Deja vu or jamais vu? Using a 20-y record to discern how coastal wetlands of eastern and northern Georgian Bay responds to climate-induced water-level disturbances

Impacts of climate change include greater extremes in both air and water temperatures, precipitation, ice cover and lake levels. Over the past 2 decades, Georgian Bay has experienced an unprecedented 14 years of continuous low water levels, followed by 6 years of above average water levels peaking in 2020; water levels are predicted to fall below historic lows by 2030. Among the Laurentian Great Lakes, this water-level scenario is unique to Georgian Bay and has produced novel wetland habitat and an unprecedented change in the distribution of fish in wetlands. In this talk, Dr. Chow-Fraser will share insights on how academics, cottagers, governments and first nations are collaborating to create wetland inventories, assess ecosystem health, and conduct research to protect habitat for fish and wildlife. The most important collaboration to identify wetlands that show ecological resilience to negative impacts of climate-change is yet to come.