Students head north for study tour in Canada

A group of Concordia students traveled north to Canada as part of an Arctic study tour June 13-25. Led by Dr. Joseph Gubanyi, professor of biology, the group examined northern ecosystems and studied plants and animals of the region. 

Their studies took them as far north as Hudson Bay, where they cruised the icy waters in Zodiac boats among a school of beluga whales and icebergs.          

“It was an amazing experience to witness the amount of marine life and dynamic physical characteristics of the Hudson Bay,” said John Chatwell, a senior biology major from Lincoln, Neb.

Through the course of the trip, students visited ecosystems ranging from boreal forest, tundra, fens (Arctic marshes), and Arctic coastal marine environments. They also studied tundra biology in northern Manitoba at Churchill Northern Studies Centre, a field station established for research and education of the Arctic.

“Working out of a facility built specifically for the development of sub-arctic research gave our group the chance to work with other researchers and experience the real-life challenges and skills needed to be an on-site research specialist,” said Chatwell.