Derek Gray, Associate Professor

Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University

Welcome to the Freshwater Ecology Lab at Wilfrid Laurier University!

Aquatic communities are facing a variety of environmental stressors including climate change, increased nutrient levels, pollution, acidification, and invasive species introductions. While the impacts of these interacting stressors are being studied extensively, our ability to accurately forecast the response of communities to environmental change remains poor. Research in my lab aims to understand and predict the impacts of short- and long-term environmental change on aquatic communities. We use a mix of field and laboratory experiments, synoptic surveys, and time-series analyses in our research.

Our research interests include:

Aquatic ecology
Dispersal ecology
Biological and physical responses to environmental change
Invasion biology
Planktonic organisms

Current Projects

Tracking the rehabilitation of Frame Lake, Yellowknife

Can aeration make the reintroduction of fish to Frame Lake possible? We are examining the effects on water quality and the aquatic food web.

Impacts of road dust on Arctic lakes

How do gravel roads in Canada’s north affect water quality and zooplankton in small lakes?

Can zooplankton keep up with climate-driven salinity change in Great Plains’ lakes?

Climate change may lead to increasing salinity levels in lakes on the Great Plains. Can zooplankton communities keep up with these changes?

How do forest fires impact subarctic lakes?

Forest fires are increasing in frequency and severity. How do they impact water quality and invertebrates in boreal lakes?

How do ferry landings impact water quality and fishing in major northern rivers?

Ferry crossings are important infrastructure in Canada’s north. Do they have any impact on river ecosystems?

How will invertebrates in small Arctic lakes respond to water quality changes due to permafrost thaw?

Arctic lakes will be affected by water quality changes caused by peramfrost thaw. How will this affect invertebrate communities?

How will fish in Arctic lakes respond to climate change?

Arctic lakes will be affected by rising temperatures and changes due to peramfrost thaw. How will this affect fish communities?

Can disperal buffer against zooplankton community changes in Great Plains’ lakes?

Climate change may lead to increasing salinity levels in lakes on the Great Plains. Could dispersal of salinity-tolerant individuals among lakes help reduce changes?

Lab members

Derek Gray

Associate Professor

Eryn Wolfe (Honours thesis)

Does hypolimnetic aeration affect water quality and rotifer communities in Frame Lake?

Vivian Gao (MES, 2024)

Impacts of road development on water quality and macroinvertebrates in northern lakes

Nicole Andreola (MSc, 2024)

Examining changes in water quality and plankton in response to aerator installation in Frame Lake, Northwest Territories

Madeline Patenall (PhD)

Effects of aeration on contaminants and invertebrate communities in Frame Lake, Yellowknife

Madeline Patenall (Honours thesis, 2023)

Relationship between water quality and rotifer communities in Frame Lake, Yellowknife

Layana Khan (Honours thesis, 2023)

Intraspecific variation in salinity tolerance of Daphnia

Abbe Binning (MSc)

Intraspecific variation in salinity tolerance of zooplankton from lakes on the Great Plains

Caitlyn Rix (Honours thesis, 2022)

Effects of road dust pollution on cladoceran communities in Arctic lakes

Natasha Hannan (MSc, 2022)

Impacts of road development on water quality and zooplankton in northern lakes

Victoria Goodfellow (Honours thesis, 2021)

Relationships of midges to environmental gradients in Arctic lakes

Mariam Elmarsafy (MSc, 2020)

Evolution of salinity tolerance in zooplankton on the Great Plains of North America

Matthew Chanyi (Honours thesis, 2020)

Comparison of zooplankton communities in wildfire disturbed and reference lakes in the Sahtu Settlement Area.

Matthew Teillet (MSc, 2020)

Impacts of granular ferry landings on water quality and fishing opportunities in the Mackenzie and Peel Rivers

Thomas Pretty (MSc, 2020)

Impacts of forest fires on lakes in the Sahtu region of the Northwest Territories

Rachel Cohen (MSc, 2019)

Macroinvertebrate communities in lakes from the Mackenzie Delta Region

Jaclyn Franceschini (Honours thesis, 2019)

Exploring the impacts of increased salinity on zooplankton communities in Sturgeon Lake, Ontario

Maariyah Syed (Honours thesis, 2019)

Factors influencing planktonic rotifer community structure in small Arctic lakes

Jasmina Vucic (MSc, 2019)

How will zooplankton communties in northern lakes respond to permafrost thaw?

Mercedes Huynh (MSc, 2019)

Response of zooplankton communities to climate-driven changes in salinity

Opportunities

Graduate opportunities

Unfortunately, we have no funded graduate opportunities at this time. If you are competitive for an NSERC or OGS scholarship, please contact me and we can discuss possiblities. I’m hoping to pursue further work on these two projects Invertebrates in Arctic lakes or Rehabilitation of Frame Lake

Apr 13, 2023

Undergraduate opportunities

Volunteer opportunities available

Mar 22, 2020

Publications

Search publications.

Patenall, M.E., Hannan, N.M., Gao, V., Kheyrollah-Pour, H., Gray, D.K. (2024). Do gravel highways affect water quality and invertebrate communities in Arctic lakes?. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 56: 2376992.

Arnott, S.E., Fugére, V., Symons, C.C, Melles, S.J, Beisner, B.E., Cañedo-Argüelles, M., Hébert, M.P., Bretrup, J.A., Downing, A.L, Gray, D.K., Greco, D.A., Hintz, W.D., McClymont, A., Rylea, R.A, Rusak, J.A., Searle, C.L., Astorg, L, Baker, H.K., Ersoy, Z., Espinosa, C, Franceschini, J., Giorgio, A.T., Göbeler, N., Hassal, E., Huynh, M., and 19 others (2023). Widespread variation in salt tolerance within freshwater zooplankton species reduces the predictability of community-level salt tolerance. Limnology and Oceanography Letters 8: 8-18.

Hébert, M.P., Symons, C.C., Cañedo-Argüelles, M., Arnott, S.E., Derry. A.M., Fugère, V., Hintz, W., Melles, S.J., Astorg, L, Baker, H.K., Brentrup, J.A., Downing, A.L., Ersoy, Z., Espinosa, C., Franceschini, J., Giorgio, A.T., Göbeler, N., Gray, D.K., Greco, D., Hassal, E., Huynh, M., and 22 others (2023). Lake salinization drives consistent losses of zooplankton abundance and diversity across coordinated mesocosm experiments. Limnology and Oceanography Letters 8: 19-29.

Dixon, H.J., Elmarsafy, M., Hannan, N., Gao, V., Wright, C., Khan, L., Gray, D.K. (2022). The effects of roadways on lakes and ponds: a systematic review and assessment of knowledge gaps. Environmental Reviews 30: 501-523.

Hintz, W.D., Arnott, S.E., Symons, C.C., Greco, D.A., McClymont, A., Bretrup, J.A., Cañedo-Argüelles, M., Derry,A.M., Downing, A.L., Gray, D.K., Melles, S.J., Rylea, R.A., Rusak, J.A., Searle, C.L., Astorg, L., Baker, H.K., Beisner, B.E., Cottingham, K.L., Ersoy, Z., Espinosa, C., Franceschini, J., Giorgio, A.T., Göbeler, N., Hassal, E., Hébert, M.P., Huynh, M., and 17 others (2022). Current water quality guidelines across North America and Europe do not protect lakes from salinization. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 119: e2115033119.

Murdoch, A.M., Gray, D.K., Korosi, J., Vucic, J.M., Cohen, R.S., Sharma, S. (2021). Drivers of fish biodiversity in a rapidly changing permafrost landscape. Freshwater Biology 66: 2301-2321.

Gray, D.K., Elmarsafy, M., Vucic, J.M., Teillet, M., Pretty, T., Cohen, R.S., Huynh, M. (2021). Which physicochemical variables should zooplankton ecologists measure when they conduct field studies?. Journal of Plankton Research 43: 180-198.

Elmarsafy, M., Tasky, K.L., Gray, D.K. (2021). Can zooplankton on the North American Great Plains ‘keep up’ with climate-driven salinity change?. Limnology and Oceanography 66: 865-877.

Pretty, T., Chanyi, C.-M., Kuhn, C., Gray, D.K. (2021). Factors influencing the structure of macroinvertebrate communities in subarctic lakes affected by forest fires. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 78: 218-231.

Quinlan, R., Filazzola, A., Mahdiyan, O., Shuvo, A., Belgrave, K., Ewins, C., Moslenko, L., Gray, D.K., O’Reilly, C., Sharma, S. (2021). Relationships of total phosphorus and chlorophyll in lakes worldwide. Limnology and Oceanography 66: 392-404.

Mahdiyan, O., Filazzola, A., Molot, L.A., Gray, D.K., Sharma, S. (2021). Drivers of water quality changes within the Laurentian Great Lakes region over the past 40 years. Limnology and Oceanography 66: 237-254.

Cohen, R.S., Gray, D.K., Vucic, J.M., Murdoch, A.D., Sharma, S. (2021). Environmental variables associated with littoral macroinvertebrate community composition in Arctic lakes. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 78: 110-123.

Shuvo, A., O’Reilly, C., Blagrave, K., Ewins, C., Filazzola, A., Gray, D.K., Mahdiyan, O., Moslenko, L., Quinlan, R., Sharma, S. (2021). Total phosphorus and climate are equally important predictors of water quality in lakes. Aquatic Sciences 83: 16.

Filazzola, A., Mahdiyan, O., Shuvo, A., Ewins, C., Moslenko, L., Sadid, T., Blagrave, K., Imrit, M., Gray, D.K., Quinlan, R., O’Reilly, C., Sharma, S. (2020). A database of chlorophyll and water chemistry in freshwater lakes. Scientific Data 7: 310.

Vucic, J.M., Gray, D.K., Cohen, R.S., Syed, M., Murdoch, A.D., Sharma, S. (2020). Changes in water quality related to permafrost thaw may significantly impact zooplankton communities in small Arctic lakes. Ecological Applications 30: e02186.

Huynh, M., Gray, D.K. (2019). Can dispersal buffer against salinity-driven zooplankton community change in Great Plains’ lakes?. Freshwater Biology 65: 337-350.

Vucic, J.M., Cohen, R.S., Gray, D.K., Murdoch, A.D., Sharma, S. (2019). Young gravel pit lakes along Canada’s Dempster Highway: How do they compare with natural lakes?. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 51: 25-39.

Gray, D.K., Hampton, S.E., O’Reilly, C.M., Sharma, S., Cohen, R. (2018). How do data collection and processing methods impact the accuracy of long-term trend estimation in lake surface water temperatures?. Limnology and Oceanography Methods 16: 504-515.

Argent, D.G., Kimmel, W.G., Gray, D.K. (2018). Changes in the status of native Brook Trout on Laurel Hill, Southwestern Pennsylvania. Northeastern Naturalist 25: 1-20.

Izmest’eva, L.R., Moore, M.V., Hampton, S.E., Ferwerda, C.J., Gray, D.K., Woo, K., Pislegina, H.V., Krashchuk, L.S., Shimaraeva, S.V., Silow, E.A. (2016). Lake-wide physical and biological trends associated with warming in Lake Baikal. Journal of Great Lakes Research 42: 6-17.

O’Reilly, C.M., Sharma, S., Gray, D.K., Hampton, S.E., 60 additional coauthors (2015). Rapid and highly variable warming of lake surface waters around the globe. Geophysical Research Letters 42: 10773-10781.

Sharma, S., Gray, D.K., Read, J.S., O’Reilly, C.M., Schneider,P., Qudrat, A., 60 additional coauthors (2015). A global database of lake surface temperatures (1985-2009) collected by in situ and satellite methods. Scientific Data 2: 150008.

Argent, D.G., W.G. Kimmel, D.K. Gray, B. Delenobius, D. Drescher (2014). Invasion of the Allegheny River by the spiny water flea (Bythotrephes longimanus). Bioinvasions Records 3: 89-95.

Hampton, S.E., D.K. Gray, M.V. Moore, T. Ozersky, L.R. Izmest’eva (2014). The rise and fall of plankton: long-term changes in the vertical distribution of algae and grazers in Lake Baikal, Siberia. PLoS ONE 9: e88920.

Gray, D.K., S.E. Arnott (2012). The role of dispersal levels, Allee effects, and community resistance as zooplankton communities respond to environmental change. Journal of Applied Ecology 49: 1216-1224.

Gray, D.K., S.E. Arnott, J.A. Shead, A.M. Derry (2012). The recovery of acid-damaged zooplankton communities in Canadian Lakes: the relative importance of environmental variables, biotic variables, and dispersal. Freshwater Biology 57: 741-758.

Gray, D.K., S.E. Arnott (2011). The interplay between environmental conditions and Allee effects during the recovery of stressed zooplankton communities. Ecological Applications 21: 2652-2663.

Gray, D.K., S.E. Arnott (2011). Does dispersal limitation impact the recovery of zooplankton communities damaged by a regional stressor?. Ecological Applications 21: 1241-1256.

Gray, D.K., H.J. MacIsaac (2010). Diapausing zooplankton eggs remain viable despite exposure to open-ocean ballast water exchange: evidence from in-situ exposure experiments.. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 67: 417-426.

Gray, D.K, S.E. Arnott (2009). Recovery of acid damaged zooplankton communities: measurement, extent, and limiting factors. Environmental Reviews 17: 81-99.

J.R. Muirhead, D.K. Gray, D.W. Kelly, S.M. Ellis, D.D. Heath, H.J. MacIsaac (2008). Identifying the source of species invasions: sampling intensity vs. genetic diversity. Molecular Ecology 17: 1020-1035.

Bailey, S.A., D.W. Kelly, D.K. Gray, N. Kanavillil, H.J. MacIsaac (2008). Nonindigenous species in Lake Erie: A chronicle of established and projected aquatic invaders. Checking the Pulse of Lake Erie, M. Munawar and R. Heath (eds.).

Gray, D.K., T.H. Johengen, D.F. Reid, H.J. MacIsaac (2007). Efficacy of open-ocean ballast water exchange as a means of preventing invertebrate invasions between freshwater ports. Limnology and Oceanography 52: 2386-2397.

Gray, D.K., I.C. Duggan, H.J. MacIsaac (2006). Can sodium hypochlorite reduce the risk of species introductions from diapausing invertebrate eggs in non-ballasted ships?. Marine Pollution Bulletin 52: 689-695.

Gray, D.K., S.A. Bailey, I.C. Duggan, H.J. MacIsaac (2005). Viability of invertebrate diapausing eggs exposed to saltwater: implications for Great Lakes’ ship ballast management. Biological Invasions 7: 531-539.

Grigorovich, I.A., A.V. Korniushin, D.K. Gray, I.C. Duggan, R.I. Colautti, H.J. MacIsaac (2003). Lake Superior: an invasion coldspot?. Hydrobiologia 499: 191-210.

Duggan, I.C., S.A. Bailey, R.I. Colautti, D.K. Gray, J.C. Makarewicz, H.J. MacIsaac (2003). Biological invasions in Lake Ontario: past, present and future. State of Lake Ontario: Past, Present and Future, M. Munawar (ed.).

Contact

1-519-884-0710 x2500
75 University Ave. W., Waterloo, ON N2L3C5
Enter front doors of Bricker Academic building and take the elevator to the fourth floor, office BA423

Lake data

Water quality data for lakes worldwide

We synthesized a database of measured chlorophyll a values, associated water chemistry variables, and lake morphometric characteristics for 11,959 freshwater lakes distributed across 72 countries. Data were collected based on a systematic review examining 3322 published manuscripts that measured lake chlorophyll a, and we supplemented these data with online repositories such as The Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity, Dryad, and Pangaea.

Associated publication: A database of chlorophyll and water chemistry in freshwater lakes

Water quality data (Zenodo Repository)

Bathymetric maps for lakes along the Fort McPherson-Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk transportation corridor

Bathymetric maps were constructed for a selection of lakes along the Dempster and Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highways running between Fort McPherson and Tuktoyaktuk. This Google Earth project provides an interface to view the lakes as well as data about their morphometry (surface area, mean and maximum depth) as well as the fish species captured in each lake.

Lake Bathymetry (Google Earth)

Littoral macroinvertebrate and water quality data for 32 lakes across the boreal-tundra transition in the Northwest Territories

This dataset includes macroinvertebrate and water quality data from 32 lakes sampled in the Northwest Territories, Canada, from the Dempster and Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highways during July and August of 2017 and 2018.

Associated publication: Environmental variables associated with littoral macroinvertebrate community composition in Arctic lakes

Macroinvertebrate data (Dryad Repository)

Zooplankton data for lakes along the Fort McPherson-Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk transportation corridor

Zooplankton and water quality data for 37 lakes in the Gwich’in and Inuvialuit regions of the Northwest Territories.

Associated publication: Changes in water quality related to permafrost thaw may significantly impact zooplankton communities in small Arctic lakes

Zooplankton data (Dryad Repository)

A global data set of lake surface temperatures

A database of summer lake surface temperatures for 291 lakes collected in situ and/or by satellites for the period 1985-2009. In addition, corresponding climatic drivers (air temperatures, solar radiation, and cloud cover) and geomorphometric characteristics (latitude, longitude, elevation, lake surface area, maximum depth, mean depth, and volume) that influence lake surface temperatures were compiled for each lake.

Associated publications: Rapid and highly variable warming of lake surface waters around the globe., A global database of lake surface temperatures (1985-2009) collected by in situ and satellite methods

Temperature data (EDI Data Portal)