St. Lawrence River Institute

08/31/2026

Ready to get out into nature this Fall?🥾🍂
Join the River Institute and the Frontenac Arch Biosphere for Trails Fest on Saturday, September 12th!

The River Institute is leading Trails Fest hike #4 in Brockville at 1pm! For more details and to preregister, please see the link below🔗 https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/trails-fest-hike-4-upper-st-lawrence-kahnekaronnion-river-tickets-1998267559061

08/28/2026

Happy Fishy Friday!🐟 🗓️

This week we are highlighting the tubenose goby (Proterorhinus semilunaris).

This is a relatively new invasive species that has become widespread in the Upper St. Lawrence River within the last 7 years. Tubenose gobies are similar to round gobies in that they have the suction cup shaped pelvic fin that differentiates them from sculpins. Unfortunately, tubenose gobies love wetland habitat that round gobies don't prefer. This means that the habitat that round gobies haven't taken over is still threatened by the tubenose goby in competition with native fish species. We are still learning about the potential impacts of tubenose gobies on native fish species. However, they do eat fish eggs and compete for the same food sources with some native species and we already have sites where they are by far the most dominant fish. Other than the fused pelvic fin, tubenose gobies are identified by their tubular nostrils.

📊The FINS team has caught 543 tubenose gobies during our 2026 surveys so far this field season

Have you seen the tubenose gobies while out on the river? Let us know in the comments!👇

08/27/2026

Spending time in and around the St. Lawrence River this weekend?🌞 We need your help to look out for eels! The River Institute team is asking the community to document reports of dead and/or injured American eels along the river.

HOW TO REPORT:
👉Fill in a short form with your observations at🔗https://loom.ly/9hreF7M

Key information that we're seeking:
· A photo of the eel
· Date of the sighting
· GPS coordinates or location (nearby landmarks)
· Approximate body length
· Description of visible injuries, if applicable

With your help, we can have more eyes on the water for more eels to be spotted. If you have any questions, please reach out using the above email.

⚠️NOTE: The American eel are an endangered species in Ontario and can not be handled without a permit. If you find an eel, please leave it where it was found.

ℹ️TIP: Save this post if you are spending time near the river this summer so that the survey link and email are easily accessible when needed!

08/26/2026

Did you know that YOU can be a part of helping stop the spread of invasive species? 💪

By learning how to identify invaders, being on the lookout while out in nature, and reporting sightings on apps such as EDD maps, YOU can help make a huge difference for early detection and prevention efforts!

See below for information on how to identify the invasive water chestnut. Have you seen any invasive species, like water chestnut, this Summer? Let us know in the comments 👇

08/25/2026

Don't forget to CLEAN, DRAIN & DRY your vessels when removing them from the water!🚤🛶

👉Help stop the spread of invasive species by following these three steps:

🧽CLEAN: remove all aquatic plants, animals, and algae.
💦DRAIN: pull the plug, drain your live well, and any other contained water.
☀️DRY: for at least five days to eliminate any unseen organisms.

If you see an invasive species, snap a photo, mark your location, and submit your report to www.EDDMapS.org. More information below:

As summer slowly starts to come to an end, remember to Clean, Drain, and Dry your boat and other watercrafts after removing them from the water. Invasive species like zebra mussels, spiny waterfleas, and Eurasian water-milfoil can be hard to see and may try and hitch a ride to new waterbodies throughout Ontario.

🧽CLEAN (Law): remove all aquatic plants, animals, and algae.
💦DRAIN (Law): pull transom plug, drain your live well, and any other containing water.
☀️DRY (Recommended): for at least five days to eliminate any unseen organisms.

If you see an invasive species, snap a photo, mark your location, and submit your report to www.EDDMapS.org.

08/21/2026

The busy summer season is in full swing at the River Institute! ☀️ Here is a snapshot of what our awesome staff have been up to over the last few months:

🛶Our Education team hosted youth ages 11-13 for Jr. Scientist Camp at the River Institute for two weeks in July, as well as Eco Friends Camp at Cooper Marsh for youth ages 7-10

🐟 The FINS team has been out conducting surveys along much of the Upper St. Lawrence River and just completed their 30th site of the season! They've encountered 15,000+ fish already this year

🦇 Dr. Brian Hickey continues to conduct bat research with his team and teaching the community about bats at various family-oriented events

💻 The Great River Rapport science team continues to make excellent progress on ecological indicator reports

ℹ️ Various staff have attended festivals, fairs, and community events with informational booths to promote information about the river, including invasive species

🌾 The River Institute hosted a phragmites removal event at Rotary Creek which included training volunteers and removal

💧 Our Volunteer Water Monitoring Program has continued to engage volunteers from across the Upper St. Lawrence River region with water testing! Volunteers test water and upload data to an open-data platform for scientists to utilize

🐸 The Great River Rapport team hosted a Wetland Celebration Night at Cooper Marsh Visitors Centre, where winners of a wetland art contest were announced and art displayed

📣 Staff attended and spoke at various conferences and events, including the IAGLR-SCAS conference in Winnipeg and the MCA's Eel Symposium

🚫 The field teams have been removing invasive water chestnut from various sites along the St. Lawrence River to help prevent further spread

💧 The community engagement team facilitated a series of youth programs for the Cornwall Public Library's Summer Reading Club

📝The Remedial Action Plan team hosted the St. Lawrence River Restoration Council AGM in July, wrote a Fish Tumour letter for decision maker consideration, completed a fish consumption survey report for the AOC, and they are currently working on a tiered assessment report for BUI 1 - Fish Consumption
..and much more!

08/20/2026

...and the results are in for the River Institute's Wetland Art Contest!✨

A heartfelt thank you to all the artists who submitted their wetland art! We received many beautiful submissions and were so excited to see and hear about all of the amazing connections that people have with wetlands. The judges had their work cut out for them – but we are excited to announce the winners of the 2026 wetland art contest!

Please join us in congratulating👏:

⭐️Aleta Karstad (adult special mention)
⭐️Haleigh Mckenzie (most creative)
⭐️Jacqueline Milner (best representation of wetland change)
⭐️ Emma A. (youth special mention)
..and all of the other amazing wetland artists!🌿

08/19/2026

📣Early bird registration for the 33rd Annual River Symposium is now OPEN!

The 33rd Annual River Symposium taking place on October 28th & 29th both in-person in Cornwall and streamed online.

Registration fees include a variety of sessions, plenary talks, lunch, light refreshments, workshops, access to exhibits, and more.

REGISTER TODAY 🔗 https://loom.ly/NbUWdZ8

08/18/2026

You may be wondering what you can do to help with the issue of invasive species like the round goby.🐟

Thankfully, many resources exist to provide key information about invasive species and actions to stop their spread.

You should always follow best practices to reduce the spread of invasive species, like Cleaning, Draining, Drying and Decontaminating your boat and equipment when moving between waterbodies. Also make sure to follow the rules of ‘Don’t Let it Loose’ and don’t release any pets out into the wild.

Take a deep dive🔗https://loom.ly/wBr84-g

08/17/2026

Round gobies are important prey for native species, leading to changes in the food web 🐟

As round gobies have spread throughout the river, they have become a prey source for various fish and bird species. In fact, the presence of the goby has decreased the pressure on other native fish, as seen with the double-crested cormorant’s shift in diet towards the round goby.

When looking at these changes in native species diet from another lens, we identified concerns over contaminant build-up in wildlife. Invasive mussels trap contaminants in their bodies, which can then be transferred to other species that eat them, like the round goby. These contaminants get passed on and accumulate in predatory species that feed on the round gobies.

Take a deep dive through our website🔗https://loom.ly/wBr84-g