Queen’s University scientist wins major international Arctic research award
December 3, 2025
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John Smol, Distinguished University Professor at Queen’s University (Canada), has been awarded the 2026 Mohn Prize, one of the most prestigious global honours for Arctic science. Smol is internationally recognized for pioneering palaeoecological methods that reveal how Arctic freshwater ecosystems are responding to climate warming, pollution, and biodiversity loss.
His work provides rare insight and critical data for policymakers, modelers, and researchers tracking rapid Arctic change.
Dr. Smol is available to comment on:
What long-term lake sediment records show about the pace and drivers of Arctic change
Implications for global climate systems, freshwater security, and environmental policy
Why the Arctic’s past is key to predicting its future
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 Krone prize – approximately $275,000CAD – is awarded biannually and Smol is only the fifth recipient of the Prize. He will receive the Mohn Prize and speak on panels at Arctic Frontiers in Tromsø on February 4–5, 2026.
To interview Dr. Smol, contact:
Julie Brown
Media Relations Manager, Queen’s University
brown.julie@queensu.ca | 343-363-2763