University of Lethbridge Aquatic Biogeochemistry

Matthew Bogard

Principal Investigator - Canada Research Chair in Aquatic Environments

The main objective of my research is to link human alteration of biogeochemical cycles to water quality and habitat health outcomes. Our group works to answer questions about: how greenhouse gas emissions from inland waters shape global atmospheric budgets; what factors control food web productivity; how impactful is  human-caused nutrient pollution, salinization, and other stressors on aquatic ecosystem functioning; and issues around water health and security for the future of Canada.

Science is a powerful tool that can help inform and shape our policies and best practices in society. I am committed to working with students and diverse stakeholders (industry, government, non-profit organizations, and the public) to generate knowledge that both advances the field of environmental science while also guiding resource management and protection. When I am not working on campus you might find me in the coulees collecting rocks, bugs, or berries with my two young junior scientists.  

Dr. Laura Logozzo

My research focuses on wetland carbon cycling in the Canadian Prairies, a heavily agricultural region with a high density of wetlands. I study how different agricultural land uses (i.e., cropland vs. rangeland) affect wetland greenhouse gas fluxes. I am also working on building a whole-ecosystem carbon budget for a restored treatment wetland that receives municipal and agro-industrial effluent. This work will help constrain regional carbon budgets and provide insight into how agricultural wetlands can be managed to optimize wetland carbon storage potential.

In my spare time I enjoy cooking, hiking, pottery, spending time with my family, friends, and my cats, and playing video games with my fiancé.

Dr. Sam Woodman

My research focuses on how the connection between land and inland waters is altered by climate change. I am particularly interested in how disturbances, such as insect outbreaks, fire, or anthropogenic influence alter the nutrient cycling of aquatic ecosystems. Understanding how inland waters respond to landscape changes will help predict the productivity of these systems as well as how they contribute to global carbon budgets. To characterise these effect I combine remote sensing techniques with field measurements to determine the drivers of changes at a regional scale. 

As a Postdoctoral Fellow, I am working with Ducks Unlimited Canada to investigate how the terrestrial and aquatic components of prairie wetlands interact to determine regional patterns of biodiversity, productivity and greenhouse gas fluxes. I am also interested in how these metrics differ across distinct land-use types prevalent in the Canadian Prairies.

Dr. Chenxi Mi

As a Postdoctoral Fellow at U of L, my research focuses on understanding the long term phosphorus retention capacity of effluent receiving wetlands. Specifically, I am mapping sediment phosphorus retention patterns and associated driving factors throughout the Frank Lake wetland complex in southern Alberta. I am also working on establishing a nutrient budget for the Twin Valley Reservoir (TVR) downstream of Frank Lake, which will identify the multi-decade trajectories of nutrient loading in this system, and how regional climate drivers have interacted with other human impacts in the progressive eutrophication of this important reservoir. Conclusions from my research will help stakeholders optimize their management strategies to protect aquatic ecosystems under a changing environment. I also have a strong interest in developing process-driven models to analyze thermal and oxygen structure in deep-lentic waters. More details about my research and publication list can be found on my personal ResearchGate page (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Chenxi-Mi-2). During my free time, I enjoy listening to classic music and reading Japanese detective novels.

Chun Ngai (Eric) Chan

Ph.D. Student

I have a strong interest in conducting research related to greenhouse gas emissions from a variety of aquatic habitats, including lakes, wetlands, ponds, and reservoirs. The goal of my Ph.D. research is to investigate the greenhouse gas dynamics of different ecosystems and their controls at scales ranging from local to global. When I have free time, some of my favorite things to do are shopping, hiking, jogging, and most importantly, having a feast!

Mariya Denny

M.Sc. Student

I have a background in Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, and always had an interest in the study of nutrient cycling and transformations in the soil and water. My MSc project explores how sulfur cycles in a restored wetland receiving multiple forms of effluent in Southern Alberta. I am interested in looking at the biogeochemical cycling of sulfur, especially through the application of isotopes to determine the major transformation pathways of sulfur in the wetland complex. This will aid in understanding the fate of effluent in the wetland, as well as to evaluate the efficiency of the wetland in retaining wastewater materials that may otherwise be passed downstream into the river network. Apart from academics, I have a great passion of music, movies and Malayalam literature.

Ilyanna Janvier

M.Sc. Student

I am interested in river ecosystem processes such as river metabolism and organic carbon processing. The goal of my MSc. work is to define the river metabolism through a spatial gradient within the little bow river. I am also interested in understanding more about the carbon cycling within the little bow river. In my free time I enjoy hiking, backpacking, and crocheting.

Jess Lerminiaux

M.Sc. Student (co-supervised with Dr. Kerri Finlay, U of Regina)

My research focuses on the fate of algal toxins in wetlands within the northern Great Plains. I will be looking into natural degradation pathways for microcystin, a carcinogenic hepatotoxin commonly found in eutrophic freshwater ecosystems, within a restored wetland that receives treated wastewater. The goal of this study is to identify new sustainable management solutions for harmful algal blooms to reduce the frequency of toxicity cases found in humans and other organisms.

Molly Tilley

Lab Manager

I have experience in freshwater and behavioural ecology and parasitology. I did my M.Sc. degree at the University of Lethbridge under the supervision of Dr. Cameron Goater, and my project encompassed the formal description of a new species of parasite in fathead minnows. My work explored the pathological and behavioural consequences of this parasite to host performance and impacts on population dynamics of fathead minnows in southern Alberta. Currently, as the manager of the Aquatic Biogeochemistry Lab at the University of Lethbridge, my role is to coordinate field and lab activities, primarily focused on the sampling of wetlands, rivers, lakes and reservoirs across southern Alberta. I am also leading a study that explores the impact of invasive carp on parasitism in the Frank Lake wetland complex. I love the outdoors and exploring our natural landscapes through hiking and fishing.

Visiting Scholars

Dr. Jean-Francois Lapierre (Université de Montréal, 2022)