Research in Killarney Park
From bats to Lake Trout, wolves to bumblebees, and soil to water quality – the Friends of Killarney Park support critical research of the park ecosystems. Killarney Provincial Park has a long-established history working with many academic institutions who run studies in the park, and reviews new research proposals every year. This research helps park biologists and ecologists better understand the ecosystems of the park, and ensure management of the park is based on scientific-evidence. The Friends of Killarney are proud to support this research through the sales of their annual raffle tickets. In particular, the Friends have provided significant funding to the restoration of acid-damaged lakes, and continue to support research in fish monitoring and ecosystem recovery. This work would not be possible without supporters like you.
FOKP fields Research Project Funding applications, and accepts Research Projects based on the funds raised through the annual Canoe Raffle! Below are some of the Projects we have previously funded.
If you are interested in applying for FOKP Project Funding for a Research Project in Killarney Provincial park, please submit the FOKP Funding Application to [email protected].
FOKP fields Research Project Funding applications, and accepts Research Projects based on the funds raised through the annual Canoe Raffle! Below are some of the Projects we have previously funded.
If you are interested in applying for FOKP Project Funding for a Research Project in Killarney Provincial park, please submit the FOKP Funding Application to [email protected].
2024-2025 Physical and Biological Responses to Recovery and Environmental Change in Killarney Lakes
Project Organization: Queen’s University
Project Funding Partnership: MITACS - a nonprofit national research organization
Project Description:
Killarney Provincial Park (KPP) lakes face unique environmental challenges because their ecological communities are confronted by present-day stressors whilst also being in the process of undergoing recovery from the historical legacy of industrial acidification. Chemical recovery (e.g., pH) and some recovery of small organisms at the base of the food web have been documented in KPP lakes. Along with this recovery, there is evidence of additional environmental changes including increased browning (i.e., lakes are less clear), decreased calcium concentrations (a key mineral for biota), increased warming, and the spread of non-native species. It is unclear how these changes will influence the on-going recovery of small organisms and the future recovery of fish populations.
They propose to conduct a lake survey in summer of 2024 to characterize the entire ecosystem of Park lakes, including information about 1. water temperatures from surface to lake bottom, 2. corresponding oxygen concentrations, 3. the presence of the invasive spiny water flea, and 4. abundances of plankton and larger bodied invertebrates which are key components of lake food webs.
In a subset of lakes, we will deploy continuous temperature and oxygen loggers to investigate changes in habitat quality throughout the summer. We will compare current findings with historical data to investigate trends and predict future conditions.
The insights generated from this project will provide a comprehensive picture of current biodiversity and ecological integrity of KPP lakes. Further, it will generate critical information about the risks imposed by invasive species and regional environmental changes, including climate change.
Their funding priority is to support a MSc student who will lead the survey, complete data analyses and interpretation, and write final reports (e.g., thesis, published paper, fact sheets, public and scientific presentations)
This will be a 2 year project.
Project Funding Partnership: MITACS - a nonprofit national research organization
Project Description:
Killarney Provincial Park (KPP) lakes face unique environmental challenges because their ecological communities are confronted by present-day stressors whilst also being in the process of undergoing recovery from the historical legacy of industrial acidification. Chemical recovery (e.g., pH) and some recovery of small organisms at the base of the food web have been documented in KPP lakes. Along with this recovery, there is evidence of additional environmental changes including increased browning (i.e., lakes are less clear), decreased calcium concentrations (a key mineral for biota), increased warming, and the spread of non-native species. It is unclear how these changes will influence the on-going recovery of small organisms and the future recovery of fish populations.
They propose to conduct a lake survey in summer of 2024 to characterize the entire ecosystem of Park lakes, including information about 1. water temperatures from surface to lake bottom, 2. corresponding oxygen concentrations, 3. the presence of the invasive spiny water flea, and 4. abundances of plankton and larger bodied invertebrates which are key components of lake food webs.
In a subset of lakes, we will deploy continuous temperature and oxygen loggers to investigate changes in habitat quality throughout the summer. We will compare current findings with historical data to investigate trends and predict future conditions.
The insights generated from this project will provide a comprehensive picture of current biodiversity and ecological integrity of KPP lakes. Further, it will generate critical information about the risks imposed by invasive species and regional environmental changes, including climate change.
Their funding priority is to support a MSc student who will lead the survey, complete data analyses and interpretation, and write final reports (e.g., thesis, published paper, fact sheets, public and scientific presentations)
This will be a 2 year project.
Fisheries Survey of Michipicoten Strain Lake Trout Genetic Refuge Lake Project 2024
FOKP funded a 1-1.5 week project in August where FOKP committed $1300.00 to the Fisheries Survey of Michipicoten Strain Lake Trout Genetic Refuge Lake Project through the Ontario Parks Northeast Zone in collaboration with Tom Johnson, of the Vale Living With Lakes center. This project flew a crew to and from the refuge lake to determine the success of a previous Lake Trout introduction, especially concerning the Michipicoten Strain Lake Trout.
Several lakes in KPP were historically impacted by acidification, and as a result lost their Lake Trout populations. Many of these lakes have now recovered to the point where Lake Trout can be reintroduced. One lake in particular was selected to be a genetic refuge lake for Michipicoten Strain Lake Trout. This means a "back-up" population of that strain exists if it ever lost in its original location. This project aimed to determine if this stocking was successful in re-introducing Lake Trout to the genetic refuge lake for the Michipicoten Strain. This was done through a fisheries survey using the Broadscale Monitoring Protocol. Lake Trout are an apex predator and an ecologically important historical part of lake ecosystems in the area. The project positively impacts KPP by determining if this environmental restoration project was successful.
The data from this survey has yet to be analyzed but they did just receive the following update:
“The lake was surveyed in August by Ontario Parks and Vale Living with Lakes Center staff. Adult Lake Trout were caught, indicating that Lake Trout are surviving in the lake. Further analysis will be able to tell us whether there is any natural reproduction. Preliminary results suggest that there may not be natural reproduction at this time. If this is the case, we are hopeful that they may begin reproducing in the future, since some of the stocked fish may have matured very recently.” (bold font added for emphasis)
Several lakes in KPP were historically impacted by acidification, and as a result lost their Lake Trout populations. Many of these lakes have now recovered to the point where Lake Trout can be reintroduced. One lake in particular was selected to be a genetic refuge lake for Michipicoten Strain Lake Trout. This means a "back-up" population of that strain exists if it ever lost in its original location. This project aimed to determine if this stocking was successful in re-introducing Lake Trout to the genetic refuge lake for the Michipicoten Strain. This was done through a fisheries survey using the Broadscale Monitoring Protocol. Lake Trout are an apex predator and an ecologically important historical part of lake ecosystems in the area. The project positively impacts KPP by determining if this environmental restoration project was successful.
The data from this survey has yet to be analyzed but they did just receive the following update:
“The lake was surveyed in August by Ontario Parks and Vale Living with Lakes Center staff. Adult Lake Trout were caught, indicating that Lake Trout are surviving in the lake. Further analysis will be able to tell us whether there is any natural reproduction. Preliminary results suggest that there may not be natural reproduction at this time. If this is the case, we are hopeful that they may begin reproducing in the future, since some of the stocked fish may have matured very recently.” (bold font added for emphasis)
Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas (OBBA)
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From 2021-2025 Ontarians have been working to complete the third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas (OBBA). This initiative only happens every twenty years and is one of the biggest community science initiatives that exist. With sponsorship from the Friends of Killarney Park, volunteers and park staff have been able to monitor bird populations in the park. This survey work includes hiking and paddling to remote locations in the park to survey for birds within all representative ecosystems of the park. The data from these surveys will be used for environmental assessment work within the park, but also adds to our greater understanding of the health of bird populations provincially. This also allows us to compare current bird population in the park to data collected in 1980, and then again in the 2000s.
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Acid Rain Restoration WorkThe Friends of Killarney Park have been key supporters of this work, by providing funding to the Living with Lakes Centre, providing money for Masters students, providing money for field equipment, and even paying for helicopter flights used in bringing thousands of fish fry to remote lakes in the park.
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The Recovery of Killarney Lakes from Acid RainOver 40 years ago, lakes in Killarney Park were acidified by atmospheric pollutants from the Sudbury smelter complex and other industrial sources. Most of the Killarney lakes were damaged by the late 1970s resulting in acidic pH levels, extremely clear waters and the loss of many species including fish, amphibians and birds.
In summer 2021, research students Haley and Genevieve, from Laurentian University’s Living with Lakes Centre, were in Killarney Provincial Park studying the chemical and biological recovery of the acidification of these lakes. Results from the study are not yet available but promising observations were made by the researchers including signs of chemical recovery and recovery of indicator species. Stay tuned for future updates! |
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Lake Trout ResearchLaurentian University M.Sc. student Jasmine Louste-Fillion and OMNRF fisheries technologist Lee Haslam return lake trout embryos to the spawning sites on Ruth-Roy lake after an absence of trout in this lake for more than 60 years. This unique experiment is part of the lake trout restoration work that the Friends of Killarney support through a grant to Dr. John Gunn at the Vale Living with Lakes Centre at Laurentian University.
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Wolf Surveys
Killarney Provincial Park protects the habitat of the Algonquin Wolf, who is a Species-at-Risk. There are only estimated to be between 350-1000 adult Algonquin Wolves in Ontario, and so it is critical that Killarney continues to be a safe place for these unique wolves. Researchers at the Guelph University WISE Lab, in partnership with Wikwemikong First Nation (and other academic institutions in the past) monitor wolf populations in the Killarney and French River areas. The Friends of Killarney Park have graciously provided financial support to this monitoring work in the past.
Loon & Butterfly SurveysThe regular monitoring of loon and butterfly populations in the park provides critical insight into their species health, and the health of the ecosystems in the park.
These one-day events are led by Ontario Parks naturalist staff. The spring loon count is held the second Saturday of June, the NABA butterfly count is held the second Saturday of July, and the summer loon count is held the second Saturday in August. For more information, or to sign up, please contact [email protected] or call (705) 287-2900. |
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