I am a PhD student in the multidisciplinary field of ecohydrology. My current research evaluates the effects of urban stormwater best management practices (BMPs) on phosphorus (P) export and advanced the predictive understanding of these effects with process-based and machine learning modelling tool. My research focuses on:
My research focusses on dissolved organic matter (DOM) characterization in northern lakes to determine the impacts of climate change on water quality. Increased DOM concentrations from a variety of sources can lead to lake browning of inland waters, release of carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere, and storage of carbon in sediments. Overall, this changes the physical and chemical properties of water, altering aquatic ecosystems, and causing decreased species diversity.
Ali Reza Shahvaran
I joined the Earth Sciences (Water) program in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Waterloo and ReSEC Lab at Wilfrid Laurier University in September 2021. My current thesis is a part of the GWF Urban project. It focuses on studying the retrieval algorithm of Cladophora and Chl-a concentration using remote sensing data to calibrate the developed algal growth model of western Lake Ontario.
As a member of the Ecohydrology Research Group, my primary focus is on modeling microplastic pollution transport in Kitchener's stormwater management ponds (SWMPs) and examining the impacts of urban development.
I am a masters student working on the NSERC funded project "Microplastics: Fingerprinting at the watershed scale: from sources to receivers”.
My research evaluates the efficacy of natural and specialized hydrolytic enzymes in degrading microplastic waste, specifically comparing their impact on conventional (e.g., PET, PA) versus biodegradable plastics (e.g. PLA).
I received my Honours Bachelor of Science in Integrated Science (iSci) at McMaster University, where I concentrated in Earth and Environmental Sciences. My undergraduate research experience included evaluating lithological controls on waterfall geomorphology, reconstructing paleoclimates in Antarctica, and evaluating the bioaccumulation of microplastics in freshwater snails. I also conducted research with the Glacial Sedimentology Lab in collaboration with the APGO Education Foundation (APGOEF) as a Mitacs Accelerate Research Intern to create GeoHikes (GeoscienceINFO Website) across Southern Ontario.
I am a master’s student and my research is part of the project titled Mitigation of Methane Hot-spots from Landfills, funded by the ECCC’s Climate Action and Awareness Fund (CAAF).