One way to investigate the mysteries of Earth’s origins is to look for modern-day equivalents of ancient oceans and examine their chemical processes and biological diversity. The challenge, however, is that modern equivalents of ancient oceans are extremely rare. Until now, scientists have relied on only four lakes that share similarities with the Archean oceans of more than 2.5 billion years ago, most found in remote or ecologically sensitive locations.
In a surprising discovery that used leading-edge biological and isotopic tools, Sherry Schiff, Josh Neufeld and colleagues found that millions of lakes in Canada’s Boreal Shield likely share similarities with the Archean oceans. Now, with so many potential lakes that serve as living laboratories for studying both current water issues and ancient life on Earth, a team of students are following up on a host of new research opportunities, including work on harmful algal blooms and greenhouse gas emissions.
“Luckily,” she says, “we had the flexibility to pursue some unexpected results with a multi-disciplinary team and cutting edge techniques.”