Salt water infrastructure to support fish research

St Andrews, NB – The Huntsman Marine Science Centre (HMSC) has unveiled plans to upgrade its salt water infrastructure to advance ongoing research. The $2.9 million project will be made possible with the support of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), which is investing $2,361,500 through its innovative communities fund.

This project is of strategic importance to the ongoing renewal process at the HMSC, says Bill Robertson, the centres executive director. The salt water upgrade will not only allow for world-leading aquaculture and basic research but it is also crucial to attracting new business, meeting client needs, and to satisfying the growing requirements of other HMSC departments, such as the teaching laboratories.

This project will involve the renovation of existing facilities to increase the volume of salt water supplied to the HMSC for fish rearing and research. The upgrade will allow the centre to undertake new and innovative research projects and proceed with improvements to its aquarium, an important tourism initiative.

The new infrastructure will also facilitate the work of the $18-million Cod Genome Project, supported by ACOAs Atlantic Innovation Fund and a wide range of funding partners in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia.