and what we can do to manage (or try to live with) invasive aquatic plants
 

Aquatic plants are an important part of lake ecosystems because they provide shelter, breeding habitat, and food for animals, reduce shoreline erosion, and bury nutrients and contaminants in their beds.

At really high abundances, though, aquatic plants can be a nuisance to lake users by reducing recreational activities such as swimming, boating, and fishing.

This talk will discuss some of the reasons why aquatic plant beds are needed for a healthy lake ecosystem, what climate change might mean for aquatic plant biomass in Ontario lakes, and touch on some ongoing research projects on how to manage invasive aquatic plant biomass. 

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View Presentation Slides

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Dr. Jesse Vermaire is currently an Associate Professor with the Institute of Environmental Science and cross-appointed with the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada.

His research focuses on the long-term impacts of human activity on our freshwater resources. Jesse maintains research interests in human impacts on near-shore habitat in lake ecosystems, micro-plastic pollution of freshwater, and the environmental impact and recovery of aquatic ecosystems exposed to legacy contamination.

He employs a number of approaches ranging from paleolimnology to bioindicators to understand the long-term impacts of human actions on freshwater systems to help inform management and conservation of lakes and rivers in a changing environment.

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