Ontario Underwater: Freshwater Fishes of the Great Lakes

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Worskhop is for an Adult Audience. This workshop is for participants ages 18+.  

Ontario Underwater: Freshwater Fishes of the Great Lakes 
Saturday, February 8, 2025, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Discover the freshwater ecosystems of the Great Lakes with researchers Mary Burridge and Evan Hessels. Inspired by the ROM's active ichthyology research program, join researcher Mary Burridge as she guides you through a teaching workshop on how to identify different Great Lakes fish species - from the common Northern Pike to the rare Warmouth sunfish. Then, explore threats from invasive species facing native fishes in these waters. 

This workshop is suitable for everyone from beginner biologists to expert anglers. A copy of ROM’s A Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Ontario to keep or gift is included in your registration.

Please note that this workshop will include the handling of ethanol-preserved specimens. This workshop may not be suitable for participants with a sensitivity to strong scents.

Instructors:

Mary Burridge is an Assistant Curator of Ichthyology in the Department of Natural History. She teaches the Ontario Fish Identification Workshop and is a contributing editor to ROM magazine. She also works with the large collection of fishes at the ROM and manages the frozen fish tissue collection, which is becoming increasingly important for molecular research. Mary is a co-author of the fourth book in the ROM field guide series, The ROM Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Ontario, which has just been published.

Evan Hessels

Evan Hessels, BSc in Biology, is currently in his second year of the master's program at the University of Toronto (UofT). Guided by Dr. Nathan K. Lujan, the ROM’s curator of fish, Evan's research uses environmental DNA metabarcoding to understand the spread of freshwater fish diversity in Ecuador, crucial for informed conservation initiatives. Evan is currently the Teaching Assistant for the Diversity of Fishes course at UofT and he often assists with fish identification for the ROM’s collection. Evan expresses his passion for biodiversity through photography, and he especially enjoys using the iNaturalist and eBird platform to document his findings.

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