Coastal Water Resources

This Tier II Canada Research Chair program will investigate the vulnerability of coastal water resources in an age of rising seas, intensifying storms, and population redistribution to the coast. Research will be focused on groundwater resources that support Canadian coastal communities. However, hydraulically connected surface water bodies, including estuaries and bays, will also be investigated. The research methods will pair field-based investigations using drones, geophysics, instrumented wells, and coastal loggers, with cutting-edge modeling of surface and subsurface hydrologic systems. Field campaigns and modeling work will occur in both Arctic and Atlantic Canada. Modelling work will consider the hydrologic impacts of human activities as well as future marine (sea-level rise, coastal storms) and atmospheric climate change.

The three core research directions will be: (1) investigating saltwater intrusion dynamics in coastal aquifers and connections to offshore (submarine) aquifers, (2) evaluating coastal risk mapping and adaptation practices from a hydrogeology lens, and (3) monitoring and modelling coastal processes in cold regions. The findings from this novel research program will bring awareness and better scientific understanding on critical, but often overlooked, groundwater resources in coastal settings. Results will contribute to the protection of drinking water and aquatic ecosystems in Canada and will inform climate change adaptation policies for water resources management in coastal communities worldwide.