Alec Aitken

B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.

Dr.

Office: Kirk Hall 117
Phone: 966-5672
Email: alec.aitken@usask.ca

Keywords / Tags

northern environments; marine biology; Quaternary geology; geoarchaeology

Alec Aitken joined the Department of Geography (currently Geography & Planning) in the fall of 1992 and was promoted to Full Professor in May, 2009. Teaching and research interests are focused on subjects related to Arctic marine biology and geology, Quaternary geology and geomorphology, and Paleo-Indian settlements on the Canadian Prairies. Career highlights at the University of Saskatchewan include: a Teaching Excellence Award from the College of Arts & Science (2002); a Master Teacher Award from the University of Saskatchewan (2003); chairing the Committee for Northern Studies; serving as a Project Leader in the Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study (2002-2007); serving as a Project Leader for the University of the Arctic Core Curriculum Revision team (2006-2011); and serving as the Acting Associate Dean (Student Affairs) in the College of Arts & Science (2007-2008). Alec holds a joint appointment within the Department of Archaeology & Anthropology. Alec has been blessed with an enduring marriage to his artistic wife Bridget with whom he has raised four fine sons, Zachary, Tristan, Jesse and Blaise.

Research

Marine biology and coastal geomorphology, Pangnirtung Fjord, Baffin Island, Nunavut (1980-1982); M.Sc. thesis, Geography, Queen's University

Quaternary geology and marine invertebrate palaeontology, Baffin Island, Nunavut (1982-1987); Ph.D. thesis, Geology, McMaster University

Marine mollusc aquaculture, L'Institut Maurice Lamontagne, Mont-Joli, Qubec (1987-1990); Visiting Scientist, Fisheries & Oceans Canada

Quaternary geology and marine biology, Axel Heiberg and Ellesmere islands, Nunavut (1990-2000); NSERC Post-doctoral Fellow, Geography, Queen's University (1990-1991); Term appointment, Division of Social Sciences, University of Toronto-Scarborough (1991-1992); tenured faculty appointment, Geography, University of Saskatchewan

Geoarchaeology of Paleo-Indian settlements, Wanuskewin Heritage Park, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (1994 to present); tenured faculty appointment, Geography, University of Saskatchewan

Marine biology and geology of the Beaufort Sea continental shelf and slope (2002-present); Project Leader for Benthic Processes in the Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study (CASES); tenured faculty appointment, Geography, University of Saskatchewan

Publications

Unpublished theses:

Christopher Peter Evans. 2006. Geoarchaeology of the Douglas Sand Hills, Central Saskatchewan. M.Sc. thesis, Geography, University of Saskatchewan. x + 133 pp.

Shanshan Cai. 2006. Paleoenvironmental Interpretation of Late Glacial and Post-glacial Fossil Marine Molluscs, Eureka Sound, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. M.Sc. thesis, Geography, University of Saskatchewan. x + 150 pp.

Jocelyn Sian Rutherford, 2004. Hillslope Sediments and Landscape Evolution in Wanuskewin Heritage Park: A Geoarchaeological Interpretation. M.A. Thesis, Archaeology, University of Saskatchewan. xi + 118 pp.

Christy Ann Davis, 1999. A Case Study of Polar Bear Co-Management in the Eastern

Canadian Arctic. M.A. Thesis, Geography, University of Saskatchewan. vii + 89 pp.

Brenda Lee Solsten. 1998. The Utilization of a Geographic Information System to

Assess Regional Sensitivity to Erosion and Coastal Submergence in Auyuittuq National Park Reserve, Baffin Island, Canada. M.Sc. Thesis, Geography, University of Saskatchewan. vii + 130 pp.

Abigail Keren Burt. 1997. Landscape Evolution At Wanuskewin Heritage Park,

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. M.Sc. Thesis, Geography, University of Saskatchewan. xii + 243 pp.

Catherine H. Yansa. 1995. An Early Postglacial Record of Vegetation Change in Southern Saskatchewan, Canada. M.Sc. Thesis, Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan. xiii + 273 pp.

Research Articles:

Marine Biology

A.E. Aitken, K. Conlan, P.E. Renaud, E. Hendrycks, C. McClelland, P. Archambault, M. Cusson, and N. Morata. (2008). The Benthic Environment, Chapter 9. In L. Fortier, D. Barber and J. Michaud (editors). On Thin Ice: A Synthesis of the Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study (CASES), Aboriginal Issues Press, University of Manitoba, pp. 159-199.

K.E. Conlan, A. Aitken, E. Hendrycks, E. Melling, and C. McClelland. 2008. Distribution Patterns of Canadian Beaufort Shelf macrobenthos. Journal of Marine Systems, 74(3-4): 864-886.

M. Cusson, P. Archambault and A. Aitken. 2007. Biodiversity of benthic assemblages on the Arctic continental shelf: historical data from Canada. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 331: 291-304.

A.E. Aitken and R. Gilbert, 1996. Marine Mollusca from Expedition Fiord, western Axel Heiberg Island, Northwest Territories, Canada. Arctic, 49: 29-43.

A.E. Aitken and J. Fournier, 1993. Macrobenthos communities in Cambridge, McBeth and Itirbilung Fiords, Baffin Island, Northwest Territories, Canada. Arctic, 46: 60-71.

M. Fréchette, A.E. Aitken and L. Pagé, 1992. Interdependence of food and space limitation of a benthic suspension feeder: consequences for self-thinning relationships. Marine Ecology-Progress Series, 83: 55-62.

J.E. Dale, A.E. Aitken, R. Gilbert and M.J. Risk, 1989. Macrofauna of Canadian arctic fiords. Marine Geology, 85: 331-358.

A.E. Aitken, M.J. Risk and J.D. Howard, 1988. Animal-sediment relationships on a subarctic intertidal flat: Pangnirtung Fiord, Baffin Island, Canada. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, 58: 969-978.

A.E. Aitken and R. Gilbert, 1986. The biota of intertidal flats at Pangnirtung Fiord,Baffin Island, N.W.T. Le Naturaliste Canadien, 113: 191-200.

Quaternary geology

R. Gilbert and A.E. Aitken. 2000. Preliminary results on the Quaternary sedimentary environment and benthos of part of Cañon Fiord, Fosheim Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut. Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin 529, pp. 197-205.

A.E. Aitken, W.M. Last and A.K. Burt. 1999. The lithostratigraphic record of Late Pleistocene-Holocene environmental change at the Andrews site near Moose Jaw, southern Saskatchewan. Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin 534, pp. 173-182.

A.E. Aitken and T.J. Bell. 1998. Holocene glacimarine sedimentation and macrofossil palaeoecology in the Canadian High Arctic: Environmental controls. Marine Geology, 145:151-171.

D.S. Lemmen, A.E. Aitken and R. Gilbert, 1994. Early Holocene deglaciation of Expedition and Strand Fiords, Canadian High Arctic. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 31: 943-958.

R. Gilbert, A.E. Aitken and D.S. Lemmen, 1993. The glacimarine sedimentary environment of Expedition Fiord, Canadian High Arctic. Marine Geology, 110: 257-273.

D.S. Lemmen, R. Gilbert and A.E. Aitken, 1991. Quaternary investigations in the Expedition Fiord area, west-central Axel Heiberg Island, N.W.T., In Current Research, Part B, Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 91-1B, p.1-7.

B. MacLean, G. Vilks, A.E. Aitken, V. Allen, W. Briggs, D. Bruneau, A. Doiron, M. Escamilla, M. Hardy, I., J. Miner, W. Mode, R. Powell, M. Retelle, J. Stravers, A. Taylor, N. Weiner, 1991. Investigations of the Quaternary geology of Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay, Northwest Territories, In Current Research, Part E, Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 91-1E, p. 305-315.

A.E. Aitken and R. Gilbert, 1989. Holocene nearshore environments and sea-level history in Pangnirtung Fiord, Baffin Island, Northwest Territories, Canada. Arctic and Alpine Research, 21: 34-44.

Geomorphology

B.L. Solsten and A.E. Aitken. 2006. An Application of GIS Techniques to Assess the Risk of Archaeological Sites to Disturbance by Mass Movement and Marine Flooding in Auyuittuq National Park Reserve, Nunavut. Géographie physique et Quaternaire, 60: 81-92.

O. W. Archibold, L.M.J. Levesque, D. DeBoer, A.E. Aitken and L. Delanoy. 2003. Gully retreat in a semi-arid catchment in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Applied Geography, 23: 261-279.

R. Gilbert, A.E. Aitken and B. McLaughlin, 1984. A survey of coastal environments in the vicinity of Nain, Labrador. Maritime Sediments and Atlantic Geology, 20: 143-155.

R. Gilbert and A.E. Aitken, 1981. The role of sea ice in biophysical processes on intertidal flats at Pangnirtung (Baffin Island), N.W.T. Proceedings, Workshop on Ice Action on Shores. National Research Council of Canada, Associate Committee for Research on Shoreline Erosion and Sedimentation (ACROSES), Publication No. 3: 89-103.

Palaeontology

S. Gordillo and A.E. Aitken. 2001. Palaeoenvironmental interpretation of Late Quaternary molluscan assemblages, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Géographie physique et Quaternaire, 53: 301-315.

S. Gordillo and A.E. Aitken. 2001. Postglacial succession and palaeoecology of Late Quaternary macrofaunal assemblages from the central Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Boreas, 30: 61-72.

A.E. Aitken, 1990. Preservation potential of arctic fiord and continental shelf benthic macrofaunas. In Glacimarine Environments: Processes and Sediments. J.A. Dowdeswell and J.D. Scourse (editors), Geological Society of London, Special Publication No. 53, p.155-176.

A.E. Aitken and M.J. Risk, 1988. Biotic interactions revealed by macroborings in arctic marine bivalves. Lethaia, 21: 339-350.