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Inhospitable, cold, fascinating: the High Arctic is a gold mine for bold researchers looking for opportunities to venture into the unknown. It is also one of the most remote places on Earth. Exploring it is not without its challenges, including logistical constraints, funding requirements, paperwork and permits. Not to mention safety concerns. These difficulties are often the reason why researchers leave Arctic studies after a few years and move on to more “habitable” climates. That wasn’t the case for John Smol. While he has studied the secrets buried in the mud of lakes all over the world, the Arctic kept luring him back.

A professor in the Department of Biology, Dr. Smol has been consistently travelling to the Arctic for about 40 years to study its unique lake ecosystems. When asked why, he says he was hooked after his first few trips: “There is something haunting about the place that, while difficult to describe, drew me back year after year.” For his lifetime commitment to studying the region, Dr. Smol is the 2026 recipient of the Mohn Prize for Outstanding Research Related to the Arctic, awarded by The Arctic University of Norway. An award ceremony will be held in February. 

“It always feels odd to receive an award for doing something that one loves, but I’m very honoured and grateful to be the 2026 recipient of such an important prize,” says Dr. Smol. “It has also been a privilege for me to work with the hundreds of students and researchers who have passed through my lab. Science is a team sport, and I have always had excellent teams.”

Dr. Smol’s foundational work in the Arctic and other regions was key in advancing the field of paleolimnology, which uses environmental indicators preserved in dated sediment records extracted from the bottom of lakes, ponds, and rivers to recreate the ecological histories of a region. 

Over 30 years ago – before climate change became a buzzword – Dr. Smol and his team used lake sediments to show climate warming had already been altering ecosystems. Originally highly controversial, these findings are now widely accepted within the research community. The research group further described some of the most drastic effects of climate change, such as the complete disappearance of entire ecosystems, particularly some Arctic shallow ponds, that vanished due to increased evaporation.

Dr. Smol and his team at the Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL) have also explored how pollutants – including those from industrial activities, like Arctic mining – have affected freshwater systems in the Arctic. “The effects of mines have been especially egregious in Northern regions, as once the ore has been extracted, owners have often abandoned the mines, as well as any clean-up or remediation activities. Many of these mines are still leaking contaminants decades after closing,” says Dr. Smol.

Dr. Smol has always acknowledged the important role played by Northern communities, especially Indigenous peoples, in studying climate change and industrial degradation in the North, and has been working with local groups to braid Western and Indigenous knowledge systems together to collect and analyze historical and current research data.

Established in 2018, the Mohn Prize is named after Henrik Mohn, founder of Norwegian meteorology, who supplied several Norwegian polar expeditions in the 1800s with meteorological equipment. The 2,000,000 Norwegian Kroner prize – approximately CAD $275,000 – is awarded biannually and Smol is only the fifth recipient of the prize.

“Queen’s is proud to support Dr. Smol’s prolific research program, recognized once again for its excellence and relevance”, says Vice-Principal Research Nancy Ross. “Arctic research is key for Canadian sovereignty. We are committed to understanding the Arctic, protecting our future, and honouring those who call it home.”