Pacific Science Enterprise Centre

The Pacific Science Enterprise Centre (PSEC) houses a suite of government, academic, First Nations, and other science practitioners in a collaborative environment designed to drive joint research work, incorporate traditional Aboriginal knowledge, and leverage the resources of multiple partners around shared goals and needs, and its oceanfront location makes it an ideal setting for aquatic research. The facility provides scientific advice on aquaculture and nutrition research, marine mammal conservation, aquatic biotechnology and risk evaluation, acoustic monitoring, and pollution toxicology.

The Centre currently serves researchers from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) investigating areas from kelp forest productivity, large mammal collision avoidance systems, oil spill preparedness to risk assessment of fish with novel traits; citizen science collaborations in areas including glass sponges, climate change impacts and ecosystem health. In addition, educational opportunities including a science academy with the West Vancouver School board, and an education team offering on-site or in classroom programs for grades 3 to 6 with hands-on aquatic experiments, and behind the scenes laboratory tours are also available. The facility offers a small-scale hatchery to allow rearing of various stocks in fresh or saltwater; an indoor and outdoor experimental aquarium to allow for experiments to be responsibly conducted on live fish, algae, macro-plankton and shellfish. There are three stable water sources (ground, creek and saltwater) to carry out aquatic biology experiments; Veterinary and aquarium services to support research and ensure responsible animal care; six wet laboratories supporting aquaculture, fish physiology, and genomics and numerous dry laboratories supporting advanced genetics, animal health, and acoustics.

One of our key collaborators, The Coastal Ocean Research Institute (an Ocean Wise initiative), has two programs working out of PSEC: the Ocean Pollution Research Program and the Marine Mammal Research Program’s Conservation Genetics Lab. DFO and Ocean Wise investigate impacts of contaminants on the health and reproduction of the Endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale population. The Ocean Pollution Research Program has a long-running marine mammal toxicology project that is documenting the very high PCB levels in killer whales and impacts on their health. The Conservation Genetics Lab works closely with DFO Science and uses DNA analysis to better understand the conservation implications of low abundance, population subdivision and dietary specialization in killer whales and other marine mammal species.