Department of Geography
Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. John's, NL
A1B 3X9

Office: SN1034
Tel: (709) 864-3164
Fax: (709) 864-3119
Email: bsivarajah[at]mun[dot]ca

Research

Research Overview

Relationships between aquatic biota and the environment are diverse across the landscape as these interactions are influenced by local physicochemical features, watershed-specific characteristics, and regional anthropogenic stressors; and often, they change over time frames spanning decades to millennia. Environmental change studies that consider such variability in space, time, and interactions among biota can deepen our understanding of ecosystem processes and inform effective environmental polices and practices. My research utilizes biogeochemical approaches to understand long-term environmental changes in diverse freshwater ecosystems across Canada. I am motivated to develop and employ field-based research techniques and large datasets, that enable us to conduct spatio-temporal assessments to provide long-term regional perspectives about the impacts of diverse anthropogenic stressors (e.g. mining pollution, nutrient enrichment, urbanization, land-use, climate change) on the functioning of freshwater ecosystems in temperate, sub-Arctic and High Arctic regions of Canada. This interdisciplinary research is often made possible through meaningful and respectful collaborations with diverse partners.

Education

NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship (2022 - 2024) – Carleton University
Mitacs Accelerate Industrial Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021 - 2023) – Mount Allison University
PhD (2020) – Queen’s University
MSc (2016) – Queen’s University
BScH (2014) – Queen’s University

Select Publications

Sivarajah, B., Sprague, D.D., Hyden, D., Smol, J.P., Kurek, J., and Vermaire, J.C. 2025. A century of tailings migration from silver mining reduced littoral biodiversity in a Boreal Shield lake. Environmental Pollution 381: 126598.

Sivarajah, B., Pink, O., Paterson, A.M., Jeziorski A., Griffiths, K.T., Rühland, K.M., and Smol, J.P. 2025. Inferring long-term limnological changes linked to declining lake trout population in a remote Boreal Shield lake. Lake and Reservoir Management 41: 143-161.

Sivarajah, B., Campbell, L.M., Smol, J.P., Vermaire, J.C., and Kurek, J. 2024. Historical gold mining increased metal(loid) concentrations in lake sediments from Nova Scotia, Canada. FACETS 9: 1-14.

Sivarajah, B., Lapen, D.R., Gewurtz, S., Smyth, S.A., Provencher, J.F., and Vermaire, J.C. 2023. How many microplastic particles are present in Canadian biosolids? Journal of Environmental Quality 52: 1037-1048.  

Sivarajah, B., Michelutti, N., Wang, X., Grooms, C., and Smol, J.P. 2021. Limnological characteristics reveal metal pollution legacy in lakes near Canada’s northernmost mine, Little Cornwallis Island, Nunavut. Arctic 74: 167-174.

Sivarajah, B., Simmatis B., Favot E.J., Palmer, M.J., and Smol, J.P. 2021. Eutrophication and climate warming lead to unprecedented cyanobacterial blooms in a Canadian sub-Arctic landscape. Harmful Algae 105: 102036.

Sivarajah, B., Cheney, C.L., Perrett, M., Kimpe, L.E., Blais, J.M., and Smol, J.P. 2020. Regional gold mining activities and recent climate warming alter diatom assemblages in deep sub-Arctic lakes. Polar Biology 43:305-317.

Sivarajah, B., Paterson, A.M., Rühland, K.M., Köster, D., Karst-Riddoch, T., and Smol, J.P. 2018. Diatom responses to 20^th century shoreline development and climate warming in three embayments of Georgian Bay, Lake Huron. Journal of Great Lakes Research 44:1339-1350.

Sivarajah, B., Rühland, K.M., Labaj, A.L., Paterson, A.M., and Smol, J.P. 2016. Why is the relative abundance of Asterionella formosa increasing in a Boreal Shield lake as nutrient levels decline? Journal of Paleolimnology 55: 357-367.