Local non-profit leads cruise to peer into the watery depths of one of the Big Three Lakes

PRESS RELEASE with Chris O. Additions

There are thousands of tiny organisms living in every handful of lake water. But what are they? Are they thriving? And what does their health tell us about the health of our water?

Find out, and learn so much more, as you cruise Lake Rosseau with some of the world’s top freshwater scientists.

The Friends of the Muskoka Watershed (FOTMW) is presenting Peer Beneath the Surface, a guided cruise aboard the Peerless Cruises tour boat. The scientists leading the cruise will include Dr. Norman Yan, FRSC.  

“We’ll be going out with dip nets, and equipping everyone on board with magnifying glasses, so that we can all see some of these amazing creatures that share this watery world with us,” says Dr. Yan.

A founding chair of FOTMW, and professor emeritus at York University, Dr. Yan has spent decades studying the tiny creatures that inhabit freshwater. Somewhere in the world, other scientists cite his research in scientific papers once a week on average.

His particular research focus has been creatures called daphnia. Sometimes called the “lawnmowers of the lake,” they feed on algae, filtering water through their stomachs at an incredible rate. “The entire volume of the lake is filtered by daphnia once a week in summer,” says Dr. Yan. “Without them, we’d be completely awash in algae.”

Listen to Dr. Yan chat about Daphnia.

But these essential creatures are extremely vulnerable – to rising water temperatures, to road salt, and to other pollutants. Passengers aboard the Peerless will be able to see daphnia themselves, along with many other creatures that are hiding just beneath the range of human vision.

The cruise is part of FOTMW’s ongoing work, raising funds and awareness to tackle local environmental issues that aren’t being addressed by others. Their projects include ASHMuskoka, which uses woodstove ash to rehabilitate local forests, and road salt research to understand whether Muskoka’s lakes are more or less vulnerable to road salt. 

Listen to Dr. Neil Hutchinson chat about Road Salt.

“We look for issues that can be resolved locally, if we only had the knowledge and the will to act,” says Dr. Yan. “This cruise is a chance to develop a bit more knowledge… and have some fun in the process!”

Funded in part by The Great Canadian Wilderness, with the participation of Peerless Cruises, Peer Beneath the Surface takes place Sunday, Sep 15 from 10 a.m. to noon. Tickets are $64 and are available at www.FOTMW.org/cruise-hike.  

If you’re unable to take part in this event, consider donating. As Dr. Yan often notes, “real science costs real money.”  FOTMW is a registered non-profit and can issue tax receipts. 

Find out more by listening to this recent podcast with Sandy Lockhart about FOTMW.

Part 1

Part 2