Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Moncton, New Brunswick
What the facility does

Science activities related to fish populations, shellfish aquaculture, aquatic animal health, freshwater and coastal ecology, marine mammals, oceanography and ocean literacy in support of fisheries and ocean management

Areas of expertise

The Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre (ASEC) (Gulf Fisheries Centre) is currently focused on mandated science activities under the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and is developing comprehensive partnerships to create a multi‐disciplinary research institute that will be focused on providing science-based solutions that conserve and protect Canada’s freshwater and coastal ecosystems. The ASEC has the potential to assist coastal Canada to understand, adapt and be resilient in a changing world.

Our science expertise encompasses biology, genetics, stock assessment, aquaculture, oceanography, and aquatic animal health. Our research and monitoring activities occur mostly in the Southern Gulf of St-Lawrence and associated river drainage basins. A core area is Atlantic salmon science, diagnostic testing for aquatic animal pathogens, eDNA and modelling. New programs include freshwater habitat effectiveness science and North Atlantic Right Whale monitoring.

The laboratories are located primarily in Moncton, New Brunswick, housing fish biological and genetic labs, with a year-round Miramichi River Research Field Station, and a unique Aquatic Containment Level 3 (AQC3) biocontainment laboratory in Charlottetown

This is one of three DFO ISO certified aquatic animal health labs.

We also have a substantial at-sea field component relying mainly on two dedicated science vessels within the Canadian Coast Guard (Perley, Teleost), and special commercial charter for world-class snow crab monitoring program, plus many other smaller boats. Other at-sea field activities include whale surveillance using aircraft and underwater equipment.

Research services
  • Fish field monitoring and population assessment
  • Fish pathogen diagnostics – molecular, cell culture and histology
  • Fish population modelling
  • Oceanographic, coastal and freshwater physical-biochemical monitoring and modelling
  • Assessment of aquatic habitat conservation effectiveness
Sectors of application
  • Aerospace and satellites
  • Agriculture, animal science and food
  • Education
  • Environmental technologies and related services
  • Fisheries and aquaculture
  • Ocean industries

Specialized lab

Equipment

Function

 

Multi-Electronic Automatic Oceanographic Buoy 

Model : AZMP-ESG

Viking oceanographic buoy that measure atmospheric and ocean parameters at high frequency and transmit the data in real time

 

Real-time PCR System Quantstudio 12
Manufacturer: Applied Biosystems
Model: QuantStudio 12l Flex Real-time PCR

A real-time PCR platform with interchangeable blocks,  allowing the process of 96, or 384 wells plates, TaqMan Array cards, which can be ordered in multiple formats (samples x assays), and OpenArrays which are further increasing the capacity.

 

Sonar
ARIS 1.8 and 1.1 MHz
Manufacturer: Ocean Marine Industries Inc.
Model: Explorer 1800

ARIS (Adaptive Resolution Imaging Sonar) is a short range high resolution fish detection underwater camera

 

Steam Sterilizer
Manufacturer: Steris          
Model: SV-160H

This medium sized autoclave uses pressure and steam to reach and maintain a temperature that is too high for any microorganisms or their spores to live. Used to sterilize instruments, media and reagents, as well as laboratory waste prior to disposal.

Gulf Biocontainment Unit

Live finfish, shellfish and crustacean holding units 

High-level aquatic containment facility (level 3) with aquaria tanks for fish and shellfish that conducts research with infectious disease agents of fish exotic or with limited distribution in Canada in vivo

National Aquatic Animal Health Program laboratory

PCR (Bio-Rad qPCR) machines

Conducts diagnostics and research (regulatory and non-regulatory activities) associated with infectious agents that cause diseases of fish and shellfish. A variety of techniques and equipment utilized to support, fish dissection, molecular, histological and culture based methodologies as well as forensics and environmental eDNA tool development and testing.

National Aquatic Animal Health Program laboratory

Liquid robotic handling robots

 

National Aquatic Animal Health Program laboratory

Biocontainment and chemical hoods

 

National Aquatic Animal Health Program laboratory Light microscopes  

National Aquatic Animal Health Program laboratory

Various sized centrifuges

Refrigerated and non-refrigerated

National Aquatic Animal Health Program laboratory

Incubators

 

National Aquatic Animal Health Program laboratory

Lyophilizer

 

National Aquatic Animal Health Program laboratory

Ultralow freezers (with CO2 backup)

 

National Aquatic Animal Health Program laboratory

Slide strainers

 

Portable Labs

A mobile lab equipped with small flow through aquaria

A mobile unit that can be installed on wharves to conduct flow through live shellfish research within the ecosystem of inquiry

Oceanographic equipment

Seabrid Microcats with O2 sensor and/or ph sensors

Equipment deployed to measure marine environmental variables

Oceanographic equipment

Acoustic Doppler Current profiler (ADCP), 1200 KHz

Equipment deployed for hydrodynamic profiling

Oceanographic equipment

Salinometer (autosal by Guildline Instruments)

Equipment deployed for salinity profiling

Oceanographic equipment

Autonomous monitoring buoy

Coastal water quality monitoring buoy equipped with multi-parameter probe, solar power and cellular or satellite data transmission

  • Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • National Research Council
  • Canadian Food Inspection Agency
  • Canadian Space Agency
  • Transport Canada
  • Agriculture and Agrifood Canada

Title

URL

Driving Innovation: Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov3ZQcHoC5Q

Aquaculture Research: Shedding light on the effects of oyster farming

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwPMrO3jcRQ

Aquatic Animal Health Gulf Biocontainment Unit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSgnIhFiVxs

Women of science in the Gulf Region

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p42FQNKdvvw

Science at the Frontline: Regulatory Diagnostic Testing for Aquatic Animal Health in Canada

http://science.gc.ca/eic/site/063.nsf/eng/h_0CCBB723.html