Freshwater and Marine Systems

Water is the next oil

We all know that water is fundamental to life on this planet and yet we continue to deplete our resources to such an extent that we are collapsing them. Very little is known about our freshwater and marine systems, despite the fact that water is a top concern for many people concerned with environmental issues and climate change.

Freshwater and marine systems research at SRES addresses a range of biological, legal and socio-political aspects of water and water-related resource management. Our researchers are world leaders in a number of critical areas:

• ensuring safe drinking water
• monitoring the quality of freshwater systems
• understanding the environmental impact of local and large scale fisheries
  

Your work could effect change

Climate change will continue to have a significant impact on our water system, and as such, water systems research is becoming more of a priority for government, industry and academia around the world.

As a graduate student, you can make a difference by monitoring ecosystem impacts from different polluting industries, making policy recommendations and creating real change in communities. Here are just a few examples of the many research projects you could be involved in:

• implementing drinking water safety plans
• understanding how farmers value their on-farm wetlands
• monitoring northern municipal waste water effluent discharge quality
• improving the energy and environmental performance of fisheries and aquaculture
  
• planning for Mi’kmaq water health
  

Find out what our researchers are working on:

	Kate Sherren Dr. Sherren concentrates on how farming impacts wetlands and freshwater systems, and vice versa, today and under climate change. Her SSHRC insight development grant application on farmer perspectives on wetlands was ranked first in its category, nationally, in 2011.
	Peter Tyedmers Dr. Tyedmers focuses on the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture production systems and, in particular, the impact of catching and culturing fish in different ways. He is a world leader in the energy inputs to seafood systems and their related environmental impacts.
	Karen Beazley Dr. Beazley concentrates on freshwater and marine focal species, aquatic connectivity and protected area system planning. She has strong relationships with local and regional organizations, which provides her students with great opportunities to work on interesting projects.
	Tony Walker Dr. Walker concentrates on the risk management of contaminated freshwater and marine sediments. His work has specifically focused on impacts to sediments near former industrial facilities as well as harbours or coastal areas which are currently being used by a wide variety of industries. Collaborative research is undertaken with the private sector and federal and provincial government agencies