Research Interests
Carolyn Brown completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph before pursuing her MSc with the Servos Lab, where her research examined the impacts of municipal wastewater effluent (MWWE) on fish communities in the Grand River watershed in southern Ontario. Her work compared fish communities upstream and downstream of wastewater treatment plant discharges in Guelph, Kitchener, and Waterloo using standardized electrofishing surveys and stable isotope analysis of key species such as Greenside Darter and Rainbow Darter. She assessed changes in abundance, diversity, and community structure, with findings showing that MWWE can alter fish communities through shifts in species composition, reduced diversity, and changes in feeding patterns linked to nutrient inputs and contaminant exposure. Her MSc research was recognized with the Dean of Science Award (Biology).
She went on to complete her PhD at Wilfrid Laurier University with Kelly Munkittrick, studying wastewater and other stressors on aquatic ecosystems, with a focus on environmental impact assessments, post-construction monitoring, and effects-based approaches.
Publications
To view her publications, visit her Google Scholar profile.