Working to protect aquatic ecosystems
Earth’s water resources are increasingly threatened by overuse and environmental stresses, such as pollutants, invasive species and climate change. Canada Excellence Research Chair Philippe Van Cappellen, a professor of earth and environmental sciences in the Faculty of Science, is developing new tools to identify, monitor and predict the fate of nutrients and harmful chemicals along the water cycle. A few of his current research projects include detecting microplastics in the Great Lakes, assessing the effects of dams on water quality in rivers and forecasting the impact of population growth and climate change on the health of coastal ecosystems.