Bonne Bay Marine Station

Last updated
Bonne Bay Marine Station Bonnebaymarinestation.jpg
Bonne Bay Marine Station

Bonne Bay Marine Station is a marine ecology research and teaching facility on Bonne Bay along Newfoundland's west coast. It offers services to students, researchers, educators and the general public. The station is within Gros Morne National Park, a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site. The aquarium portion of the facility is open to visitors. Interactive aquariums tours are provided to walk-ins, as well as school and community groups. The tour offers exhibits the latest research while showcasing marine flora and fauna in the station's aquaria and touch tank. Officially opened on 6 Sept, 2002, the Bonne Bay Marine Station is operated by Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Gros Morne Co-operating Association. Funding was provided by Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Government.

Contents

Mandate

Facility

Research

The Bonne Bay Marine Station provides oceanographers, biologists and other scientists with a facility for marine ecosystem research. The Bonne Bay area accesses biodiversity in icy fjords basins, salmon estuaries, Arctic kelp beds, salt marshes and the open Gulf of St. Lawrence. Resident populations of offshore animals and Arctic species are easily accessible. [1]

Current projects

The Bonne Bay Marine Station promotes multi-disciplinary research collaboration between scientists, industry, government agencies and community organizations. Areas of interest include oceanography, marine ecology/biology and aquaculture. Ongoing research includes:

The Station's facilities and support services are available to researchers who wish to undertake research.

Education

Semester by the Sea

Five undergraduate field courses in Marine Biology are offered at the Bonne Bay Marine Station during the spring/summer semester, with additional courses being offered during the fall/winter semesters. Two graduate field courses are available and additionally arrangements are often made for other graduate courses in Bonne Bay.

Undergraduate

Biology 3709 - Marine Principles and Techniques Biology 3714 - Estuarine Fish Ecology Biology 4014 - Biology of Boreal and Arctic Seaweeds Biology 4710 - Experimental Marine Ecology of Newfoundland Waters Biology 4912 - Marine Mammals

Fall/Winter Courses Biology 3709 - Marine Principles and Techniques Biology 4810 - Marine Research Field Course

Graduate

Biology 7535 - Research Methods in Marine Science Techniques

Biology 6110 - Advanced Phycology

Public programing

Through a public education program, visitors, school groups, and community groups may observe marine flora and fauna in the stations aquaria, and learn about the latest research. Guided tours are provided by Marine Education Interpreters, Discovery Tours of Bonne Bay are offered in partnership with the local boat tour operators, and Sea Kayaking for Nature Lovers tour with Marine Education Interpreters are available throughout the summer season.

History

30 years ago the Bonne Bay Marine Station was a small field station of Memorial University. The original station was a 2-storey house. The top floor had a small kitchen, a living room and three small bedrooms. The main floor had two larger rooms that were converted into labs and a small bathroom that was converted into a chemical lab where radioactive work and the chemical work was performed. It had a full basement, and there was an old fish store as a second building. [2]

Dr. Bob Hooper first visited the Bonne Bay area then and was taken with its breathtaking beauty, amazing marine biodiversity, and potential as a prime location for teaching and research. He helped convert this outport house with a fishing store into a marine teaching and research facility. [3]

Summer teaching activities began in 1979 with a single two week program. By 2001 seven, two week academic programs were running from mid April to September. The student demand for courses, and high level of research interest, often exceeded the available space. In addition, local visitors and summer tourists were frequently "dropping in" to view the aquarium, and learn about the latest research ventures. The existing station could no longer accommodate the needs for the facility. A new teaching and research facility plan was developed.

The official opening of the new Bonne Bay Marine Station occurred September 6, 2002. Built on the site of the old station this $3.2 million facility was funded by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency; the Gros Morne Co-operating Association; the Department of Industry, Trade and Rural Development, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador; and Memorial University. [3]

CURRA

The Community-University Research for Recovery Alliance (CURRA) is a 5-year research program centered at Bonne Bay Marine Station. This program of innovative, interdisciplinary research projects is helping communities and organizations along Newfoundland's west coast develop strategies for the recovery of fish stocks and fishery communities.

The CURRA brings together researchers from the social and natural sciences and fine arts at Memorial University in St. John's and Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in Corner Brook in working partnerships with numerous stakeholders and community organizations.

The long-term objectives of the CURRA include promoting community engagement with the Station, promoting and diversifying the research community affiliated with the Station and training researchers in collaborative, community-based research approaches. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monterey Bay Aquarium</span> Nonprofit public aquarium in Monterey, California, United States

Monterey Bay Aquarium is a nonprofit public aquarium in Monterey, California. Known for its regional focus on the marine habitats of Monterey Bay, it was the first to exhibit a living kelp forest when it opened in October 1984. Its biologists have pioneered the animal husbandry of jellyfish and it was the first to successfully care for and display a great white shark. The organization's research and conservation efforts also focus on sea otters, various birds, and tunas. Seafood Watch, a sustainable seafood advisory list published by the aquarium beginning in 1999, has influenced the discussion surrounding sustainable seafood. The aquarium is the home of the current oldest living sea otter, Rosa, and the birthplace of Otter 841.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gros Morne National Park</span> National Park on the west coast of Newfoundland

Gros Morne National Park is a Canadian national park and World Heritage Site located on the west coast of Newfoundland. At 1,805 km2 (697 sq mi), it is the second largest national park in Atlantic Canada after Torngat Mountains National Park, which has an area of 9,700 km2 (3,700 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memorial University of Newfoundland</span> Public university in Newfoundland, Canada

Memorial University of Newfoundland, also known as Memorial University or MUN, is a public research university in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John's, with satellite campuses in Corner Brook, elsewhere in Newfoundland and in Labrador, Saint Pierre, and Harlow, England. Memorial University offers certificate, diploma, undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate programs, as well as online courses and degrees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine Biological Laboratory</span> Research institution in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States

The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is an international center for research and education in biological and environmental science. Founded in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, in 1888, the MBL is a private, nonprofit institution that was independent for most of its history, but became officially affiliated with the University of Chicago on July 1, 2013. It also collaborates with numerous other institutions.

<i>Macrocystis</i> Genus of large brown algae

Macrocystis is a monospecific genus of kelp with all species now synonymous with Macrocystis pyrifera. It is commonly known as giant kelp or bladder kelp. This genus contains the largest of all the Phaeophyceae or brown algae. Macrocystis has pneumatocysts at the base of its blades. Sporophytes are perennial and the individual may live for up to three years; stipes/fronds within a whole individual undergo senescence, where each frond may persist for approximately 100 days. The genus is found widely in subtropical, temperate, and sub-Antarctic oceans of the Southern Hemisphere and in the northeast Pacific from Baja California to Sitka, Alaska. Macrocystis is often a major component of temperate kelp forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mote Marine Laboratory</span> Non-profit organisation in the USA

Mote Marine Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit, marine research organization based on City Island in Sarasota, Florida, with additional campuses in eastern Sarasota County, Boca Grande, Florida, and the Florida Keys. Founded in 1955 by Eugenie Clark in Placida, Florida, it was known as the Cape Haze Marine Laboratory until 1967. The laboratory aims to advance marine science and education, supporting conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. A public aquarium and associated education program interpret its research for the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oregon Coast Community College</span>

Oregon Coast Community College (OCCC) is a public community college in Newport, Oregon. OCCC serves students in Lincoln County and has approximately 2,000 students and a faculty of 45 people. Of the 17 community colleges in Oregon, only Klamath Community College is younger, and only Tillamook Bay Community College has fewer students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonne Bay</span> Bay in Newfoundland, Canada

Bonne Bay is a bay in Newfoundland, Canada. It is located on the western coast of Newfoundland and separates the Great Northern Peninsula from the rest of the island. It is a part of Gros Morne National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tjärnö Marine Biological Laboratory</span> Swedish marine science station

The Tjärnö Marine Laboratory is a marine science field station in Sweden. It is part of the University of Gothenburg and located on the island Tjärnö, Strömstad Municipality in the northern part of Bohuslän province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norris Point</span> Town in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Norris Point is a community in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oregon Institute of Marine Biology</span>

The Oregon Institute of Marine Biology is the marine station of the University of Oregon. This 100-acre (0.40 km2) marine station is located in Charleston, Oregon at the mouth of Coos Bay. Currently, OIMB is home to several permanent faculty members and a number of graduate students. OIMB is a member of the National Association of Marine Laboratories (NAML). In addition to graduate research, undergraduate classes are offered year round, including marine birds and mammals, estuarine biology, marine ecology, invertebrate zoology, molecular biology, biology of fishes, biological oceanography, and embryology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish Association for Marine Science</span> Scottish oceanographic society and research organization

The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) is one of Europe's leading marine science research organisations, one of the oldest oceanographic organisations in the world and is Scotland's largest and oldest independent marine science organisation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hatfield Marine Science Center</span> Marine science research and education center in Oregon

The Hatfield Marine Science Center(HMSC) is a marine science research and education center next to Yaquina Bay of the Pacific Ocean in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is operated by Oregon State University in cooperation with five state and federal agencies co-located on site. Named after Mark Hatfield, a former U.S. Senator from Oregon, the HMSC occupies a 49-acre (20 ha) site in Newport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia Institute of Marine Science</span> Marine research and education center in Virginia, US

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) is one of the largest marine research and education centers in the United States. Founded in 1940, VIMS is unique among marine science institutions in its legal mandate to provide research, education, and advisory services to government, citizens, and industry. Funding for VIMS comes from the Commonwealth of Virginia, grants and contracts from federal and state agencies, and private giving. The School of Marine Science (SMS) at VIMS is the graduate school in marine science for the College of William & Mary. VIMS offers M.S., Ph.D., and professional M.A. degrees in marine science. The school has 52 faculty members, an enrollment of 80-100 students, and includes 4 academic departments. VIMS' main campus is located in Gloucester Point, Virginia.

Wiltondale is a settlement on western Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is located at the intersection between Route 430 and Route 431.

The Huntsman Marine Science Centre is located on Lower Campus Road in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada. The centre is a membership-driven, nonprofit organization founded by a consortium of universities with the support of the National Research Council of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the New Brunswick Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. Mr. Chris Bridger is the executive director; Dr. W.B. Scott is senior scientist emeritus. It is named in honor of Archibald Gowanlock Huntsman, director of the St. Andrews Biological Station that adjoins the centre, who stimulated fishery research in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquaculture of coral</span> Cultivation of coral for commercial purposes

Coral aquaculture, also known as coral farming or coral gardening, is the cultivation of corals for commercial purposes or coral reef restoration. Aquaculture is showing promise as a tool for restoring coral reefs, which are dying off around the world. The process protects young corals while they are most at risk of dying. Small corals are propagated in nurseries and then replanted on the reef.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquaculture of giant kelp</span> Cultivation of seaweed

Aquaculture of giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, is the cultivation of kelp for uses such as food, dietary supplements or potash. Giant kelp contains iodine, potassium, other minerals vitamins and carbohydrates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep Bay Marine Field Station</span> Research facility in British Columbia

The Deep Bay Marine Field Station is a marine biological research facility operated by Vancouver Island University's Centre for Shellfish Research. It is located at Deep Bay, British Columbia on Vancouver Island, off the waters of Baynes Sound, 78 kilometres (48 mi) north-west of the main university campus at Nanaimo, British Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nord University</span>

Nord University is a state university in the Nordland and Trøndelag counties of Norway. The university has 11,000 students at study locations in Northern and Central Norway, with main campuses in Bodø, the capital of the county of Nordland, and Levanger, a university town located on the south shore of the Trondheim Fjord. Further campuses are located in Mo i Rana, Namsos, Nesna, Sandnessjøen, Steinkjer, Stjørdal, and Vesterålen.

References

  1. ↑ "Bonne Bay Marine Station - Research Opportunities". Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2010-12-03.
  2. ↑ "Oral Histories of the BBMS" (PDF). The Western Shorefast. 2010. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  3. 1 2 "Bonne Bay Marine Station - History". Archived from the original on 2010-06-01. Retrieved 2010-12-03.
  4. ↑ "CURRA - About Us". curra.ca.

49°31′03″N57°52′36″W / 49.517501°N 57.876536°W / 49.517501; -57.876536

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.