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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

Source to Sea: Integrating the water agenda in 2023

2023 could prove to be a definitive year for facilitating an integrative perspective on water issues, from fresh water to the marine environment.

Insight

March 22, 2023

How Does Mercury Get in Fish?

Nearly all seafood contains mercury, a naturally occurring metal buried deep in the Earth’s crust. At room temperature, elemental mercury is quite dangerous; just a few drops can contaminate an entire room. When heated, the element becomes an odorless, colorless gas that can travel great distances before being absorbed into bodies of water. It can also enter lakes, rivers, and oceans when human activities' waste or runoff flows into the surrounding biomes.

IISD in the news

Treehugger

March 8, 2023

ELA Hoping For A "Normal" Summer

The Experimental Lakes Area between Kenora and Vermilion Bay is hoping this summer will be busier than the past two summers. Pauline Gerrard is the deputy director and says they have a number of new experiments and their impact on freshwater lakes and rivers.

IISD in the news

Dryden Now

February 21, 2023

How our lakes offer important insights into how life on Earth began

Countless lakes in Canada and elsewhere may offer some important insights into how life on Earth began and may also help us grapple with the pressing environmental issues facing the planet today.

IISD in the news

The Weather Network

February 13, 2023

ELA Offers A Bursary Again

For the second year in a row, the Experimental Lakes Area is offering an undergraduate bursary for a university student. Pauline Gerrard is deputy director of the ELA and says the David Schindler Bursary is worth $2,000.

IISD in the news

Dryden Now

February 9, 2023

Why don't we talk about acid rain and the ozone hole anymore? Scientists debunk misinformation

If you're over 30, you likely remember a time when there was a lot of hand-wringing over the ozone hole and skin cancer, or the threat of acid rain destroying ecosystems.

IISD in the news

CBC News

February 2, 2023

On World Wetlands Day, the world’s 'Great Lakes' are Exhibit A for why wetlands matter: Ted Lawrence

It might not be grabbing headlines around the globe, but tomorrow's U.N. World Wetlands Day matters. Wetlands across the globe provide many services, from improving water quality and protecting from floods and droughts, to providing habitats for countless flora and fauna, much of which we depend on. More broadly, World Wetlands Day accords us a rare and precious opportunity to celebrate North America’s abundant — but certainly not infinite — freshwater supplies.

IISD in the news

Cleveland.com

February 1, 2023

Opinion: Leverage ozone, acid rain wins to tackle microplastics and fresh-water pollution now

As an advocate for the health of fresh water, I always have mixed feelings entering a new year. Hope for the newness of what is to come, coupled with a realization that a new calendar doesn’t mean any of our environmental concerns have miraculously disappeared.

IISD in the news

MarketWatch

January 30, 2023

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