Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology Podcast

We're back, and this time we explore environmental tracers and contaminants used in lake sediments.

We're back to the small picture, and in this episode we're exploring the midges used in paleolimnology: the Chironomidae and the Chaoboridae. Join us to learn a smidge about midges.

We're taking a short break from the small picture arc, to say welcome to all the new paleolimnology grad students out there. In the episode we share a few suggestions (from ourselves and some current students) of tips for new paleolimnologists.

We're back after our summer break to continue the Small Picture...this time with the Cladocera!

As we continue looking at the small picture we explore a great (greatest?) paleo-indicator: the diatoms!

As we move onto a new arc of episodes focusing on the small picture (a deeper dive on some important paleolimnological indicators) we'll begin by exploring why pollen counts!

We complete our current arc with the most topical of topics: climate change. We discuss why we should care, how paleo can contribute to this discussion, and if there is cause to be hopeful.

Recently the 30th anniversary of a critical treaty on acid rain was celebrated, and in this episode we explore the legacy of acidification, whether the problem is truly "solved", and the role of paleolimnology in that discussion.

We discuss resource extraction, with a few well-known Canadian examples, and how paleolimnology can play an important role in understanding ecosystem changes.

We are joined by a special guest host, Dr. Liz Favot from the Federation of Ontario Cottagers Association, to discuss an important and topical feature of lakes, Cyanobacteria blooms.

One full varve has been deposited since we officially launched the show. So we thought it a good time to reflect on what we've accomplished so far and what we hope to do over the next year.

Today we discuss how paleolimnology can track biovectors with Matthew Duda. Matthew is a PhD candidate at Queen's University and his work studying the dynamics of the world's largest colony of Leach’s Storm-petrel (Hydrobates leucorhous) has led to multiple high profile publications and he is one of the recipients of this years Rob Peters Award from the Society of Canadian Limnologists.

Today on Topical Paleolimnology we discuss formally recognizing the Anthropocene ("Age of Humans")as a new geological age to the history of the Earth, and the role lake sediments may play in that formal designation.

A new Arc on Topical Paleolimnology shifts our focus back to the present, and current environmental questions that are being addressed using sediment archives. We begin with road salt and the widespread impact the de-icing of roads is having on freshwater systems.

We conclude our History of Paleolimnology arc by talking to John Smol, Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change at Queen's University, about his perspectives on the growth of paleolimnology over the past four decades, including his role as founding editor of the Journal of Paleolimnology, and former chair of the IPA.

The fourth episode in our History of Paleolimnology picks up after key questions in the acid rain debates had been definitively answered, with the discipline poised to address many other environmental issues, including climate change.

The third episode in our History of Paleolimnology examines how a relatively young discipline tackled one of the major environmental issues of the 1970s and 1980s - acid rain.

We continue our dive into the history of paleolimnology with part 2.

Getting back to our roots with a real focus on the history of paleolimnology.

In the final episode of our Contagious Ideas Arc, we look at the impacts the global pandemic will have on paleolimnology, both in the short term and well into the future.

As our Contagious Ideas Arc continues to go viral, we embrace the meta-narrative and delve into the (love-hate) relationships between social media and science.

This time we continue our exploration of Contagious Ideas within paleolimnology with a look at the Open Access movement and its mission to reduce/remove the barriers to scientific research.

With many people at home working on writing papers, some for the first time, this week we discuss the slightly peculiar process of scientific writing and review.

In this episode of Core Ideas, we continue our exploration of the spread of Contagious Ideas by asking what qualifies as a historically significant paper? Despite all the problems associated with distilling nebulous concepts into a single metric, we do it anyway, and examine paleolimnology using citation counts.

On this episode, the first in Arc 3 on "Contagious Ideas", building on the last episode on (the lack of) paleolimnology in popular media, we discuss the history of environmental awareness and activism from a western view, and how this has changed over time.