Media Releases
» Go to news mainMEOPAR and Irving Shipbuilding Funding wins Dal ocean research a seat on a commercial ship
(HALIFAX, N.S.) – New funding from the Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR) and Irving Shipbuilding Inc. (ISI) will allow Dalhousie University researchers to sample coastal Nova Scotian waters from a commercial ship named Atlantic Condor. The data collected will be critical to learning more about seasonal algal blooms, which are the main food supply for larval fish.
Yesterday, MEOPAR and ISI announced $1.8 million in funding for nine Canadian ocean research projects.
“Irving Shipbuilding’s $1-million contribution in support of progressive, coast-to-coast-to-coast marine research highlights the importance of effective industry and academic partnerships,” said MEOPAR Scientific Director Dr. Doug Wallace. “As a result of their investment, MEOPAR contributed $800,000 to support these nine research projects, which also leveraged a further $2-million from 27 contributing partners. We are proud to partner with Irving Shipbuilding on this important research.”
Julie LaRoche and her team at Dalhousie University received $150,000. It will help support a postdoctoral student, two undergraduate student researchers and six co-op students required for the project.
The LaRoche Research Group will examine shifting marine ecosystems and microbiological processes between mainland Nova Scotia and Sable Island. Atlantic Towing Inc. has voluntarily provided Dr. LaRoche’s team with access and facilities on the Atlantic Condor, a resupply ship that makes weekly supply trips to the Deep Panuke drilling platform near Sable Island. The research instrumentation on board includes a state-of-the-art underwater holographic microscope built by Halifax-based company 4-Deep Inwater Imaging. The technology will allow researchers to capture detailed images of the plankton present in water during these weekly trips.
“Collaborating with industry to leverage commercial ships for research will dramatically improve our ability to collect frequent, continuous data from the ocean,” said Dr. LaRoche, the Canada Research Chair in Marine Microbial Genomics and Biogeochemistry. “This allows us to create a far more accurate picture of what is happening in the ocean.”
Until now, the LaRoche Research Group has only been able to sample this location twice a year. The new partnership with Atlantic Towing Ltd. will give her team weekly data for an entire year.
Weekly samples of the same ocean path will uncover when algal blooms take place in the area and what ocean conditions are at play when they happen. It’s important for blooms to be coordinated with the natural reproductive cycle of fish so larval fish have the food required to grow. Changing ocean conditions, like warmer temperatures, may affect the timing of blooms and therefore lead to consequences on fish populations in the area.
Irving Shipbuilding contributed $1 million to the $1.8 million call for proposals. ISI’s funding is pursuant to its Value Proposition obligation under the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, whereby Irving Shipbuilding is committed to spending 0.5% of contract revenues with the aim of creating a sustainable marine industry across Canada.
-30-
Media Contacts
Nikki Comeau
Communications – The Faculty of Science
Dalhousie University
(902) 223-2446 – Mobile
(902) 494-8443 – Office
nikki.comeau@dal.ca
Janet Stalker
Communications Manager
MEOPAR
(902) 494 – 4389 – Office
(902) 717 – 8472 – Mobile
Janet.stalker@meopar.ca
Recent News
- Media opportunity: Dalhousie University researchers find migrant workers in Nova Scotia face discrimination, overcrowded housing and wage theft, but also receive support from their home countries in addressing mistreatment
- Media opportunity: Fowl language: Dalhousie University researcher uses AI to crack the code of clucks and unravel chicken chatter secrets, opening the door to an improved quality of life
- Media opportunity: Dalhousie University researchers go underwater to address an otherworldly issue ‑‑ how to treat pain in space
- Media opportunity: Dalhousie legal scholar wins Killam Fellowship for ground‑breaking research into the handling of sexual assault claims
- Media release: Dalhousie receives $5M from Canadian Foundation for Innovation to build country’s first university‑based battery prototyping and fabrication facility
- Dalhousie University and Eastward Energy welcome Premier Tim Houston in celebrating the launch of the Hydrogen Applications Research Lab
- Media opportunity: How are the world's reef sharks doing and what can be done to save them? Researchers will revisit marine protected areas in 26 nations to check their numbers and help design new conservation sites
- Media opportunity: Dalhousie University program will support Canadian physicians, residents and medical students with daily messages aimed at reducing stress, depression and burnout
Comments
comments powered by Disqus