Blog

Ocean conservation efforts are often guided by ambitious global targets, from protecting 30 per cent of marine and coastal areas to advancing the United Nations Ocean Decade goals. But new thinking co-authored by Derek Armitage and published in The Conversation argues that targets alone are not enough to ensure meaningful progress.

A new paper led by SERS PhD student Mackenzie Jones in Dr. Chantel Markle’s Lab takes a global look at how researchers are studying the interactions between ecology and hydrology, an interdisciplinary field known as ecohydrology. Find out how we can advance wildlife ecohydrology research and how it can help guide future conservation and management efforts. There's a wonderful infographic which communicates the information as well.

Have you considered the environmental impacts of industrial tequila production?

While many consume the beverage, in Jalisco State in Mexico, the region’s ecosystems are being destroyed and replaced by a uniform crop that is prone to pest outbreaks.

Prof. Brendon Larson and colleagues outline several issues with industrial production of tequila and highlight a shift to the more traditional use of mezcal.

Prof. Bob Gibson urges the federal government to assess the benefits, risks and uncertainties of proposed national interest projects openly and thoroughly before granting pre-approvals.

Prof Bob Gibson presents background on regional assessments taking place for the Ring of Fire area – the northern Ontario’s hot prospect mining area improbably named after a 1960s Johnny Cash song.

Despite all the hurry-up moves, the extent and timing of any Ring of Fire mining remains anyone’s guess.

A thirst for water knowledge brought Isabel Jorgensen ‘across the pond’ to Waterloo to undertake PhD studies in water in an interdisciplinary setting.

Samantha Terry (BES '25), an Ojibwe student from Temagami First Nation, shares her inspiring journey of reconnecting with her Indigenous identity while thriving in co-op roles and building community at the University of Waterloo.

In an article published in The Conservation, Trevor Swerdfager and Derek Armitage argue that Canada urgently needs ambitious new biodiversity law if we are to make meaningful progress in addressing the biodiversity crisis facing Canada today. 

Fossil fuels are widely used all across the economy, including in food systems. Dr. Jennifer Clapp has been working with colleagues on a new project that seeks to uncover where we rely on fossil fuels in our food system to assess where and how we can shift away from them. In one podcast episode, she walks through fossil energy use associated with a typical bag of corn chips.

For International Women’s Day, Dr. Kelsey Leonard reflects on the solidarity and support she receives from the women in her Shinnecock community, why it’s important to uplift women in academia and what advancements she would like to see in the future.