Recordings from the 2025 Ontario Invasive Plant Council Conference are now available online, including a presentation by Dr. Rebecca Rooney: Status and treatment of invasive Hydrilla verticillata in Canada.
Work completed by the Waterloo Wetland Lab has been featured in the latest issue of the International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR)'s LAKES Letters. Their Winter 2025 issue is centred around science and hope, showcasing success stories from research completed in the Great Lakes. WWL's work on several Phragmites australis research projects is highlighted in the issue, and emphasizes the importance of collaboration among project partners. The article titled "Biodiversity after a Phragmites invasion: A case study of success through close collaboration" is available online via the IAGLR website.
Waterloo Wetland Lab PhD Candidate Gab Izma, alum Danny McIsaac, Dr. Rebecca Rooney, and colleagues have co-authored a newly-published paper on pesticide sampling approaches in urban stormwater. The article, titled "Three Complementary Sampling Approaches Provide Comprehensive Characterization of Pesticide Contamination in Urban Stormwater" is published in Urban Science, and is available online via open access.
The presentations from the 2025 Ontario Phragmites Working Group (OPWG) Conference are now available online.
The Waterloo Wetland Lab is recruiting a Postdoctoral Fellow for an upcoming project! See below for details.
About the project
The Alberta Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting project seeks to enhance wetland monitoring and management in Alberta through rigorous scientific analysis and collaboration.
Waterloo Wetland Lab PhD Candidate Gab Izma, alum Danny McIsaac, Dr. Rebecca Rooney, and colleagues have co-authored a newly-published article on the effects of contaminated biofilms on freshwater invertebrates. The article, titled "Dietary exposure of stormwater contaminants in biofilm to two freshwater macroinvertebrates" is published in Science of the Total Environment, and is available online via open access.
Invasive Hydrilla has been detected for the first time in Hillman Marsh, in Southern Ontario, by Waterloo Wetland Lab researchers.
Hydrilla, an aquatic plant species, poses a significant risk to wetlands by out-competing native plant species and clogging waterways. To help prevent its spread, we urge everyone to clean, drain and dry equipment after use.
Learn more about Hydrilla from the Essex Region Conservation Authority, and listen to Dr. Rebecca Rooney's interview on CBC Radio for more information.
Research completed by the Waterloo Wetland Lab was recently featured on CBC's Quirks and Quarks podcast. The episode, titled "Managing Canada’s Worst Invasive Plant with Moths," aired on September 14 and explores an innovative approach to controlling the spread of invasive Phragmites australis via biocontrol.
The podcast, which features an interview with Dr. Rooney, as well as graduate student, Claire Schon, and field technician, Ryan Graham, is available online via CBC Radio.
We are excited to announce that Catriona Leven successfully defended her MSc thesis, titled "Wetland hydrology and the impacts of beaver dams in the Upper Columbia River floodplain wetlands" this afternoon! Her hard work offers valuable insights into the role of beaver activity in shaping wetland ecosystems.
Please join us in congratulating Catriona on this incredible achievement!
We are thrilled to announce that Grace Lew-Kowal successfully defended her MSc thesis, titled "Enhanced Precision of Aerial Herbicide Application for Invasive Species Management" this morning! Her hard work marks a significant contribution to the field of invasive Phragmites australis control.
Please join us in congratulating Grace on this incredible achievement!