Shallow Water Aquatic Plant and Mollusk Communities of the Lower Saint John River System: Monitoring Environmental Impacts of the Industrial City in Transition
Dr. Don McAlpine, Curator of Zoology, New Brunswick Museum
This project will examine diversity of freshwater mussel communities in the lower Saint John River and their impact on water quality and ecosystems. It will also form part of pre-pilot project (year 1 CURA) with two goals – 1) to test the feasibility of pairing upper-level undergraduate students with an expert in animal or plant taxonomy who will provide one-on-one training to the students, and 2) then have the mentor-supervised students apply their expertise gained in carrying out taxon-specific biological surveys of critical or protected habitats in the region. The project is a response to the biodiversity crisis and a rapidly dwindling Canadian expertise in systematics. This proposal also falls within the mandate and goals of the federal Canadian Biodiversity Strategy.