Changes in sea-level are attributable mainly to crustal deformation, changes in global ocean volumes (eustasy) and the response of the Earth's crust to glaciation (isostasy). On the British Columbia coast, sea-level history is complex owing to regional differences in these factors. A geographic data gap exists in our understanding of Holocene (past 10,000 years) sea-level change and landscape evolution along the central coast. The proposed research will help close this gap, by studying post-glacial sea-level and landscape response on Calvert Island.
Changes in sea-level are attributable mainly to crustal deformation, changes in global ocean volumes (eustasy) and the response of the Earth's crust to glaciation (isostasy). On the British Columbia coast, sea-level history is complex owing to regional differences in these factors. A geographic data gap exists in our understanding of Holocene (past 10,000 years) sea-level change and landscape evolution along the central coast. The proposed research will help close this gap, by studying post-glacial sea-level and landscape response on Calvert Island.
The causal link between highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) and human health is one of the hottest topics in science. Their potential to control food web dynamics in freshwater systems is a relatively recent development, but analytical difficulties have relegated research to a predominantly theoretical nature. A large deal of theoretical work was produced from my doctoral research, and breakthroughs in measuring metabolic reactions permit the testing of multiple hypotheses produced.
Contaminated sites assessment and remediation is an area of specialized services provided by Keystone Environmental. The technical challenge facing Keystone Environmental is to develop an innovative approach to provide effective contaminated sites services at rocky intertidal beaches in British Columbia. The rocky beaches of Howe Sound, impacted by effluents from pulp mills and mine acid rock drainage, have been studied and a significant body of historical data has been accumulated. Re-establishment of biodiversity after decrease of the contaminant input was very slow or minimal.
The current innovative research project has three objectives to address current deficiencies in contaminated sites assessment and remediation:
(1) To develop a rating system that defines the stages of recovery/impact at marine sites based on intertidal community structure and pollution tolerance/sensitivity/intolerance of resident species.
(2) To develop methodology for the assessment of environmental stress levels at marine sites that prevent natural recolonization of the area.
• To assess the feasibility of using satellite remote sensing technology to measure trace gases and aerosols over northern Alberta and to study the transport of biomass burning emissions and its impact on air quality over northern Alberta.
The research project identified here falls under the category of “clean energy technology”. Methanobiofiltration (MBF) is a new technology for the treatment of waste methane gas using a biological process, thus contributing to the reduction of the environmental impacts of current energy technologies. The lack of a complete technology package needed for various industry sectors has hindered its large-scale application in Alberta.
Mineral aggregate production is essential to Canada’s economy and infrastructure but environmental concerns threaten to impede this until ecological impacts are shown to be mitigated by off-site replication of affected ecosystems including heritage hardwood forests. A large-scale comparative study was recently initiated to determine whether conventional forestry can produce plantations that are ecologically equivalent to natural forests.
In water quality management, mathematical models are used to evaluate management alternatives, and to support the policy making process. Environmental models involve substantial uncertainty which can be very critical when striving to identify polluters, to direct the use of taxpayers' dollars, and to determine management strategies that have considerable social and economic implications.
Dewatering and desalination, meaning the extraction of freshwater from waste water or seawater, requires high energy inputs in the form of heat and/or pressure. The disadvantages of the most common method, reverse osmosis, include the irreversible deposition of particulate on the membrane surface and the energy required to surpass the feed solution's osmotic pressure. An emerging alternative that addresses both of these issues is forward osmosis, which relies on the osmotic pressure of a draw solution to pull fresh water from the feed solution.
