Nutrient status of Saint

John River.

$15,000 NB ETF Culp, Curry

New Brunswick

Environmental Trust

Fund (2005-2007)

Cumulative effects

assessment of

hydroelectric discharge

and nutrient loading on St.

John River ecosystem

health.

$25,000 NB ETF Culp, Curry

New Brunswick

Environmental Trust

Fund (2006-2007)

Assessment of mercury

levels in New Brunswick

waterways.

$19,500 NB ETF Kidd


37

New Brunswick

Environmental Trust

Fund

(01,2006-12,2007)

$25,000 NB ETF Curry

New Brunswick

Environmental Trust

Fund

Benthic Specialist

(o1,2005-12, 2006)

$45,000 NB ETF Curry

New Brunswick

Innovation Fund (01,

2007-12, 2007)

Modeling River

Temperature.

$10,000 NBIF Curry

New Brunswick

Innovation Fund

The Green Power of Blue:

Environmentally

Responsible Tidal Power.

$10,000 NBIF Haralampides

New Brunswick Wildlife

Trust Fund (2008)

Mercury. Contaminants

in brook trout and their

implications for the use

and management of NB

lakes.

$10,000 NBWTF Kidd


Trust Fund (2008)

Fisheries Research and

Education: The Catamaran

Brook Project.

$16,500 NBWTF Cunjak


Trust Fund

(01,2005-12, 2006)

Redbreast Sunfish Survey.

$12,000 NBWTF Curry

Norwegian Research

Council. Collaborative

Project with SINTEF

Energy (Norway) and

DFO (NF). (2002-2006) Project title: Effects of

winter and ice conditions

on Atlantic salmon.

$127,000 Norwegian Research

Council Cunjak


38

Nuclear Waste

Management

Organization (2006-

2007)

Reactive transport

modelling–sedimentary

rock review.

$62,000

Nuclear Waste

Mangement

Organization MacQuarrie

Parks Canada

Cape Breton Highlands

Park biomonitoring study.

$4,000 Parks Canada Baird

Pest Sciences Fund

(2004-2008)

Ecological risk assessment

of pesticide mixtures:

extrapolating laboratory

results to mesocosm and

aquatic ecosystems using

realistic Canadian mixture

scenarios.

$260,000 Pest Sciences Fund Culp, Baird, Liber, Cessna

Portuguese Research

Council Collaborative

Project with University

of Aveiro

(2003-2007)

Predation-pesticide

interactions in stream

invertebrates.

$56,000 Portuguese Research

Council (FCT) Baird, Soares

Portuguese Research

Council Collaborative

Project with Univeristy

of Aveiro and Univ.

Nacional Costa Rica

(UNA) (2004-2008)

Response of invertebrate

communities to agriculture

stressor gradients in 3

bioregions.

$82,000

Portuguese Research

Council

(FTC)

Baird, Soares, Castillo

PEI Environment

Department (2004-2006) Understanding the

potential impacts of

surface and ground water

withdrawal on stream

ecosystems of Prince

Edward Island.

$200,000 PEI Environment

Department

Culp, Baird, Liber, Cessna


39

Saint John Port

Authority

(2008-2009)

Year 1

$208,000

Year 2

229, 700

NSERC CRD

Applied for to

support Yrs 2 &3

Haralampides, with Courtenay, St.

Hilaire, Munkittrick, Hughes-

Clarke (UNB GGE)


40

Fellows

Donald Baird

Fellow, Canadian Rivers Institute (2003-Present)

Research Scientist, National Water Research Institute,

Environment Canada

Research Professor, Canadian Rivers Institute, University of

New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB

http://www.unb.ca/cri/baird_home.htm

Research Update

Since 2003, Dr. Baird has been employed as a Research

Scientist with the National Water Research Institute of Environment Canada, where his responsibilities

include developing the science component of CABIN, Canada‘s aquatic biomonitoring information

network (http://cabin.cciw.ca), and developing a national aquatic biodiversity strategy for the

department. In addition, he is involved in ongoing research into the development of ecohydrology

standards in agricultural watersheds (active research in Okanagan (BC) watersheds). His primary

research interests include the study of watershed patterns in aquatic biodiversity and the influence of

landscape stressors on resident biota. He has previously worked on a variety of taxa groups from

flatworms to fish, and in a variety of habitats from wetlands, lakes and rivers to coastal marine systems.

His current research concerns freshwater invertebrates, with dragonflies as a particular focus. In

particular, he is currently

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