Articles on St. Lawrence River

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Microplastics are a growing problem in bodies of water around the world, including the St. Lawrence River and its estuary, which drain approximately 25 per cent of the world’s fresh water. This 2020 photo shows microplastic debris in Depoe Bay, Ore. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky)

Our clothes generate microplastics that pollute the St. Lawrence River and other bodies of water

Valérie S. Langlois, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS); Julien Gigault, Université Laval; Raphaël Lavoie, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), and To Tuan Anh, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS)

New research shows an abundance of microplastics in the St. Lawrence River and its estuary, where 45 million people live and is home home to several million animals, invertebrates and plants.
The habitats used throughout the halibut’s life and the movements between them are difficult to characterize. (Charlotte Gauthier)

How do halibut migrate? Clues are in their ear bones

Charlotte Gauthier, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC)

Atlantic halibut are making a strong comeback in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. But how do we know where the fish move throughout their lives?
The majestic St. Lawrence River, a jewel of economic, historical and environmental importance, reminds us of the need to preserve this essential ecosystem. (Ludovic Pascal)

Oxygen in the St. Lawrence Estuary is decreasing – and having a major impact on small animals living there

Ludovic Pascal, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR) and Gwénaëlle Chaillou, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)

The waters of the St. Lawrence are running out of breath and bottom-dwelling organisms are already feeling the effects. Here’s how ecosystems are reacting.
The industrialization of the fishing industry and changes in the environment have raised many issues about the management of our fisheries. (Fanny Fronton)

Gulf of St. Lawrence: Analyzing fish blood can show us how healthy they are

Fanny Fronton, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS)

Blood isn’t sterile, and analyzing the bacteria in it could help assess the health of fish and prevent the collapse of their populations.
Not only do corals inhabit the cold waters of the St. Lawrence, but the species that holds the title of largest marine invertebrate on the planet is present at the entrance to the Gulf. (Fisheries and Oceans Canada)

Discover 6 fascinating animals that live at the bottom of the St. Lawrence River

Philippe Archambault, Université Laval; Cindy Grant, Université Laval; Gabrièle Deslongchamps, Université Laval, and Lisa Treau De Coeli, Université Laval

In the vast St. Lawrence River, an impressive variety of animals live on the seabed. This group of organisms is called benthos or benthic invertebrates.
The warming of the Gulf of St. Lawrence is causing upheaval in the balance of species, with direct repercussions on the commercial fishing sector. Shutterstock

Warming waters in the Gulf of St. Lawrence are disrupting commercial fishing

Dominique Robert, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)

The warming observed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is causing upheaval in the balance of the species living there. That is having direct repercussions on the commercial fishing sector.
The SS “Leecliffe Hall” sailing on the Welland Canal, Ontario, shortly before it sank in the St. Lawrence. (Matt Miner Collection)

Discovering the three largest shipwrecks in the St. Lawrence River

Sébastien Pelletier, Université Laval

The St. Lawrence is one of the most difficult rivers in the world to navigate. It has been the site of collisions, groundings and shipwrecks. Several thousand wrecks lie beneath its surface.
The O d'écH2osystème is a wheel four meters in diameter that can be attached by crane to the deck of a ship, a wharf or the banks of the small and large municipalities along the shores of the St. Lawrence River. (Geneviève Dupéré)

Exploring the St. Lawrence River through the performing arts

Geneviève Dupéré, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

This article crosses from the river to the stage, to explore the St. Lawrence at the meeting point of marine and freshwater sciences, the fishing, maritime and port industries, and the circus arts.
A study suggests that the best practice is to eat the muscle, heart, and liver from weaned seals that are less than six weeks old. (Pierre-Yves Daoust)

What you should know about eating grey seal meat and products from the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Gwyneth Anne MacMillan, McGill University; Marc Amyot, Université de Montréal; Mélanie Lemire, Université Laval, and Pierre-Yves Daoust, University of Prince Edward Island

Choose the meat, liver and heart of young grey seals (less than six weeks old) and apply standard sanitary measures when handling seals and their products.
Algae in the St. Lawrence River. The cold waters of Québec are conducive to their growth. Shutterstock

A gourmet revival for St. Lawrence River marine algae

Lucie Beaulieu, Université Laval

The abundance, versatility and quality of seaweed from the St. Lawrence makes this resource a real asset for Québec. We must now integrate it into our kitchens.
UV absorbents and industrial antioxidants can reach aquatic environments through the degradation of plastics, or via wastewater treatment plant effluents. (Environment and Climate Change Canada)

Contaminants of emerging concern, found in sunscreens and plastics, end up in the St. Lawrence River

Zhe Lu, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR); Abigaëlle Dalpé-Castilloux, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), and Magali Houde, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

UV absorbents and industrial antioxidants are used in many household goods to protect them from UV radiation. They can have an adverse impact on ecosystems.
The round goby is an invasive fish that has become established in the St. Lawrence River over the past two decades, following its introduction into the Great Lakes. (Cristina Charette)

St. Lawrence River zones that are hostile to invasive species can be refuges for native fish

Alison Derry, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM); Cristina Charette, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), and Olivier Morissette, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC)

Wetlands can help limit the spread of the voracious round goby, an invasive species that has infiltrated the Great Lakes and has become widespread in the St. Lawrence River.
A container ship moves up through the winter ice in the St. Lawrence River, near the Port of Montréal. Approximately 8,000 merchant vessels travel the St. Lawrence annually. The importance of the river in all aspects of the economy is enormous and is expected to increase in the years to come. (Shutterstock)

How the St. Lawrence Seaway will continue to become more important to the economy

Claude Comtois, Université de Montréal

Approximately 8,000 merchant vessels travel the St. Lawrence each year. Its ports have become the catalysts that link trade, development and industrial innovation.
Riverbanks are reinforced to reduce flood risks, but these techniques reduce biodiversity and limit public accessibility. (Shutterstock)

We must rethink the way we build along the St. Lawrence River

Shin Koseki, Université de Montréal

The sustainable and inclusive development of the St. Lawrence River is essential. A prolonged laissez-faire attitude will have harmful consequences on people and the environment.

Related Topics

  1. Biodiversity
  2. Climate change
  3. Fish
  4. Fishing
  5. Great Lakes
  6. Gulf of St. Lawrence
  7. Quebec
  8. Rivers
  9. Shipping
  10. St. Lawrence River: In Depth

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