The Experimental Lakes Area near Kenora will be capped at around half its usual occupancy this summer.
That’s because of COVID-19 health restrictions.
Despite that, Executive Director Matt McCandless says the research area will still be open and conducting experiments.
He says they are starting a couple of studies, including what happens to microplastics over time.
“That’s why we’re going to basically be adding an enclosure in a lake to actually look what is happening to the ecosystem once these microplastics are there,” explains McCandless. “How does it change? How do plants and animals live?”
McCandless says they will also look at the impact of anti-depressants on the fish population.
“When fish are exposed to these anti-depressants, it changes their behavior too. They’re a little bit slower to react, so it means maybe these fish are slower to escape predators or slower to eat food,” he notes.
He adds that sewage systems don’t take these substances out of wastewater before they go into lakes and rivers.
