11th Annual World Wetlands Day Research Symposium at the University of Waterloo
About World Wetlands Day
World Wetlands Day (WWD) is celebrated each year on February 2nd, which marks the day when the Convention on Wetlands was adopted in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran. The Convention is an international government agreement acknowledging the importance of wetlands and plays a central role in the wise use and conservation of these critical ecosystems. To learn more about the Convention, visit: https://www.ramsar.org/.
The University of Waterloo’s WWD event was held in person at Federation Hall on February 1st, 2023 at 5:00 pm until 8:30 pm EST.
The event will consist of a poster session and reception followed by a distinguished lecture by Dr. Line Rochefort and a panel discussion from wetland expert panelists on the topic of Wetland Restoration moderated by Dr. Rochefort.
Recording of Lecture and Panel
The schedule for this event was:
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 5:00 - 5:10 | Introduction and Land Acknowledgment |
| 5:10 - 6:45 | Poster Session and Reception |
| 7:00 - 7:45 | Distinguished Public Lecture by Dr. Line Rochefort |
| 7:45 - 8:30 | Panel Q&A: Wetland Restoration |
List of Posters presented:
|
Name |
Title of Poster | |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Jordan Thakar |
The Influence of Mine Tailing Atmospheric Deposition on Boreal Peatland Metal Availability and Microbial Community Composition. |
|
2 |
Katie Hettinga |
The mobilization of metals from mine tailings stimulates microbial communities in peatlands |
|
3 |
Veronica Santia |
Quantifying Litterfall in Southern Ontario Peat Swamps |
|
4 |
Saraswati Saraswati |
Using Isothermal Microcalorimetry to Assess the Degradability of Soil Organic Matter in Wetlands |
|
5 |
Marissa Davies |
Synthesis of Soil Properties on Seismic Lines in Northern Alberta |
|
6 |
Md Abdus Sabur |
Carbon Budget of an Urban Stormwater Pond Located in Richmond Hill, ON, Canada |
|
7 |
Navya V Nair |
Linking Coastal Wetlands & Water Quality for Viable Small-Scale Fisheries |
|
8 |
Ruyel Miah |
A governability framework for small-scale fisheries vulnerability to viability transition |
|
9 |
Jovana Radosavljevic |
Salinization enhances eutrophication symptoms in a cold temperate urban lake |
|
10 |
Nazia Tabassum |
Effect of seismic lines on peatland carbon cycling |
|
11 |
Oluwabamise Afolabi |
Modelling the impacts of climate change on temperate swamp carbon cycling |
|
12 |
Tasha-Leigh Gauthier |
Sphagnum Functional Traits: A Framework For Assessing Peatland Restoration Success |
|
13 |
Miranda Hunter |
Hydrologic conditions and substrate quality control carbon emissions from peatlands under active extraction |
|
14 |
Maryam Bayatvarkeshi |
The impact of seismic lines on water balance in the Boreal region: Evapotranspiration |
|
15 |
Megan Schmidt |
Retained Vegetation Improves Carbon Uptake Post-Seismic Line Restoration |
|
16 |
Emilie Montreuil Strub |
Survivorship of freshwater benthic grazer, Planorbella pilsbryi, remains unaffected by microplastics consumption". |
|
17 |
Maha Abdelbaset |
Livelihood Resilience of Small Scale Fisheries in the Context of COVID-19 Impacts |
|
18 |
Carissa MacKenzie |
Microbial function in a novel peatland restoration project |
|
19 |
Emma Sherwood |
Can remote sensing-based peat depth mapping be used to predict areas vulnerable to high-severity smouldering? |
|
20 |
Emma Wegener |
Comparing wildfire recovery in a bog and a fen in Fort McMurray, Alberta |
|
21 |
Thu Hang Nguyen |
Microplastics pollution: stormwater pond sediments as archives of microplastic catchment loads |
|
22 |
Arisha Imran |
What the flood is going on? Characterizing legacy effects of large-scale flooding on open-water wetlands in a northern delta |
|
23 |
Yinghao Song |
Imitating Pescatourism in Coastal Villages to Balance Overfishing Limitations and Fishermen's Livelihood |
|
24 |
Akash Kar |
Ecosystem-Based Approach Towards Fishery Management in Southern Lake Malawi |
|
25 |
Nilushika Gamage |
Transition from Vulnerability to Viability of Small-scale Fisheries in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) |
|
26 |
Ali Reza Shahvaran |
Detecting eutrophication from space: performance assessment of semi-empirical Chl-a retrieval algorithms and atmospheric correction modules for oligo-mesotrophic waters |
|
27 |
Claire Schon |
Biocontrol of an invasive wetland grass: Multi-agent release comparison |
|
28 |
Happiness Chukwuemeka |
Value chain and vulnerability in small scale fishing communities |
|
29 |
Christina Bao |
Assessing changes in peatland plant community function following seismic line disturbance (IN3C) |
|
30 |
Serghei Bocaniov |
A mass-balance modeling of phosphorus to enhance eutrophication management in a complex multi-basin lake system (Lake St. Clair - Lake Erie). |
|
31 |
Meredith Watson |
Evaluating temporal changes of microplastic abundance and composition in the Grand River Watershed (GRW) via analyses of sediment cores |
|
32 |
Laura Anderson |
Characterizing the vulnerability of shallow ponds to climate warming in the whooping crane's summer breeding range (Alberta-NWT) using paleolimnological approaches |
The confirmed speakers for this event were as follows:
Distinguished Lecturer: Dr. Line Rochefort, Université Laval (https://www.gret-perg.ulaval.ca/team/)
In 1992-1993 Line Rochefort founded the Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG). This group brings together researchers from several universities, industrial partners and federal and provincial government agencies, creating a fertile and stimulating field of exchange for students and researchers. Line Rochefort has been the instigator of a new field of research in Canada's peat industry, namely the development of peatland restoration techniques after peat extraction. Sphagnum peatland restoration is now used not only in North America, but also in South America, Japan, Australia and Europe. Line Rochefort is also the instigator of Sphagnum farming projects in Canada. Her professional and academic career led her to visit and evaluate, as an expert, a wide range of wetland restoration projects in more than 40 countries.
From 2003 to 2018, Ms. Rochefort has worked closely with the Canadian peat industry as the NSERC Industrial Chair in Peatland Management. Since 2010, wetland restoration types and approaches have diversified to include fens, peatlands degraded by mineral-based road construction, winter roads, drill rigs for oil sands and seismic lines.
Line Rochefort is the national correspondent for Canada for the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) of the Ramsar Convention since April 2019, and participates as a contributing lead author for North America of the Global Peatland Assessment since 2021.
Panelists:
Dianna Kopansky (United Nations Environment Programme), Marie-Claire LeBlanc (Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association), Kristyn Mayner (Ducks Unlimited Canada), Line Rochefort (Université Laval), Rebecca Rooney (University of Waterloo)