Studying ‘harmful algal blooms’ in Yellowknife’s Jackfish Lake

Makerspace YK is hosting a free event on Thursday from 6-7:30pm at which the public can hear from researchers studying marine ecosystems in Yellowknife and the broader NWT.

Thursday’s two presentations are the final instalments in the Laurier-ARI Spring Speaker series. They will examine why harmful algal blooms form in Yellowknife’s Jackfish Lake and how northern landscapes shape freshwater ecosystems.

The series was organized by Wilfrid Laurier University, the Cold Regions Research Centre and the Aurora Research Institute. It features presentations by early-career researchers with ongoing research projects in the Northwest Territories on topics such as ice, water, wildlife and climate.

Daniela Klicper, a PhD candidate at Wilfrid Laurier and one of the researchers presenting at the event, has been studying Jackfish Lake in collaboration with the NWT Power Corporation and the NWT’s Department of Environment and Climate Change.

“The goal is to better understand what’s driving the algal blooms in Jackfish Lake and what risks they might pose,” Klicper told Cabin Radio.

Blue-green algae, which can be toxic, has been a known issue in Jackfish Lake since at least 2013. Recently, the GNWT announced it would install updated warning signs to deter residents from swimming or fishing in the lake due to concerns surrounding the algae and the presence of arsenic.

Klicper has been collecting data on water chemistry, phytoplankton communities, potential toxin concentrations and other parameters to understand what kind of environmental drivers are behind these algal blooms.

Klicper and her colleagues are comparing the data from Jackfish Lake with information collected from three other northern lakes: Frame Lake, Handle Lake and Fiddlers Lake.

“My work on Jackfish Lake is still ongoing,” said Klicper, who will present about it on Thursday evening, “but it is helping us get a clearer picture of what’s actually driving these cyano-blooms in Jackfish Lake. And eventually, the goal is to guide us toward better ways to manage and reduce these blooms.”

Gabrielle Hatten, also presenting at the event, is a research assistant at the Aurora Research Institute working on freshwater ecosystems.

Hatten’s research, which overlaps with Klicper’s, focuses on understanding how changes in the landscapes surrounding freshwater ecosystems can actually change the ecosystems themselves.

“As the land changes due to things like fire, industry, building new roads or expanding our cities, or permafrost thaw … that means the water is also changing,” said Hatten. “But we don’t really have a good sense of the ways that different lakes and rivers will respond to those factors.”

Part of Hatten’s research, with the Aurora Research Institute and the Northwest Territories Geological Survey, focuses on understanding the difference between a “bedrock lake” – a lake mostly surrounded by continuous exposed rock rather than soil – and lakes effected by thawing permafrost.

Hatten said she hopes her research will “encourage people to think about land and water together,” and that Thursday will provide a space where multiple perspectives can be incorporated.

“I really get excited talking about this stuff, so I feel really grateful for an opportunity to share something I’m passionate about with other people,” said Hatten.

“I’ve been to a few of the past Speaker Series talks and it’s a really good mix of people that have a little bit of a background in this kind of science, some people that are land users and understand this stuff not from a traditional science perspective, but from a different perspective, and then some people that don’t really think about things from a science perspective at all. So I’m really excited to hear what people have to say about this topic.”

“It’s exciting to be able to share the work as we’re doing it,” said Klicper.

“We may not have all the answers right away, but it’s nice to share the work with the community. These are important issues.

“We are very fortunate to have a lot of fresh water in Canada and especially in North. It’s important to be aware of some of the issues that happen out there and what to do.”