Salt marshes are recognized as significant feeding grounds and refuges for wildlife and for their importance in flood mitigation, carbon sequestration and as filters for removing pollutants and suspended sediments. With growing interest in, and efforts towards, dyke removal and salt marsh restoration, there is a need for science-based management decisions to ensure appropriate site-specific […]

The project will utilize basic research to understand the target and time of action of the organic materials which will be used to guide the implementation and management plan for a new blossom thinner. The intern will test the efficacy of twenty candidate organic materials to act as blossom thinners and develop a management plan […]

Various species of mites pose significant challenges for apple growers worldwide. In order to control the mite infestations, miticides can be sprayed or predators can be introduced. The latter option leads to a complex ecology characterized by predator-prey relationships. Multiple species, with varying behaviours, give rise to complex population dynamics that must be better understood […]

Search engines, such as Google, have revolutionized the way we search for electronic information, providing a user with a ranked list of documents most relevant for a particular query. This project with GenieKnows R&D, a search engine company, concerns an extension of this basic technology, in which the goal is to incorporate geographic constraints into […]

The American marten is a mink sized member of the weasel family. The Cape Breton Island population is believed to consist of fewer than 50 individuals. The Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (NSDNR; partner organization) have already begun efforts to augment the population in association with other partners. Individual based models (IBMs) are used […]

  Testing of in-stream tidal power devices in Minas Passage, NS began November 12, 2009 when the first of three prototype units was installed on the seabed. The Upper Bay of Fundy, including Minas Passage, is recognized as an area of high ecological importance, and is home to a diverse assemblage of fish, which includes […]

Counts of birds passing a geographic location during migration to or from their breeding grounds are often used to estimate long-term population change. However, birds often stop at count sites for several days to fatten for their next migratory flight, affecting probability of detection. The migratory path followed might also vary among years. The influence […]

Irving Oil Ltd. (IOL) manages impounded wetlands on company owned properties including a wetland located on the Little River at the site of the Saint John Oil Refinery. IOL in partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) manages this wetland and other impoundments to provide proper habitat for wildlife including fishes and ducks. To do this […]

This project will support improvements to deer management in Nova Scotia. Improved management and conservation of Nova Scotia’s most important big game species supports wildlife habitat conservation by NS DNR, but is also of importance to the forestry industry, and stakeholders such as the NS Federation of Anglers and Hunters, and the Fur Institute of […]

In 2012, the American Eel were recommended by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada to be upgraded to Threatened from Special Concern. American Eel are important to Aboriginal people, and recreational and commercial fishers. Research from a four-year-study (2009-2012) occurring in a near pristine watershed, looked at habitat selection and population […]

Dr. Potter has recently begun exploring the impact that probiotics (beneficial bacteria found in some food sources such as probiotic yogurt and kefir) have on anxiety and depression. Other researchers have shown that probiotic bacteria exert a significant effect on anxiety and depression-like behaviours in animals. A few studies have extended these findings to humans. […]

The Probiotics and Mental Health Research Lab in the Psychology Department at Acadia University is currently involved in exciting and innovative research examining the benefits that probiotics (a type of beneficial bacteria found in the human digestive tract as well as in certain foods) may provide to individuals living with psychological conditions such as anxiety, […]