Research Interests
Chris completed his MSc in the Servos Lab, where he studied the impacts of municipal wastewater effluent on aquatic food webs in the Speed River, Ontario. His research was conducted in the context of rapid urban growth in southern Ontario and increasing pressure on the assimilative capacity of small urban rivers. The City of Guelph’s wastewater treatment plant uses tertiary treatment processes that substantially reduce ammonia, suspended solids, and phosphate concentrations; however, nutrient enrichment and emerging contaminants can still influence downstream ecosystem structure.
His research examined the seasonal and spatial variability of wastewater effluent effects on riffle fish and benthic invertebrate communities. Using stable isotope analysis (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N), he assessed changes in food web structure and trophic dynamics in two dominant benthic fish species, rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum) and greenside darter (E. blennioides), in relation to shifts in invertebrate community composition downstream of the effluent outfall.
Results showed clear downstream changes in invertebrate communities, including reduced abundance of Elmidae beetle larvae and increased abundance of isopods (Caecidotea intermedius), particularly during summer months. Correspondingly, both fish and invertebrate isotope signatures became more enriched downstream of the effluent discharge, with rainbow darter showing the strongest response and incorporating altered prey resources such as isopods into their diet. Greenside darter displayed different seasonal patterns, suggesting either dietary shifts toward less enriched food sources or movement into less-impacted microhabitats.
Overall, his work demonstrated that even tertiary-treated wastewater effluent can subtly alter food web structure and feeding ecology in receiving streams, particularly under conditions of seasonal variability. These findings highlight the sensitivity of urban river ecosystems to nutrient inputs and reinforce the importance of continued monitoring and infrastructure planning in response to increasing urbanization pressures.
He is currently a Fisheries Technician with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, where he supports sea lamprey monitoring in the Great Lakes.