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IISD Experimental Lakes Area

Featuring a collection of 58 small lakes and their watersheds in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, IISD Experimental Lakes Area is one of the world’s most influential freshwater research facilities.

IISD Experimental Lakes Area is one of the world’s most influential freshwater research facilities. It features a collection of 58 small lakes and their watersheds in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, as well as a facility with accommodations and laboratories for up to 60 personnel.

By manipulating these small lakes, scientists are able to examine how all aspects of the ecosystem—from the atmosphere to fish populations—respond. In April 2014, IISD, the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada signed three agreements to ensure the facility's long-term operation.

Latest

Freshwater connectivity can transport environmental DNA through the landscape

A new study conducted at IISD-ELA found that the movement of water between freshwater bodies can transport eDNA which complicates the question of how accurately it can be used to monitor species.

Press release

September 13, 2023

Microplastics now pervasive in Great Lakes, with 90% of water samples surpassing safe levels for aquatic wildlife: new studies

Data spanning the last ten years reveal that the Great Lakes basin is widely contaminated with microplastics, with potentially dangerous consequences for the wildlife that live within.

Press release

August 23, 2023

These nearly invisible organisms help clean Lake Tahoe's water. Here's how they do it

Plankton are not just a diabolical mastermind on a Nickelodeon show about a sponge who lives under the sea. Lake Tahoe is filled with them—the good kind. Tahoe native zooplankton are making a comeback in the more than 21-mile long lake, helping it look the clearest it has in 40 years. A comeback because until now, the microorganism's population significantly decreased after it's primary predator, the Mysis shrimp, was on the rise, according to previous Sacramento Bee reporting.

IISD in the news

Phys.org

July 24, 2023

ELA Investment from Ontario Government to Advance Aquaculture Research and Indigenous Communities

The Ontario government has announced a significant investment of nearly $550,000 through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to support a research project focused on sustainable aquaculture and local food production. The funding will be provided to IISD Experimental Lakes Area Inc. (IISD-ELA) for their innovative study on the use of fish waste as fertilizer and its impact on freshwater in cultivated wild rice paddy areas. This initiative aims to establish sustainable practices for co-cultivating fish and wild rice, with a specific focus on benefiting Indigenous communities.

IISD in the news

Net News Ledger

July 18, 2023

Research advancing sustainable wild rice harvesting on First Nations

Can First Nations establish a sustainable wild rice enterprise in northwestern Ontario? That’s what a new research project at the IISD Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) hopes to find out.

IISD in the news

Timmins Today

July 16, 2023

Province funding aquaculture research

The Ontario government is providing nearly $550,000 through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to IISD Experimental Lakes Area Inc. (IISD-ELA) for an aquaculture research project exploring the use of fish waste as fertilizer and its impact on freshwater in cultivated wild rice paddy areas. This investment will support the establishment of sustainable practices for the co-culture of fish and wild rice by Indigenous communities.

IISD in the news

Fort Frances Times

July 14, 2023

Quel sera l’impact à long terme des microplastiques sur nos cours d’eau douce? (in French)

Des chercheurs de trois universités ontariennes entament cet été une étape importante de leur étude sur l’effet à long terme des microplastiques sur les cours d’eau douce, menée au centre de recherche de la Région des lacs expérimentaux (RLE), dans le Nord-Ouest de l’Ontario.

IISD in the news

Radio-Canada

July 6, 2023

COMMENTARY: Can we afford to continue removing wetlands from New Brunswick?

Industrial parks and wetlands; can we have both? Moncton Industrial Development Ltd. filed an environmental impact assessment in December to build an industrial park covering about 259 acres between Berry Mills Road and the CN rail yard. The site is currently a primarily tree-covered lot which includes wetlands and watercourses.

IISD in the news

NB Media Co-op

April 20, 2023

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