SDG 14: Life Below Water
Learn more about UN SDG 14 and take action
Ocean research at Dalhousie currently spans almost all faculties and disciplines. It all started with the establishment of the Institute of Oceanography in 1959, which launched a broader trajectory linking biological, physical, geological and chemical areas of ocean science, in the 1970s a marine law group was established. Now Dal hosts key ocean research facilities and is involved in many international research projects, which allow Dalhousie researchers to contribute to the most pressing ocean challenges of our time.
High-impact research
Transforming Climate Action: Ensuring the science is safe
While scientists explore the feasibly of adding substances to the ocean to promote the absorption of CO2, oceanographer Dr. Hugh MacIntyre and his students are leading a parallel project to ensure interventions made in the ocean are safe for the creatures that call it home.
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Dalhousie discovery unravels a mystery of viruses under the sea
Dr. John Archibald and colleagues have laid a foundation for understanding the impact of viruses on the marine environment's microbial ecology.
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Sable Island’s shifting landscape offers insights into global groundwater loss
Coastal seawater flooding devastates thousands of kilometers of shoreline annually, and coastal fresh groundwater resources are extremely vulnerable to contamination from these flood events. A Dal research study demonstrates that erosion is an often-overlooked driver of freshwater loss.
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Dal study shines spotlight on threats from lost fishing gear
A team of Dalhousie scientists worked with the Department of Fisheries, fishing captains, volunteers and different fisheries organizations to search for and retrieve abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear from three fishing zones that stretch from the Bay of Fundy around to Halifax over two years.
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Climate risk index shows threats to 90 per cent of the world’s marine species
While our study paints a potentially grim future under high emissions, it also highlights how our oceans and marine life could benefit from climate change mitigation and adaptation and stresses the urgency with which we must work towards this goal.
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Ancient fish species on brink of extinction finds new life in Dal facility
A half-dozen large fibreglass tanks in the basement of Dalhousie's Steele Ocean Science Building contain the only remaining captive Atlantic whitefish on earth. Their existence is the result of the work of a small group of researchers and biologists committed to saving an ancient aquatic species that is so endangered its only known habitat is three lakes within a single watershed in Nova Scotia.
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Exceptional student experience
Shark necropsy offers Dal students rare chance to learn about endangered creature up close
The SEASIDE program offers Dal Science students the chance to spend part of their summers in the field, helping them learn practical skills and apply some of the knowledge they gained after fall and winter semesters spent mostly in classrooms and labs. This year, students in the SEASIDE summer course Biology & Conservation of Sharks, Skates & Rays had an exceptionally rare opportunity to witness a necropsy on a young great white shark.
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Learn how the ocean connects people across the world
Steps away from the Atlantic Ocean, Dalhousie has a global reputation for excellence in ocean education and research. When you study ocean sciences at Dalhousie, you’ll combine knowledge in the biological, chemical, geological and physical processes that make up ocean ecosystems.
The sea's the limit
If you’re passionate about the ocean, Dalhousie is where you want to be. We’re a national leader in marine biology education and research. You’ll learn in the classroom, lab and out in the field. You could find yourself on the water studying the behaviour of sperm whales, running your own underwater experiments, examining the diet of grey seals or assessing the diversity of marine birds.
MMM alumni are currently working in 52 countries
The Marine Affairs Program offers the Master of Marine Management degree to students with a strong academic record who are planning a career path in marine affairs and have an interest in climate change, public and private sector management, conservation science, planning, public service, engineering, community organizing or public policy.
Oceanographers study every aspect of the world’s oceans
The master's and a doctoral programs in oceanography give students the opportunity to collaborate with leading experts, to conduct fieldwork around the globe, to experience research at sea, and to participate in basic and advanced classes in all the sub-disciplines of oceanography.
Civic university with global impact
Atlantic salmon seek solace in cooling zones created by Dal engineers
To alleviate the rigours of the trek back to their birthplace, wild Atlantic salmon often take breaks in chilly nooks known as 'thermal refuges.' These cooling stations, however, are dwindling because of the rising water temperatures and human-induced climate change. That prompted researchers in Civil and Resource Engineering, to see if humans could create thermal refuges for the endangered species.
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Dal scientists dive into shark research and conservation
In celebration of World Ocean Day, Dalhousie’s Faculty of Science is hosting its third annual ocean-themed panel discussion. This year, the event brought together a group of Dalhousie scientists to share their knowledge, understanding and passion for shark research and conservation.
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Saving the seas: Alum and ocean advocate helps fight plastic pollution in The Bahamas
In 2013, Ambrose founded her non-profit environmental organization, the Bahamas Plastic Movement, to find solutions to alleviate plastic pollution and inspire Bahamian youth to create real change.
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Pioneering ocean science centre will draw community to campus
The Beaty Centre for Marine Biodiversity will feature two floors of exhibits developed in collaboration with Discovery Centre International to engage youth and visitors on today’s most pressing marine biodiversity issues.
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Annual student-led Sustainable Ocean Conference
The Sustainable Ocean Conference is a free public event that brings together a wide audience. The goal is to promote opportunities for collaboration to address the range of issues affecting our ocean. The conference is supported by the Sobey Fund for Oceans and is organized annually by the students of the Marine Affairs Program. It is the only student-led conference of its kind in Atlantic Canada.
Foundation for inclusion and distinction
Cutting-edge aquatic research in world-class facilities
The Aquatron Laboratory is considered by many to be one of the best aquatic research facilities in the world — it is the largest university aquatic research facility in Canada. The Aquatron boasts six large tanks holding a combined volume of over 2,000 m3, as well as a wide variety of smaller tanks, research spaces and equipment.
Did you know? Using rainwater to flush toilets reduces water use.
The Richard Murray Design Building provides study spaces, design labs, and an auditorium. 96% of the water used in the building was provided by reusing rain water for toilet flushing at 125m3 in 2022.
MEOPAR (Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network)
An independent not-for-profit hosted at Dalhousie, MEOPAR funds research, trains students, mobilizes knowledge and forms partnerships in the area of marine risk and resilience. MEOPAR funds leading-edge research, overcomes barriers to collaborative research and helps to train the next generation of marine professionals.
Ocean Frontier Institute
A transnational hub for ocean research, the Ocean Frontier Institute (OFI) brings together experts from both sides of the North Atlantic to explore the vast potential of the world's ocean. From lab space to in-water and analytical infrastructure, OFI has the tools that allow scientists to think big and create extraordinary research results.
We must save our oceans if we are to save ourselves
Forty-three years ago, Elisabeth Mann Borgese, a global ocean champion set up IOI-Canada at Dalhousie. Since then 740 alum from over 100 countries have participated in the eight-week, intensive, face-to-face ocean governance training program that's based at the university.
Storm water management
Dalhousie is slowing down storm water using the natural environment and innovative building practices. Plant material plays a large role in filtering pollutants, slowing the flow of water, and removing water through the process of evaporation. Read more about Stormwater management planning guidelines in the Natural Environment Policy and guidelines document (No. 20 Landscape).
Previously featured
‘It takes a village to build a whale’: Dal’s Blue Whale Project set to soar this fall
Since 2017, Dalhousie’s Blue Whale Project has left a big impression on everyone who’s encountered it, from students and faculty to community members and volunteers. The project has turned the tragic loss of an 18-metre blue whale into a learning opportunity for the Dal community and beyond. Once completed, the bones will be sent back to Halifax for installation in the atrium of Dal’s Steele Ocean Sciences Building.
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