FIRST CALL FOR PAPERS

DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 28TH, 2009

16^th Annual conference on the St Lawrence River  / Great Lakes River Ecosystem

NAVCANADA CONFERENCE CENTRE
Cornwall, ON Canada

May 5-6th, 2009

The St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences, in partnership with the Great Rivers Center at Clarkson University, is pleased to host the 16th Annual International Conference on the St. Lawrence River/Great Lakes Ecosystem. 

The Saint Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959 and has become one of the world’s most economically important waterways.  It is 3,769 km (2,342 mi) long and consists of a system of canals, dams, and locks in the Saint Lawrence River and connecting channels between the Great Lakes.  Over the past 50 years, the Saint Lawrence Seaway has provided both benefits and impacts, including opening up the Great Lakes for seagoing vessels for trade and at the same time providing an avenue of entry of invasive species to the system.  A central feature of the Seaway is the Moses-Saunders dam which provides power generation, water level control and represents a barrier to fish passage.     

Our conference will focus on the issues and challenges associated with the Seaway and its management. Research contributions addressing environmental issues relevant to the St. Lawrence River, including lessons learned from other regulated river ecosystems in Canada and around the world river are welcome.

This is the first call for papers and all are invited to participate. Funds from the Canadian Embassy in Washington DC have been secured to cover publication costs of the proceedings. We are anticipating publication of papers as a special issue of the Journal of Great Lakes Research.

 Abstract Deadline February 28th, 2009

 CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

1Abstracts are now being accepted for these sessions:

 1 Tributaries Impacts on Water Quality in St. Lawrence Great Lakes Ecosystems, Jeff Ridal PhD Executive Director, St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences

Tributaries discharge significant quantities of chemicals, microbes and sediments into the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes ecosystems.  These discharges can result in impairments such as degradation of source water quality, eutrophication, contamination of sediments and fish, and beach closures. This session will highlight recent work that investigates, quantifies and assesses the impacts of tributaries on Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River ecosystems.

Additional contact information: Jeff Ridal PhD Executive Director, St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences , 2 Belmont St. Cornwall, Ontario  K6H 4Z1 613-936-6620 ext 228 613-936-1803 email: jridal@riverinstitute.ca

2 Interaction Between the Construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Issues of Chemical Contamination Peter V. Hodson, PhD, Department of Biology and School of Environmental Studies, Queen's University Kingston, Ontario

The construction of the Moses-Saunders dam and the St.Lawrence Seaway has dramatically changed the physical environment of the St Lawrence River between Brockville and Montreal.  Riverine habitats, particularly rapids, have been replaced by Lake habitat.  This dramatic change not only favoured different species and food webs, but also created sinks for particulates, the accumulation of fine-grained clays and organic sediments, the potential for thermal structuring of the ecosystem during the summer, spring and fall turnover, flooding of terrestrial soils, erosion of lake shores, and stabilization of water levels.  This session will focus on changes in the biology and chemistry of the river in response to the changes in physical characteristics, and how these have interacted with chemical fate and effects.  Presentations will document examples of changes in contaminant fate and effect as well as ecological, chemical, and biological mechanisms by which these changes occurred.  Of particular value will be studies that use this information to predict future scenarios of contaminant issues in the St. Lawrence River.

Session Chair: Peter V. Hodson Department of Biology and School of Environmental Studies, Queen's University Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6 (613) 533-6129 (613) 533-6090 (FAX)peter.hodson@queensu.ca http://biology.queensu.ca/%7Ehodsonp/

 3.Science and Policy: Looking at Common Threads

Session Chairs: Alicia Ritcey and Michelle Berquist, Queen’s University 

The Great Lakes- St. Lawrence River Ecosystem has received much attention over the past decades from scientists and politicians alike.  Their analyses have generated a wealth of scientific research and policy implementation that indirectly affect the way in which we engage with our natural surroundings.  This session offers the opportunity to discuss the interaction between science and policy to promote environmental awareness and improve environmental management. We encourage submissions that examine the influences of political motivation, scientific inquiry, and financial allocation (among others) with special import for civic engagement.  These influences can be in terms of policy development, research / monitoring initiatives, and educative measures.

4. The St. Lawrence Seaway and the Ecological Integrity in the St. Lawrence River-Dr. Yves de Lafontaine,  Recherche sur les Écosystèmes Fluviaux, Division de la Recherche sur la protection des Écosystèmes Aquatiques

Description:  The St. Lawrence Seaway changed the river environment by altering the physical-biological dynamics and the ecological integrity of this biologically-rich ecosystem.  The physical modifications of the river associated to the deepening and enlargement of the navigation channel, the presence of locks and dams and the increased shipping activity contributed directly to re-shape the nature and the structure of the ecological interactions along the river.  The introduction of numerous non-indigenous species via shipping indirectly affected also the biodiversity and integrity of the river.  This session will focus on the biological interactions associated directly or indirectly to the presence of the St. Lawrence Seaway.  Presentations will seek to document ecological processes that influence the productivity and diversity of the river as well as the patterns of species abundance and distribution. The session aims at presenting the latest results from both on-going monitoring initiatives and recent research studies on the state and functional dynamic of the St. Lawrence River in the context of river ecosystem integrity concepts.   Session speakers could include scientific researchers and experts in any aspect of river dynamics who are currently involved in large-river studies.

Additional Contact information:   Dr. Yves de Lafontaine,  Recherche sur les Écosystèmes Fluviaux, Division de la Recherche sur la protection des Écosystèmes Aquatiques, Environnement Canada - Centre Saint-Laurent,  105 McGill, Montréal, QC Canada H2Y 2E7, Tel: 514-496-5025  Fax: 514-496-7398, E-mail: yves.delafontaine@ec.gc.ca

5. Fish Habitat and Fish Ecology—Habitat Use by Fish in Altered Systems - Session Chair Dr. Brian Hickey, St. Lawrence River Institute

This session will explore basic and applied aspects of fish biology at the individual, population and community level of organization.  Speakers will explore topics related to  fish behaviour and ecology, habitat use, population biology, fish passage and predator-prey interactions. Contributions relating these concepts to effects of man-made structures and impacts on habitat use are especially encouraged.  

Additional Contact information: Dr. Brian Hickey, St. Lawrence River Institute, 2 Belmont Street, Cornwall, ON K6H 4Z1 Phone: 613-936-6620 email: bats@riverinstitute.ca

6. Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS):  Application and potential for the Upper St. Lawrence River and Coastal Lake Ontario.  Session Chairs: Greg Boyer, State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry, James Bonner, Clarkson University Center for the Environment, and Temitope Ojo, Clarkson University Center for the Environment. Session Chairs:Gregory L Boyer, Great Lakes Research Consortium, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry and James Bonner, Center for the Environment, Clarkson University

Description:  The Great Lakes Observing System is one of the regional associations of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS).  The objectives of IOOS are to (1) facilitate safe and efficient maritime operations, (2) mitigate effects of natural hazards, (3) improve prediction of climate variability, (4) reduce public health risks, (5) improve national security, (6) sustain and restore living resources, and (7) preserve and restore healthy ecosystems.   It seeks to do this through an integrated network of satellite, buoy, ship-board, and fixed sensors and monitoring systems for the open lakes, nearshore environments and interconnecting waterways.  These measurements will be used to develop ecological forecast and mass balance models for the Great Lakes Ecosystems.  GLOS is only now expanding into the upper Saint Lawrence River ecosystem and coastal Lake Ontario.    Papers covering any aspect of the proposed GLOS for coastal Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, including but not limited to sensor development, prototype system deployments, model development and education and outreach efforts, are encouraged.

Additional Contact information:  Gregory L Boyer, Great Lakes Research Consortium, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry,  Syracuse NY 13210, 315-470-6720, glboyer@esf.edu. James Bonner, Center for the Environment, Clarkson University, Potsdam NY 13699, 315-268-3856, email: jbonner@clarkson.edu

7. Controlling Invasive Species through Better Ballast Water Management Session
Chairs; Collister (“Terry”) Johnson, Jr. U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation and Paul Patrick, PhD Senior Aquatic Scientist, SENES Consultants Limited

The session would focus on current and proposed efforts to protect the Great Lakes from invasive species introduced through ballast water. The session would highlight the latest scientific analysis of the effectiveness of current ballast water management practices.

The discussion would include a review of past and current U.S. and Canadian ballast water regulations, new U.S. Seaway regulations for ballast water inspections in Montreal, U.S. Coast Guard efforts to implement a comprehensive ballast water regulatory program, ongoing efforts and new initiatives of the binational Ballast Water Working Group, ballast water treatment research activity, and legislative attempts to enact a uniform federal ballast water statute.

Invited session speakers could include scientific experts in science, government, and industry who are actively involved in the ballast water management regime for the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System.

Additional Contact information: Co-chair Collister (“Terry”) Johnson, Jr. U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation Email: terry.johnson@dot.gov Paul Patrick, PhD Senior Aquatic Scientist, SENES Consultants Limited 121 Granton Drive, Unit 12 Richmond Hill, Ontario, CANADA L4B 3N4 Tel:  (905) 764-9380 Fax:  (905) 764-9386, Email Address:  ppatrick@senes.ca Web Site:  http://www.senes.ca/

8. General Contributions - Papers dealing with all aspects of the biogeochemistry, ecology, hydrology and management of large rivers and their tributaries are encouraged.