Newswise — A groundbreaking collaborative marine research and innovation vehicle that brings together a number of partners from industry, government and the post secondary education system has been launched on Canada's east coast.
Ocean industries account for billions of dollars in revenue and thousands of jobs in Atlantic Canada, while more than 10 per cent of all researchers in Atlantic Canada are focused on the ocean. The Halifax Marine Research Institute (HMRI) intends to help align these assets to benefit the region and the marine technology sector. The aim of the organization will be to increase the scale, quality, internationalization and impact of marine research, enhancing both the competitiveness of oceans industries and our knowledge base by taking advantage of synergies and crafting partnerships that build on the region's existing strengths.
Bringing together academics and government researchers, from the social and natural sciences the institute will also serve as a bridge between the international marine research community, the private sector and policy-makers, and will provide the best possible tools and scientific information to assist those making informed decisions about our oceans.
“We're extremely excited about the launch of this innovative new organization,” says Dr. Tom Traves, President of Dalhousie University, one of the partners in the HMRI. “A collaborative activity like this truly represents the future of marine research and innovation.”
The Scientific Director for the Institute is Doug Wallace, who is Dalhousie University's first Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Ocean Science and Technology. Dr. Wallace has made significant scientific contributions throughout his career to date, including through his participation in the third round of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and through his work for the US Department of Energy, where he developed a survey detailing new observations of sequestering atmospheric carbon emissions in the ocean.
The HMRI will also co-ordinate international projects like the $150-million Ocean Tracking Network and The Lloyd’s Register Educational Trust (UK) Chair in Modeling and Prediction of Marine Environmental Extremes.
The organization is building partnerships that will improve marine research and translate it into sustainable economic opportunity and sound environmental stewardship. The initiative builds on the ideas and collaborative efforts of Acadia University, Cape Breton University, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Nova Scotia Community College, University of New Brunswick; University of Prince Edward Island; Department of Fisheries and Oceans – Maritimes Region; Defence Research and Development Canada – Atlantic; Environment Canada – Atmospheric Science and Technology; National Research Council of Canada – Institute for Marine Biosciences; Natural Resources Canada - Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic); Irving Shipbuilding Incorporated; Metocean; Ocean Nutrition CANADA; Satlantic; Ultra Electronics and Vemco. The HMRI plans to expand to include other partners from private industry, universities, government agencies and non-governmental organizations.
By acting as scientific solution leaders and research partners to private industry and policy makers, the HMRI will contribute to world-class science and will help build a stronger, more robust commercial sector in ocean products as well as in marine governance, science and technology. The HMRI will be able to connect global, national and regional companies with talent, expertise and infrastructure, including world-class facilities such as Dalhousie’s Aquatron Laboratory and research centers and programs such as the Marine & Environmental Law Institute, the Marine Affairs Program and the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies. The organization will also work to source and coordinate scholarships, internships and fellowships to increase the supply of highly-qualified people working in oceans industries, helping to build an ever-stronger oceans community.
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