The International Polar Year (IPY) runs from 2007 to 2009 and is a concerted research program on all aspects of the Arctic and Antarctica, involving more than 10, 000 polar scientists.



One of the IPY programs is MERGE: Microbiological and Ecological Responses to Global Environmental change in the polar regions.



Our research in the MERGE-Canada program is on arctic aquatic ecosystems and their surrounding catchments, with emphasis on the biodiversity of their microscopic life.