Adam Vanderpont
M.Sc. 

Adam Vanderpont, was a graduate student at the University of Manitoba in the department of Environment and Geography. He was advised by Dr. Mark Hanson (University of Manitoba) through both his Masters and Honours Degrees.

Adam’s Masters Research focused on the use of otoliths (fish earbones) as biomonitors for trace metal exposure over time. Walleye (sander vitreus) and lake whitefish (coregonus clupeaformis) otoliths from both impounded (e.g., dams and reservoirs) and non-impounded waterbodies associated with Manitoba Hydro’s Coordinated Aquatic Monitoring Program (CAMP) were gathered and analyzed. Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used to measure the trace element concentrations within the otoliths and results were compared between waterbodies, fish species and corresponding water quality data.

Additionally, Adam’s Honours research focused on the fate and effect of a neonicotinoid pesticide (thiamethoxam) on emergent insects and water quality within outdoor wetland mesocosms. The prairie wetland research facility on campus was used as a means to represent flooded wetlands found within the Canadian prairies in proximity to agricultural lands. In total Adam enumerated and identified over 56,000 emergent insects and conducted a repeated measures-based analysis.

Adam’s honors research can be found within a joint/collaborative research paper in the Journal of Ecotoxicology titled: Fate of thiamethoxam from treated seeds in mesocosms and response of aquatic invertebrate communities.

Currently, Adam is enjoying his time working as an environmental scientist in the field of environmental consulting.