Pacific Northwest: Experimental Lakes Area

I am currently at the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA), probably one of the coolest biological station I have ever been to. It's situated somewhere in Western Ontario, 45 min on a gravel road away from the highway, 90 min to the next community Kenora. It's really picturesque, typical Canadian Shield landscape with lots and lots of lakes and tress. I have seen already deer, vultures, eagles and of course a lot of fish because yesterday I went with one of the fisheries technicians fishing with trap nets and we caught a lot of suckers, some lake trout, perch, sculpin, dace, shiner, and I don't know how many different minnow species. We also saw some tadpoles and crayfish.

Today I got the chemistry, biochemistry and meteorology tour. The database ELA researchers have created over a period of more than three decades is just amazing. The major studies that were conducted here at the station analyzed the effects of euthrophication, acid rain, toxic contaminants, heavy metals, particularly mercury, flooding and aquaculture on the the entire ecosystem. Pretty neat stuff !!!

Chopping wood for the fire