The results of many experiments at ELA differed considerably from what we expected.

For example, in the early eutrophication experiments at ELA, many scientists predicted carbon would limit algal blooms. Later, many scientists predicted that nitrogen would also limit algal growth. The results from Lake 227 and Lake 226 clearly showed that phosphorus was the most important nutrient driving algal blooms and that variations in carbon and nitrogen inputs did not affect the outcomes for these boreal lakes. These results provided critical information about which nutrients we need to focus our management efforts on. Like many experiments at ELA, they demonstrated that predictions based on small-scale studies often do not do well at the ecosystem scale.

When we set out to research on the impact that nanosilver (very small particles of silver, found in clothing or hygiene products), we expected a much greater impact on the overall ecosystem. We had been expecting the biggest impacts to affect the lower food web (bacteria and phytoplankton) but the only impacts we saw were to fish.