Jordanna Bergman

• Doctor of Philosophy
• PostDoc Position at University of Victoria

Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) spawn on gravel and cobble in the littoral zone of lakes that may become degraded by the presence of fine sediments and decomposing organic matter. Substrate size and composition have been identified as important variables for nest site selection by male smallmouth bass. We tested whether ‘cleaning’ substrate...

Conservation priorities and legal protections are often based on confirmed species occurrences. However, imperfect detection is likely the norm in biological surveys, resulting in negative consequences for conservation. Focusing on threatened species in the US and Canada, we show that detectability information appears to be lacking for most species...

Regulated waterways, interconnected by navigation barriers (locks and dams), are uniquely difficult to manage, given interest in enabling native species connectivity while minimizing invasions. Canada's historic Rideau Canal Waterway, a 202 km navigable route located in eastern Ontario and connected by 24 lockstations, embodies this challenge. The...

Winter is an ecologically challenging time for freshwater fishes in temperate regions. In aquatic systems that experience annual winter water-level drawdowns, the pressures that fish already face during winter can be exacerbated. The Rideau Canal, a 202 km waterway located in eastern Ontario, Canada, is one such freshwater system that encounters th...

Researchers tracked invasive and native fish movements in Canada’s historic Rideau Canal Waterway to evaluate connectivity and interactions with anthropogenic barriers. Preliminary results indicate the system may naturally be selectively fragmented.

It is widely regarded that we have entered a new epoch distinct from the Holocene which is defined by the dominance of humans—termed the “Anthropocene.” Indeed, for centuries humans have altered aquatic ecosystems by degrading habitats, altering ecosystem structure, and impairing ecosystem function. In the Anthropocene, aquatic ecosystems and their...

Movement of fishes in the aquatic realm is fundamental to their ecology and survival. Movement can be driven by a variety of biological, physiological and environmental factors occurring across all spatial and temporal scales. The intrinsic capacity of movement to impact fish individually (e.g., foraging) with potential knock‐on effects throughout...

Freshwater biodiversity is in a state of crisis. The recent development of a global emergency recovery plan to “bend the curve” for freshwater biodiversity lacks the necessary details for implementation in a regional context. Using Canada as an example, we describe a toolbox intended to equip decision-makers and practitioners with evidence-based to...

The round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), native to the Black and Caspian Seas, is one of the most wide-ranging invasive fishes, having established in much of Europe and North America. In 2019, round goby were discovered to have colonized a central portion of the Rideau Canal, a 202 km historic waterway in Ontario, Canada. Round goby were found in l...

Given its extensive volume and reach, social media has the potential to widely spread conservation messaging and be a powerful tool to mobilize social change for conserving biodiversity. We synthesized gray and primary academic literature to investigate the effects of social media on wildlife conservation, revealing several overarching benefits and...

Anthropogenic waterways and canal systems have been part of the cultural and natural landscape for thousands for years. As of the late 20th century, more than 63 000 km of canals exist worldwide as transport routes for navigation, many with barriers (e.g., locks, dams) that fragment the system and decrease connectivity. Fragmentation alone can have...

Abstract Freshwater biodiversity loss is one of the greatest environmental threats in our changing world. Although declines have been reported extensively in the literature, much less attention has been devoted to solving the freshwater biodiversity crisis relative to other ecosystems. The recently proposed Emergency Recovery Plan for Freshwater Bi...

Environmental change and biodiversity loss are but two of the complex challenges facing conservation practitioners and policy makers. Relevant and robust scientific knowledge is critical for providing decision-makers with the actionable evidence needed to inform conservation decisions. In the Anthropocene, science that leads to meaningful improveme...

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures have had unanticipated effects on ecosystems and biodiversity. Conservation physiology and its mechanistic underpinnings are well positioned to generate robust data to inform the extent to which the Anthropause has benefited biodiversity through alterations in disturbance-, pollution-and c...

We discuss 12 themes that emerged from the set of case studies comprising the text, namely: (1) mechanisms matter for conservation; (2) physiology is just one source of knowledge; (3) physiology and behaviour are intertwined; (4) new tools and technologies should be embraced; (5) physiology can be valuable in captive settings; (6) conservation phys...

Article impact statement: COVID‐19 has demonstrated the need to optimize research activity, convey the gravity of loss, and reevaluate merit in conservation science.

owerful and well-implemented legislation is an important step towards the protection and recovery of species at risk of extinction (Ray and Ginsberg 1999; Schwartz 2008). For example, the U.S. Endangered Species Act, despite its flaws, has resulted in several species being saved from extinction (Evans et al. 2016). Although Canada has national legi...

In reflecting on the human domination of our planet in the Anthropocene, some have argued that concrete is among the most destructive materials created by humans. Here we explore this idea, specifically in the context of what we consider “the concrete conquest of aquatic ecosystems.” The ubiquitous use of concrete in transportation and building inf...

Loss of biodiversity is a leading conservation issue and, accordingly, a central topic in ecological research is to predict how organisms respond to natural and anthropogenic environmental stressors. Proactive conservation science involves management strategies that rely on early identification and monitoring of threats before demographic instabili...

This study examined the minimum force required of functional teeth and replacement teeth in the tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier and the sandbar shark Carcharhinus plumbeus to penetrate the scales and muscle of sheepshead Archosargus probatocephalus and pigfish Orthopristis chrysoptera. Penetration force ranged from 7·7-41·9 and 3·2-26·3 N to penetrat...

Coastal communities worldwide rely on small-scale artisanal fisheries as a means of increasing food security and alleviating poverty. Even small-scale fishing activities, however, are prone to resource depletion and environmental degradation, which can erode livelihoods in the long run. Thus, there is a pressing need to identify viable and resilien...

Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) forests are recognized as highly diverse temperate ecosystems that provide vital biogenic habitat for a variety of commercially and culturally valuable fish (e.g. rockfish, greenling). Consequently, harvest of giant kelp canopies has the potential to negatively impact fish that utilize kelp forests as feeding and n...