User: Environment and Climate Change Canada and Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, Québec (MELCC)
Agricultural activities and climate change are having a significant impact on aquatic ecosystems, particularly an increase in harmful cyanobacteria blooms. These blooms thrive in warmer, nutrient-rich waters, displacing beneficial phytoplankton and producing cyanotoxins that compromise water quality, biodiversity, and human health. Though we know that excess nutrients are the cause of these blooms, we do not yet fully understand the role that pesticides may play. Consequently, the goal of our research is to better understand how pesticides contribute to harmful cyanobacteria blooms and, more generally, how they impact phytoplankton communities. Phytoplankton communities are essential components of aquatic food webs, which maintain biodiversity. Existing solutions aim to reduce nutrient runoff, but this study will examine the combined impact of pesticides and nutrients on water bodies such as Lake St-Pierre and its main tributary, the Yamaska River. Using advanced DNA and RNA techniques, the project will track changes in phytoplankton, including cyanobacterial communities, and identify genes responsible for toxin production. Understanding these effects could inform future policy decisions on pesticide regulation, contributing to management strategies that address nutrient and pesticide runoff, thereby ensuring a balance between agricultural productivity, ecosystem protection, and public health.