News Release - Accelerated warming driving ecological change in Great Slave Lake

News Release - Accelerated warming driving ecological change in Great Slave Lake

September 20, 2023

Share

New research shows impact of climate change on northern lakes

KINGSTON 鈥  Researchers from Queen鈥檚 University and Environment and Climate Change Canada have discovered that accelerated 21st -century warming has triggered a striking shift in algae composition in Great Slave Lake, North America鈥檚 deepest lake. The findings were published today in the journal , and suggests that declining ice coverage and other climate-related changes have marked the crossing of an important ecological threshold.

Using information preserved in dated lake sediment cores as an archive of past ecosystems changes, the research team uncovered a rapid restructuring of algal communities linked to declining lake ice cover and other climate-related changes, which were unparalleled over the last 200 years.

鈥淪uch a pronounced change at the base of the food chain is a clear indication that this 鈥榥orthern Great Lake鈥 is entering a new ecological regime,鈥 explains Dr. Kathleen R眉hland, lead author and a senior research scientist at Queen鈥檚 University鈥檚 . 鈥淭hese microscopic algae are fundamental to lake ecosystem functioning and these big shifts are a sure sign that the entire lake is changing and changing fast.鈥

These changes have unknown ramifications for fisheries and aquatic ecosystem functioning and their impact on First Nations, M茅tis, and other northern communities. Great Slave Lake also supports the largest commercial, recreational, and Indigenous freshwater fishery in the Northwest Territories, with approximately 60 per cent of the territory鈥檚 population living near the shorelines of the lake.

Arctic temperatures have risen by as much as four times the global average over recent decades, with a notable acceleration since the beginning of the 2000s.

There is limited data on northern lakes, and much of what is currently known about Great Slave Lake can be attributed to detailed studies by the late D.S. Rawson (University of Saskatchewan) and his colleagues during the 1940s and 1950s. These and other historical lake surveys allowed the researchers to ground-truth (information that is known to be real or true, provided by direct observation and measurement) their paleolimnological (lake sediment) findings.

鈥淥ur previous work has shown that recent warming has resulted in shorter ice cover periods and other predictable changes in many small and medium-sized lakes throughout the Arctic, with important ecological repercussions,鈥 says co-author Dr. John Smol, Professor of Biology at Queen鈥檚 and co-director of PEARL. 鈥淚n contrast, very large, deep and (until recently) extensively ice-covered northern lakes such as Great Slave Lake have been partly sheltered from climate warming, but are now entering a new ecological state.鈥

For more details, visit the .

-30-

成人大片 Queen鈥檚 University 

Queen鈥檚 University has a long history of scholarship, discovery, and innovation that shapes our collective knowledge and helps address some of the world鈥檚 most pressing concerns. Home to more than 25,000 students, Queen鈥檚 offers a comprehensive research-intensive environment. Diverse perspectives and a wealth of experience enrich our students and faculty鈥痺hile鈥痑 core part of our mission is to engage in international learning and research. 

In 2023, for the third year in a row, Queen鈥檚 University has ranked in top 10 globally Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, securing the position of third worldwide and first in North America. The rankings measured over 1,700 post-secondary institutions on their work to advance the United Nations鈥 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

For further information contact:

Julie Brown, Queen鈥檚 University Media Relations Manager

 343-363-2763

 brown.julie@queensu.ca