McGill University
M.Sc. candidate
Supervisor: Gregor Fussmann
Start: 2023-09-01
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Project

The effect of rising methane concentrations on the freshwater pelagic zone
Lakes and rivers are major sites of biogeochemical processes, such as the production of the potent greenhouse gas, methane (CH4). Freshwater CH4 production is expected to rise from human-driven increases in nutrients and the growth of photosynthetic organisms, referred to as eutrophication. Research on CH4 dynamics in these inland waters has proliferated in the past few decades due to its global warming potential, and the capacity of the plankton community to use CH4 as an energy source and potentially reduce freshwater carbon emissions has recently been recognized. Investigating how the plankton community will respond to this anticipated rise in CH4 production is key to understanding its effects on the ecology and carbon emissions of inland waters. For my proposed research, I will deploy freshwater mesocosms, or tanks that are suspended in a water body to mimic the natural conditions, in southern Quebec, Canada to examine the impact of two treatments: increased dissolved CH4 and increased inorganic nutrient concentration. I will measure the abundance and diversity of plankton species to assess changes to their growth and community interactions. I will also collect water samples to measure how the balance between CH4 production and CH4 consumption changes due to each treatment. I predict that the combination of elevated CH4 and inorganic nutrients will exhibit an increase in the abundance of photosynthetic plankton greater than the sum each individual treatment effect. These results will help to establish the biological effect of CH4 dynamics altered by human influence, and provide insight into the impacts on freshwater ecosystems as a whole.

Keywords

climate change, eutrophication, plankton ecology, greenhouse gases, methanotrophy

Publications

1- Mercury Contamination of an Introduced Generalist Fish of Intermediate Trophic Level
Gedig, D. P., M. Hauger, D. A. Armstrong, K. M. Jeffries
2023 Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology