The Edge of What’s Possible: How Hidden Trade-Offs Shape Evolution

A new study led by one of our postdoctoral fellows, Dr. Jason Laurich, looks at a framework that may help predict how species can—and cannot—adapt to increasingly complex conditions in a world facing rapid environmental change.

Tracking Algal Toxins: Implications for Fisheries and Ecosystems

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are becoming an increasingly serious problem in lakes worldwide, driven largely by nutrient runoff from agriculture and urban development. A new study co-authored by our director, Dr. Kevin McCann, delves into how one particular neurotoxin and its related compounds move through the food web in Lake Erie.

New Research Paper: Investigating Climate–Ecosystem Imbalance

A new Ecology Letters article authored in part by our own Dr. Joey Bernhardt tackles a challenge that is becoming central to how we understand the effects of climate change on ecosystems: the disconnect between environmental conditions and the biological communities that live in them.

Latest Findings: Warming Lakes Make Trout More Alike — and Ecosystems Less Resilient

As northern lakes heat up, Canada’s lake trout are losing their individuality — and with it, a key source of ecological resilience. A new study in Ecology led by Cassandra Kotsopoulos at the University of Guelph examined lake trout across 52 boreal lakes in Ontario.

Publications, AnnouncementHelen VanosOctober 7, 2025trout, ecossytems, ecology, lakes, great lakes, intraspecific, climate change

How Agriculture Is Reshaping—and Destabilizing—Stream Food Webs

A new study co-authored by the Centre for Ecosystem Management’s Dr. Kevin McCann reveals that agricultural land use—especially nutrient runoff and the loss of streamside vegetation—is reshaping how energy flows through stream food webs.

In the News, PublicationsHelen VanosJuly 25, 2025food webs, agriculture, freshwater, ecosystems, fish

Bridging the Time Gap: How Ecosystems Respond to a Rapidly Changing Climate

When we talk about climate change, we often think in extremes—heat waves, vanishing glaciers, and species on the brink. But nature’s responses to these shifts are far more nuanced, and according to a new paper co-authored by the Centre for Ecosystem Management’s Dr. Joey Bernhardt, understanding when ecosystems respond may be just as important as understanding how they respond.

Rethinking ‘Big Data’: Small Datasets, Big Ecological Insights

You don’t always need massive datasets to learn something important about nature. While modern ecology often focuses on large-scale “big data,” a recent study carried out, in part, by one of our collaborators Dr. Robert Hanner shows that smaller, less-than-perfect datasets can still reveal important patterns—if analyzed carefully.

The Ultimate Forest Food Web: 100 Years of Ecosystem Insights

Imagine walking through a forest, surrounded by towering trees, rustling leaves, and the distant hum of insects. Now, imagine trying to trace every single interaction happening in that ecosystem—from the tiniest ant nibbling on a leaf to a hawk soaring above, searching for its next meal.

Publications, ProjectsHelen VanosAugust 14, 2024food web, interaction, Hale, ecosystem

Bridging the Gap: Integrating Open Science Skills into Undergraduate Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Education

In the dynamic landscape of ecology and evolution, embracing open science is no longer just an option—it's a necessity. As the movement towards transparency and data accessibility gains momentum, the skills associated with open science are becoming invaluable for budding ecologists and evolutionary biologists.

PublicationsHelen VanosJune 11, 2024

Using Stable Isotopes to Explore Food Web Resiliency

In a study led by Mx. Jade Dawson (and co-authored in part by our own Dr. Kevin McCann), we delve into the intricate world of freshwater food webs to uncover the resilience of Canadian fisheries in the face of environmental challenges.

Publications, CollaborationsHelen VanosMay 16, 2024freshwater, food, web, stable, isotope, analyses, trophic, resiliency

CJFAS Editor’s Choice: Thermal tolerance and habitat preferences mediate how freshwater fish body sizes respond to warming

We’re not the only ones excited about this recent study published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (carried out with the assistance of the CEM’s Director, Dr. Kevin McCann)….!

PublicationsHelen VanosApril 15, 2024

New Research Published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

Exciting discoveries emerge from an investigation into the impact of climate change on five key freshwater fish species! A new study published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences and carried out with the assistance of the CEM’s Director, Dr. Kevin McCann, looks at how freshwater fish body sizes respond to warming.

PublicationsHelen VanosJanuary 25, 2024

Temperature dependence of competitive ability is cold-shifted compared to that of growth rate in marine phytoplankton

By measuring the variables of population growth rate and competitive ability (i.e. how well a species can use limited resources), the authors - including the CEM’s Dr. Joey Bernhardt - investigated the effects of climate warming on the competition amongst four species of phytoplankton under limiting nitrate.

Publications, CollaborationsHelen VanosDecember 15, 2023

Countries embracing clean power sources bounce back faster from economic crises

A study co-authored by the CEM’s Kevin McCann analyzed data from 133 economic crisis events in 98 countries over 40 years and found that countries that used a variety of electricity sources took longer to recover from crises.

PublicationsHelen VanosNovember 30, 2023

Temperate species underfill their tropical thermal potentials on land

How do cold-blooded creatures adapt to climate change? A study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution uncovers the surprising role of temperature and competition in shaping their habitats.

Collaborations, PublicationsHelen VanosNovember 6, 2023