Our project is investigating the long-term effects of marine diesel exposure on three species of bivalve found on the central coast of British Columbia in the territory of the Heiltsuk Nation. These bivalve populations are of cultural, ecological, and economic importance to the Heiltsuk community. This project will examine the effect of marine diesel exposure on larval and juvenile viability along with the reproductive capacity of adult bivalves. The results of this study will provide insight that will be useful a) as the Nation investigates the most effective approach to the restoration of this specific fishery, b) as regional risk protection strategies are being developed to protect against and respond to future incidents, and c) at a broader level, to advance understanding of persistent, long-term ecological effects of marine diesel pollution to near-shore environments.
A One Health approach is essential to achieving our research objectives. We will be collaborating closely with the Haíɫzaqv Nation and integrating several areas of study, e.g., traditional knowledge, toxicology, ecology, community food security. Members of Haíɫzaqv Nation have been tending and harvesting clams in their territory for millennia, resulting in the community possessing an immense amount of knowledge about the clam populations and the ecosystems they inhabit.
About the Faculty: Dr. Ryan Prosser
Ryan Prosser is an Associate Professor in the School of Environmental Sciences (SES), part of the University of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College (OAC).
Growing up, Ryan always loved being outside and near the water. From family camping trips, canoe trips and summer camps, he always had a love for the environment. He chose to study biology in university not quite knowing where it would take him. After completing teacher’s college, Ryan taught chemistry to grade 11 and 12 students in Kuwait, but always had the idea of research in the back of his mind. When he returned to Canada he chose to pursue grad school and was able to find a topic that combined his interest in biology and chemistry, with his love of the outdoors – environmental toxicology. Today Ryan’s research looks at the impact of chemicals or the mixture of chemicals on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
Ryan’s research focuses on chemicals, such as pesticides, used in agriculture, as well as industrial chemicals, and what impact they have on the environment. His research also investigates how we can reduce the potential negative impacts that the chemicals we use in society have on the environment. Another interesting aspect of his research is his work with freshwater mussels. Southern Ontario has the greatest diversity of fresh-water mussels in Canada, and North America itself has more mussel species than anywhere else in the world. However, most of them are either threatened or endangered. Ryan is looking at the impact that humans have on freshwater mussels, how we can preserve the populations we have, as well as how we can help them flourish.
About the Student: Jacob Gawronski
Jacob Gawronski is a third-year student at the University of Guelph, majoring in Environmental Sciences. His main field of interest is in ecotoxicology, and he is excited to take part in the important work that Dr. Prosser’s lab conducts.
This summer (2024), Jacob will help conduct experiments to assess the health of adult clams from different locations across the Haíɫzaqv Nation, the ability of the adults to reproduce, and the viability of the offspring. To do this, he will travel to Haíɫzaqv Territory to conduct field collections, alongside graduate students from the Prosser lab and the Haíɫzaqv coastal guardian watchmen. Travel to the Haíɫzaqv Nation will provide Jacob with the opportunity to conduct field research but also to learn about Haíɫzaqv culture and the close link between ecosystem health and community food security.
