Dr. Norman Yan Shares His Expertise

LAKE OF BAYS - The Lake of Bays Association will be holding its annual general meeting on Saturday, July 10 at 9:30 a.m. at the Baysville Community Centre.

Guest speaker Dr. Norman Yan will talk about calcium decline in Ontario’s inland lakes and why you should be concerned.

 Through his research at the Dorset Environmental Science Centre, Yan is a leading expert on the dynamics of Muskoka’s watersheds. He was a speaker at the Freshwater Summit held last month in Bracebridge and he will be sharing the most current views on water quality issues in his presentation.

Also featured at the meeting will be the award-winning photos of the recent Lake of Bays Association Photo Contest and the presentation of the Betty Day Award recognizing the association’s most outstanding volunteer.

With 1,300 members, the Lake of Bays Association is one of the largest lake associations in the province. Its purpose is to preserve a clean, healthy and natural environment, a well-serviced community and a safe, peaceful Lake of Bays.

Everyone is welcome to attend this meeting.

For more information contact Wendy Gibson, executive co-ordinator, Lake of Bays Association at 705-789-2919 or visit the website at loba.ca.

CAISN and the RBCM

On Wednesday, April 28th CAISN, in partnership with the Royal BC Museum, opened the Invaders From The Deep exhibit to a packed house eager to learn about CAISN and its work. 

Produced in partnership with the Ministry of the Environment, the interactive exhibit provides museum visitors with an experience that leaves them informed and, more importantly, aware of AIS and the considerable threat they pose to our coastal and inland aquatic ecosystems.

If you would like more information about our exhibit and its availability, contact CAISN Communications at 519-253-3000 Ext. 3755

AIS Migration in Eastern Canada

Given its status as one of the world's busiest seaways, it's no surprise that the St. Lawrence River is also a hotspot for AIS migration into the Great Lakes. But to what extent? That's the question research by Abisola Adebayo is trying to answer.

Armed with evidence that select AIS can survive preventative measures like mid-ocean ballast transfers and salt water flushing to successfully colonize our waters, Remi and her team sampled 11 freshwater and 5 estuarine ports along the seaway and identified invaders using taxonomic and DNA methods.

"We've found 182 AIS in the Great Lakes and ship ballast water is the leading vector," explains Ms. Adebayo. However, that estimate is conservative since many in the field believe that as much as 70% of the AIS in Great Lakes waters enter via untreated or improperly treated ballast water.

Once the sampling was completed Remi was able to compare invasive species form the seaway with those present in the Great Lakes. The results of her study could have lasting implications on how domestic ballast water concerns are addressed when it comes to ships using the St. Lawrence Seaway as a gateway to our Great Lakes.