water

Shattered Planet

kvd1 — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 13:59:21 +0000

Allen Tian

The impact of human activity on our planet is often difficult to see in the moment, and requires a long-term, overlooking, view. This photo is a drone panorama of my field site on the Rideau Canal System, where I investigate the impact of human activity on aquatic ecosystems, particularly the development of toxic algal blooms. Activities such as fishing, property development and farming have fragmented and altered this ecosystem, and we need a holistic, broader view to piece together how we can protect our delicate, beautiful, world.

Location of photograph:

Milburn Bay, Dog Lake, South Frontenac County, Ontario, Canada

Prize name:

Graduate Studies Prize

Submission Year:

2019-20

Nature’s van Gogh

kvd1 — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 17:45:19 +0000

Hayden Wainwright

Algal blooms appear as smears of green slime from the ground, but are beautiful pieces of abstract art from an aerial view, painted by wind and sunlight. My research takes me to lakes on the Canadian Shield affected by blooms, where I photograph them with a drone while assistants help me collect water samples. By uncovering when, where, and why they appear, we hope to restore some of Canada’s most beautiful lakes to their pristine states.

Location of photograph:

South Frontenac County, Ontario, Canada

Prize name:

Out in the Field

Submission Year:

2019-20

Diving into microplastics: Addressing our "wicked" waste problem

MLR7 — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 14:44:07 +0000

Microplastics – They are in the food we eat, the air we breathe, and the water we consume, and we are still learning about what this means for our health, the health of our environment, and our future. How do we tackle this “wicked” problem? Queen’s researcher Myra Hird believes the answer is in our own consumption habits.

Microplastics - They are in the food we eat, the air we breathe, and the water we consume, and we are still learning about what this means for our health, the health of our environment, and our future.