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Rethinking ‘Big Data’: Small Datasets, Big Ecological Insights

You don’t always need massive datasets to learn something important about nature. While modern ecology often focuses on large-scale “big data,” a recent study carried out in part by BICS director Dr. Robert Hanner, shows that smaller, less-than-perfect datasets can still reveal important patterns—if analyzed carefully. Researchers examined how changes in habitat and interactions between species affect fish communities, using data from electrofishing surveys and habitat measurements at four sites where the environment had been experimentally altered.

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🌿 International Day for Biological Diversity 2025

Today, May 22, marks the International Day for Biological Diversity, a global occasion to reflect on and reaffirm our collective commitment to protecting the natural world. This year’s theme, â€œBe Part of the Plan”, echoes the urgent need for transformative action to halt biodiversity loss and implement the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

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Standardizing eDNA: Highlights from PISCeS 2023 Conference Recently Published in ‘Genome’

The second iteration of the international conference “Pathway to Increase Standards and Competency of eDNA Surveys” (PISCeS) was held at the University of Guelph between June 18 and 20, 2023. Academia, regulators, industry, NGO’s, and Indigenous partners were all invited to join in a discussion on public policy, industry strategies and future research on eDNA. The conference also included three panel discussions focused on prominent themes in the eDNA space, and five workshops dedicated to practical eDNA tools and methods. A comprehensive summary of the major themes covered was subsequently published in Genome and is available to review here.

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Dr. Joey Bernhardt Named Early Career Fellow by Ecological Society of America

We are proud to share that Dr. Joey Bernhardt, Assistant Professor and researcher with the Centre for Ecosystem Management (CEM) at the University of Guelph, has been named an Early Career Fellow by the Ecological Society of America (ESA). This prestigious five-year fellowship recognizes outstanding contributions by early-career ecologists in research, education, and community engagement.

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