Author: Alison Derry, Professeure agrégée, Sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

Freshwater ecosystems are impacted by human activities, including climate change, pollution and invasive species. We are researchers at the Université du Québec à Montréal and part of the Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie, a network of researchers across Québec who study lake ecosystems. We focus much of our research on zooplankton as they are such central food web players. Zooplankton are a diverse group of microscopic animals that live in lakes, some large rivers and oceans. They are an essential central link in freshwater food webs and can act as first indicators of any impacts on entire lake ecosystems.…