�� News - Dept. of Natural Resource Sciences

Tracking puffins at dawn in Alaska

webfull — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 19:29:50 +0000

Collecting data on tufted puffins thanks to the Vivian Lewin and BELF Awards

In the eerie stillness of a misty Alaskan dawn, Cassandra Ciafro was already on the move by 3 a.m. Clad in camouflage, she melded seamlessly with the rugged cliffs, joining the seabirds in their lofty perches. Her mission? To deploy trackers and observe deitary patterns of the tufted puffin, a key indicator of the region’s fish stocks.

“I’ve always wanted to work with something related to marine science,” said Ciafro. “This experience has helped me grow so much as a person.”

Published: 4 December 2024

From cod to crops to cranberries: Lister 3MT competitors deliver

webfull — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 16:32:19 +0000

On November 27, the Macdonald Campus Office of Student Academic Services hosted the annual Lister Family Engaged Science Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, an event open to master’s and doctoral students from all disciplines in the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Published: 4 December 2024

Atlantic killer whales show dangerously high levels of toxic chemicals: study

webfull — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:06:07 +0000

Killer whales off Canada’s Atlantic coast continue to be contaminated with dangerously high levels of toxic chemicals that put them at elevated risk of severe immune-system and reproductive problems, a recent ��-led study has found.

Published: 7 November 2024

The impact of global warming on fall colors—interview with Prof. Benoît Côté

webfull — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 17:52:59 +0000

While climate change may not dictate the arrival of Fall colors, it does affect this phenomenon... and its eventual disappearance.

Published: 23 October 2024

More and bigger spiders noticeable in Montreal this fall, says Prof. Chris Buddle

webfull — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 18:16:40 +0000

As spooky decorations go up around Montreal this October, real spiders are also becoming more prevalent.

Entomologist Chris Buddle, ��'s Associate Provost (Teaching and Academic Programs) and Professor in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences, told CTV News that spiders become bigger than normal and are seen more often as winter approaches.

Published: 15 October 2024

Migrating seabirds are bringing forever chemicals into the Arctic

webfull — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 17:18:45 +0000

New research from �� graduate shows how toxic chemicals hitch a ride with seabirds flying from southern latitudes to the Arctic

Between March and May each year, 15 million black-legged kittiwakes gather from across the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to nest and breed on rocky Arctic cliffs—some making the journey from as far as Florida or North Africa.

Published: 9 October 2024

The little-known—and threatened—orcas of the North Atlantic

webfull — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 19:01:15 +0000

Anaïs Remili, PhD(AgEnvSc)'23, an ecotoxicologist and postdoctoral researcher, tracks contaminants that threaten the health of North Atlantic orcas. While Pacific orca populations are well studied, little is known about those that swim off the Canadian and European east coasts, and they are less protected.

Published: 10 September 2024

Penthouse home awaits rare peregrine falcons in Victoria—comments from David Bird

webfull — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 22:32:11 +0000

The Times Colonist reports that a nesting pair of peregrine falcons, along with a juvenile born this year, have been landing on the upper decks and rooftop of the Promontory residential tower in Victoria, BC, where penthouse owner Fred Welter has set up a nesting box complete with cameras poised to stream any action.

Published: 26 August 2024

Montreal wants more businesses to plant trees

webfull — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 22:10:42 +0000

In April, the City of Montreal announced it wanted to accelerate tree planting by incentivizing business owners to plant trees on their property, offering to foot 50 per cent of the bill, CTV News reports, in an effort to reduce heat islands, improve air quality and help drain rainwater.

Published: 6 August 2024

NSERC awards Discovery Grants funding to eight �� Agricultural and Environmental Sciences projects

webfull — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 19:10:20 +0000

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has awarded 101 �� research projects funding from its Discovery Grants competition for a total investment of $23.5 million, including $639,500 for eight projects submitted by researchers in the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

The Discovery Grants support ongoing programs with long-term goals, recognizing the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances.

Published: 30 July 2024

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