Leah Bendell

Professor, Marine Ecology & Ecotoxicology
Biology

Areas of interest

THE ECOTOX LAB
Ecotoxicology aims to quantify the effects of stressors on natural populations, communities, or ecosystems. Ecotoxicology is a broadly defined discipline and includes (but not limited to) the study of the movement of inorganic and organic contaminants through ecosystems, anthropogenic disruption of nutrient cycles, oceanic acidification as a consequence of climate change and the consequences of a changing community structure on geochemical processes.

Education

  • BSc, University of Toronto
  • PhD, University of Toronto

Recent Works (2015-2022)

1. Bendell, L.I., Rankin, S., Delany K., Stenner, K., Silveri, A. and Zhou, W. 2022. Reducing the uncertainty of microplastics identification and the application of the Varnish clam (Nutallia obscurata) as a biomonitor of plastics pollution using plastic debris generated by the B.C. shellfish industry as a case study. For Environmental Science and Technology

2. Doyle, B. and L.I. Bendell 2022. Use of shell hash to mitigate the acidification of intertidal sediments. Ecosphere. https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.4003

3. Maximiliano Cledon, Louis A Tremblay, Charles Griffiths , Mariem Fadhlaoui , Olivier Champeau , Marina Albentosa, Victoria Besada , Victor H. Fernandez, Christopher W. McKindsey, Leah Bendell, Bin Zhang, Zaul Garcia-Esquivel, Satinder K Brar, Pratik Kumar, Olivier Laroche, Patrice Couture. 2021. Trace metal residues in marine mussels: a global survey(ETCJ-Jul-21-00513) https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/ abs/10.1002/etc.5228. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

4. Juan José Alava Tamara Kazmiruk,* Tristan Douglas, Goetz Schuerholz, Bill Heath, Scott A. Flemming, Leah Bendell, and Mark C. Drever. 2021. Occurrence and size distribution of microplastics in mudflat sediments of the Cowichan/Koksilah Estuary, Canada

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/ S0025326X21010675. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 173

5. Moore, R.C., Noel, M., Etemadifar, A., Loseto, L., Posacka, A. , Bendell, L., Ross, P.S. 2021. Microplastics in Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) Prey: An Exploratory Assessment of Trophic Transfer in the Beaufort Sea. Science of the Total Environment https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.scitotenv.2021.150201.

6. Fernandes, S., Farzaneh, S and L.I. Bendell. 2020 Abundance and distribution of beach litter with acutely toxic metal concentrations.  Marine Pollution Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111479

7. Roberts, E. M., S. D. Stroshein, and L. I. Bendell. 2020. Change in sediment features and the macroinvertebrate community within an estuarine ecosystem two years post-restoration. Ecosphere 11(7):e03206. 10.1002/ecs2.3206 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3206

8. Roberts, E. M., S. D. Stroshein, and L.I. Bendell. 2020. Restoration of an Estuary. Bull Ecol Soc Am 00(00):e01774. https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.1774

9. Bendell, L.I., E. LeCadre, W. Zhou. 2020. Use of bivalves for monitoring microplastic pollution within intertidal sediments.  PLoS ONE 15(5): e0232879. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232879

10. Moore R.C. , Loseto L., Noel M., Etemadifar A., Brewster J.D., Macphee S., …, Bendell, L. Ross, P.S. 2019. Microplastics in beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) from the Eastern Beaufort Sea. Marine Pollution Bulletin.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110723

11. Bendell, L.I., McKeachie, S. 2019. The demand for luxury protein is polluting the ocean with plastics. The Conversation.  https://theconversation.com/the-demand-for-luxury-shellfish-is-polluting-the-ocean-with-plastic-118668

The Narwhale https://thenarwhal.ca/the-demand-for-luxury-shellfish-is-polluting-the-ocean-with-plastic/

12. Bendell, L.I., Helm, P., Lagarde, F., Mallory, M., Maes, T., Duflos, G., Brunet, C and Lacroix, C. 2019.  Summary of the Scientific Workship-G7, Paris, October 14th-15th. Implementing monitoring of plastic and microplastic pollution.

13. Stewarding the Sound; The challenge of managing sensitive ecosystems. 2019. L.I. Bendell, P. Gallaugher, S. McKeachie and L. Wood editors. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, New York.

14. Bendell, L.I. P. Gallaugher, S. McKeachie and L. Wood.  2019. Introduction; The challenge of managing sensitive ecosystems. In Stewarding the Sound; The challenge of managing sensitive ecosystems.  L.I. Bendell, P. Gallaugher, S. McKeachie and L. Wood editors. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, New York.

15. Bendell, L. I. 2019. Baynes Sound, An Ecologically and Biologically Sensitive Area. In Stewarding the Sound; The challenge of managing sensitive ecosystems.  L.I. Bendell, P. Gallaugher, S. McKeachie and L. Wood editors. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, New York.

16. Bendell, L.I. P. Gallaugher, S. McKeachie and L. Wood. 2019. Solutions to the challenge of managing sensitive ecosystems. In Stewarding the Sound; The challenge of managing sensitive ecosystems. L.I. Bendell, P. Gallaugher, S. McKeachie and L. Wood editors. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, New York.

17. Bendell, L. I. 2019. Canaries of the sea; Are oysters our canaries of the sea? PSEMP Toxics Work Group. 2018 Salish Sea Toxics Monitoring Review: A Selection of Research. C.A. James, J. Lanksbury, D. Lester, S. O’Neill, T. Roberts, C. Sullivan, J. West, eds. Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program. Tacoma, WA.

18. Munier, B. and Bendell, L. I.  2018. Macro and micro plastics sorb and desorb metals and act as a point source of trace metals to coastal ecosystems PLOS ONE Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Article Number: e0191759

19. Kazmiruk, T. N.; Kazmiruk, V. D.; Bendell, L.I. 2018 Abundance and distribution of microplastics within surface sediments of a key shellfish growing region of Canada PLOS ONE Volume: 13 Issue: 5 Article Number: e0196005

20. Bendell, L.I. 2020. Commentary on Kazmiruk et al. 2018. Corrections to commentary here: replyII.pdf

21. Kazmiruk, T, Kazmiruk, V and L.I. Bendell.  2017. Trace metals in urban estuaries; Implications for remediation, PSEMP Toxics Work Group. 2016 Salish Sea Toxics Monitoring Review: A Selection of Research. C.A. James, J. Lanksbury, D. Lester, S. O’Neill, T. Roberts, C. Sullivan, J. West, eds. Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program. Tacoma, WA.

22. Bendell, L.I. 2017. Cadmium in oysters from the Salish Sea. PSEMP Toxics Work Group. 2016. Salish Sea Toxics Monitoring Review: A Selection of Research. C.A. James, J. Lanksbury, D. Lester, S. O’Neill, T. Roberts, C. Sullivan, J. West, eds. Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program. Tacoma, WA.

23. Boucher, C., Morin, M., Bendell, L.I. 2015. The influence of cosmetic microbeads on the sorptive behavior of cadmium and lead within intertidal sediments: a laboratory study. Regional Studies in Marine Science. 10.1016/j.rsma.2015.11.009. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352485515300025

24. Cluzaud, M., T. Kazmiruk, V. Kazmiruk,  Bendell, L.I. 2015  Intertidal concentrations of microplastics and their influence on ammonium cycling as related to the shellfish industry. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 27 Apr 2015, 69(3):310-319
DOI: 10.1007/s00244-015-0156-5

25. Bendell, L.I. 2015. Favored use of anti-predator netting (APN) applied for the farming of clams leads to little benefits to industry while increasing nearshore impacts and plastics pollution. View Point. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 91: 22-28.

26. Bendell, L.I. 202X. Ecotoxicology explained through case studies. In preparation for John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Courses

Future courses may be subject to change.