Mission & Objectives

The mission of the CarBBAS CRSNG / HQ Chair is to expand our basic understanding of the functioning of boreal lakes and rivers in Northern Québec, with a particular emphasis on carbon biogeochemistry. The ultimate aim of the program is to develop the tools to integrate these systems into regional models of C, and to assess how these regional C budgets will be altered under scenarios of climate and environmental change. 

The core research program is led by Paul del Giorgio and carried out by a team of research professionals, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate and undergraduate students (see group page for more info).The Chair has also developed a network of interdisciplinary collaborations that allow to greatly expand the scope of the research and broaden the range of questions addressed by the group.

Throughout the years, our research has expanded through collaborative projects across Canada and beyond, shedding light on the diversity of processes driving aquatic C biogeochemistry across spatial and temporal scales. These efforts range from investigating microbial communities and their role in organic matter cycling to quantifying large-scale biogeochemical fluxes that shape regional and global C budgets. We study how natural functioning is regulated, while also examining how human disturbances—such as hydropower development, land cover change, and agricultural activities—alter C transformations, storage, and emissions. 

Our research program integrates multiple approaches to better understand aquatic ecosystems as dynamic components of the global C cycle. Using remote sensing, GIS analysis, experimental setups, and field measurements, we develop models to describe the configuration of aquatic networks across landscapes. At regional scales, we investigate greenhouse gas dynamics and C cycling, developing models of gas exchange and ecosystem functioning to identify patterns and key drivers. We also maintain sentinel systems, including autonomous buoys and high-frequency probes in wetlands, lakes, and rivers, which provide long-term datasets on weather, hydrology, and physicochemical water properties. Through high-frequency monitoring of large rivers in the remote James Bay region, whole-watershed C budgets along Quebec’s North Coast, and comparative analyses across lakes in Canada, these efforts allow us to connect fine-scale processes with watershed and regional patterns, refining our understanding of northern aquatic ecosystems and their role in the global C cycle.