Biology
Capturing freshwater research from above
October 27, 2026
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Allen Tian’s photograph, "Standing Against the Bloom", was selected as one of five winners in Nature’s 2026 #ScientistAtWork photo competition.
A small boat cuts through a vivid green algal bloom on Dog Lake, leaving a dark trail across the water. On board, researchers are collecting samples to study which organisms live in the lake and whether potentially harmful algae are present. Blooms like these can produce toxins or deplete oxygen in the water, posing risks to aquatic life and public health.
The photograph was captured using a drone belonging to Queen’s University graduate researcher Allen Tian (Biology). Tian uses drones to study freshwater ecosystems from above, capturing images that support his research. This year, his photographs earned awards in three international photography competitions.
Tracking algal blooms from above
Cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, are among the freshwater organisms Tian studies. They can multiply rapidly and form blooms when excess nutrients enter lakes and other bodies of water. Drones allow Tian to monitor these blooms repeatedly at relatively low cost compared with aircraft or other forms of remote sensing.
Alongside drone surveys, Tian uses environmental DNA, or eDNA, to identify species in freshwater ecosystems. eDNA is the genetic material organisms leave in their surroundings, which researchers can collect from water samples. Together, these techniques can help predict where harmful blooms may develop and identify areas where efforts to manage them could be most useful.
“Drones are a powerful tool for looking at where algae are growing, but they can't tell us exactly which species are there or whether they can produce toxins,” says Tian. “By collecting water samples and analyzing the DNA, we can find that out.”
"Algal Blooms: Aerial Brushstrokes" brings together Allen Tian's photographs of cyanobacterial blooms captured during his freshwater research.
In addition to winning in Nature's 2026 #ScientistAtWork competition with his photo Standing Against the Bloom, Tian also earned a New England Biolabs Passion in Science Arts and Creativity Award for a collection of photographs capturing cyanobacterial blooms across several fieldwork locations. The images offer aerial views of researchers collecting water samples amid the blooms, including at the Queen’s University Biological Station.
Monitoring fish and changing habitats
Tian's PhD research focused on freshwater ecosystem health, using eDNA to study fish biodiversity, species at risk, and invasive species such as zebra and quagga mussels. His work also examines how these species interact with other aquatic life and algal blooms.
"Little Planet, Big Changes" offers a spherical view of the Long Sault Parkway along the St. Lawrence River.
Tian won the Protecting Our Planet category in the 2026 BMC Ecology and Evolution and BMC Zoology Image Competition with a spherical panorama of the Long Sault Parkway on the St. Lawrence River. He created the image by stitching together roughly 25 to 35 drone photographs taken from different angles.
The image captures a stretch of the river reshaped in 1958, when construction of the Moses-Saunders Power Dam flooded roughly 235 square kilometres and left former hilltops above water as islands that were later connected by the parkway.
Along the St. Lawrence River, Tian works with the St. Lawrence River Institute to document shoreline erosion and vegetation changes through drone surveys, alongside water sampling and fish surveys.
“Photography and science communication really amplify the results of research,” says Tian. “When we link it to the actual environment with photography, we can make it much more accessible and understandable.”
Tian and his PhD supervisors are also drawing on their research to develop EchiDNA Environmental, an environmental consulting venture focused on making monitoring tools and services more accessible. With support from Queen’s Commercialization and Ventures, the team is working to bring these methods into wider use through commercialization guidance and connections with partners such as the Kingston Economic Development Corporation.
