Blake Stuparyk, PhD

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Availability

By appointment only

Area of Study / Keywords

Freshwater Ecology Community Ecology Biodiversity Bioindicators Aquatic Invertebrates Multivariate Analysis Alpine Ecosystems

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About

I’m an aquatic ecologist and passionate educator with over a decade of experience in freshwater research and university-level teaching. Born and raised in Edmonton, I completed both my Bachelor of Science and Ph.D. in Ecology at the University of Alberta, where I taught and supported undergraduate courses in conservation biology, ecology, and biodiversity. I’ve served as both a teaching assistant and a primary instructor, designing and delivering lectures, leading labs and discussions, and mentoring students in ecological thinking and scientific communication. My teaching is grounded in fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and ecological literacy, and I take pride in making complex scientific ideas accessible and engaging. Beyond the classroom, I bring hands-on experience in limnological fieldwork, biomonitoring, data analysis, and indicator development, with a strong foundation in the practical skills needed to assess and interpret environmental change in freshwater ecosystems across Alberta.

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Research

My doctoral research focused on using aquatic invertebrates as bioindicators of environmental and human-induced changes in mountain lakes and lowland rivers. I employed an integrative approach that combined taxonomic classification and functional trait analysis to understand the complexities of interacting stressors and ecological processes affecting the spatial and temporal beta diversity of aquatic invertebrate communities. These projects involved multivariate analysis of both historical and contemporary monitoring datasets throughout the Canadian Rockies, along with a comprehensive limnological survey of the tributaries in the North Saskatchewan River basin. By conducting three complete surveys of biological communities at varying spatial scales and across different ecosystem types, I aimed to address questions related to community assembly and global change within a unified and generalizable framework.

In addition to my core thesis work, I have made significant contributions to research as a lead author, co-author, and research technician on various published and post-print articles. These works cover a range of topics, from wildlife mortality to cyanobacterial remediation through fisheries management. Specifically, I have participated in several experimental limnology projects that focus on zooplankton and benthic invertebrate communities within fully functioning lake and stream mesocosms that I helped design, build, operate, and decommission. Moreover, I have collaborated with numerous co-authors on projects such as literature reviews that investigate the current state of multiple stressor research in aquatic systems.

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Teaching

During my graduate studies, I served as both a teaching assistant and a primary instructor for several university-level biology courses. As a TA, I supported student learning in lab and lecture settings regarding community ecology and the biology of drug plants. I provided feedback on assignments and facilitated discussions and debates on ecological and biological concepts. Later, as a primary instructor, I independently designed and delivered both introductory and advanced courses on conservation biology, including syllabi, lectures, assessments, and student evaluations. These experiences strengthened my science communication skills and deepened my commitment to fostering ecological literacy and critical thinking in post-secondary students.

BIOL 364 - Freshwater Ecology

An introduction to the ecology of freshwater ecosystems. Lectures will examine the roles of biota in ecological patterns and processes in lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams, emphasizing north-temperate and boreal regions. Seminars will focus on recent papers from the primary literature. Designed to stand-alone or to provide a biological complement to BIOL 464. Prerequisite: BIOL 208.

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Browse more courses taught by Blake Stuparyk

James Orr, Samuel J. Macaulay, Adriana Mordente, Benjamin Burgess, Dania Albini, Julia G. Hunn, Katherin Restrepo‐Sulez, Ramesh Wilson, Anne Schechner, Aoife M. Robertson, Bethany Lee, Blake R. Stuparyk, Delezia Singh, Isobel O'Loughlin, Jeremy J. Piggott, Jiangqiu Zhu, Khuong V. Dinh, Louise C. Archer, Marcin Penk, Minh Thi Thuy Vu, Noël P. D. Juvigny‐Khenafou, Peiyu Zhang, Philip Sanders, Ralf B. Schäfer, Rolf D. Vinebrooke, Sabine Hilt, Thomas Reed, Michelle C. Jackson

Ecology Letters. 2024 June; 10.1111/ele.14463

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Blake R. Stuparyk, Rolf D. Vinebrooke

Ecosphere. 2024 April; 10.1002/ecs2.4836

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Mitchell A. Johnsen, Blake R. Stuparyk, Jenna Cook & Rolf D. Vinebrooke

Aquatic Sciences. 2020 April; 10.1007/s00027-020-0709-1

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Jenna Cook, Blake R. Stuparyk, Mitchell A. Johnsen, Rolf D. Vinebrooke

Aquatic Sciences. 2020 January; 10.1007/s00027-019-0683-7

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Blake R. Stuparyk, Mark Graham, Jenna Cook, Mitchell A. Johnsen, Karen K. Christensen-Dalsgaard, and Rolf D. Vinebrooke

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 2019 January; 10.1139/cjfas-2018-0396

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