NSERC CREATE Training Program in Aquatic Ecosystem Health: Integrative Approaches for Studying Multiple Stressors (ERASMUS)

据预测，在未来40年内，世界人口将超过90亿人，毫无疑问，必须明智地管理淡水资源，以满足人类的需求，同时保持可持续的水生生态系统。人类引起的栖息地改变的影响在气候变化问题、大规模淡水危机和水生生态系统的长期可持续性方面最为明显。例如，在加拿大，人为和自然来源的污染仍然严重威胁着水生环境的健康，以及依赖这些环境的人民和经济。为了有效地解决这些问题，我们需要全球合作以及创新的工具和方法。制定保护全球资源的准则的速度不够快，主要是因为缺乏制定综合管理模式所需的跨学科专业知识。目前，环境专业人员的培训侧重于狭义学科范围内的高度专业化。这项提议旨在解决在管理全球淡水资源的关键研究框架内缺乏专门知识的问题。 我们团队开发了一项创新的NSERC CREATE计划，以培养一批新的环境专业人员，他们将领导未来对21世纪最复杂的环境问题之一--可持续淡水资源的安全--的调查。我们的创新培训计划通过学生交流、实习安排和互动研讨会等元素的组合，促进跨学科合作和交流。接受我们项目培训的科学家将获得必要的技能，将关于水环境中微污染物协同效应的学术知识转化为具体行动，如评估面临风险的生态系统、政策执行和恢复计划的设计。最重要的是，我们的学生将获得有关全球环境问题的社会、伦理和政治层面的知识，并最终能够引导加拿大走向可持续发展。

It is predicted that the world's population will exceed 9 billion people within the next 40 years and there is no question that freshwater resources must be managed wisely to meet human needs, yet maintain sustainable aquatic ecosystems. Nowhere are the effects of human induced habitat alterations more evident than in climate change issues, large scale freshwater crises, and the long-term sustainability of aquatic ecosystems. In Canada, for example, contamination from both anthropogenic and natural sources remains a serious threat to the health of both aquatic environments, and the people and economies relying on them. To effectively address these issues we require global cooperation and innovative tools and approaches. The development of guidelines to protect global resources is not occurring fast enough, primarily because of the lack of interdisciplinary expertise required to develop integrative management models. Currently, the training of environmental professionals focuses on high specialization within narrowly defined disciplines. This proposal aims to address this lack of expertise within the critical research framework of managing global freshwater resources. Our group has developed an innovative NSERC CREATE program to prepare a new group of environmental professionals who will lead future investigations into one of the most complex environmental problems of the 21st century, the security of sustainable freshwater resources. Our innovative training program promotes interdisciplinary collaborations and communication through a combination of elements such as student exchanges, internship placements, and interactive workshops. Scientists trained in our program will gain the necessary skills to transfer academic knowledge on the synergistic effect of micro-pollutants in aquatic environments into concrete action like assessing ecosystems at risk, policy implementation, and design of recovery plans. Most importantly, our students will gain knowledge regarding the social, ethical, and political dimensions of global environmental issues and will ultimately be able to guide Canada toward sustainable development.