Rate My Professor Nelson O’Driscoll

Nelson O’Driscoll serves as Full Professor and Head of the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at Acadia University. He holds the Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Environmental Biogeochemistry and directs the Mercury Lab, focusing on mercury speciation, photochemistry, dissolved organic matter interactions, and contaminant dynamics in diverse ecosystems. His research examines mercury fate and transport in freshwater lakes, coastal salt marshes, Arctic snowpacks, and wildlife populations. Key investigations include methylmercury photodemethylation rates in humic-rich lakes, the impact of salt marsh restoration on mercury methylation, bioaccumulation in polychaete worms governed by feeding ecology and bioavailability, and elevated total mercury and methylmercury levels in coyotes compared to other land mammals. Dr. O’Driscoll’s studies contribute to understanding pollutant behavior and support sustainable environmental management practices.

Dr. O’Driscoll has earned recognition for his contributions, including the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment 2022 Visionary Award for assessing mercury methylation dynamics in coastal food webs. He co-edited the book 'Wetland Restoration for Endangered Species Recovery,' part of Springer Nature’s Environmental Contamination series, published in 2025. His laboratory has received NSERC grants for ultra-high purity water systems and advanced analytical capabilities through the Centre for Analytical Research on the Environment (CARE). Dr. O’Driscoll mentors graduate students, coordinates graduate studies in Earth and Environmental Science, and leads presentations at international conferences such as SETAC Europe. Ongoing projects explore mercury biomagnification in food webs influenced by growth rates and photoreducible mercury loss from Arctic snow modulated by organic matter. His interdisciplinary work informs policy on contaminants and ecosystem health across Nova Scotia and beyond.