Grant: Major Facilities Access Grants

The Ocean Sciences Centre (OSC) is a university-affiliated, major resource for marine research on the open Atlantic coast and is one of Canada's largest marine laboratories. By virtue of its location, the OSC provides Canadian scientists access to the flora and fauna of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean and is uniquely suited for shore-based studies of cold-ocean processes and sub-Arctic, Arctic and deep-sea organisms. The facility provides all the necessary elements to conduct first-rate marine science, including high quality seawater, equipment to collect and maintain aquatic organisms, boats and vehicles to access field sites, laboratory space with running seawater, cutting-edge analytical and molecular biological instruments, and support staff. The OSC is a unit of the Faculty of Science, Memorial University, with 15 research faculty (including an active emeritus), 71 graduate students, 3 post-doctoral fellows, 17 grant supported research assistants/technicians and 26 core support staff. Over the past six years, use by scientists and students from Canada and abroad has more than doubled to a total of over 200 external major and minor users. In addition, there are several private sector partners who utilise this major resource to tackle problems in cold ocean aquaculture. The primary research programs of our users are oceanography and marine ecology, aquaculture and fisheries, and the underlying physiological, biochemical, evolutionary, genomics and behavioural processes of marine organisms. Funds requested here are to facilitate access to the OSC by internal and external users and to maintain common-use equipment and space, thus allowing the OSC to remain a global centre of cold- ocean marine research. Support is required for highly qualified staff with expertise in areas of common-use demand, including analytical chemistry and biochemistry, marine molecular biology, oceanography and field services, computing technology, delivery of salt and fresh water, and animal husbandry and health. The funds are also necessary to provide ca. 3% of the annual maintenance and operation budget, with the sole focus of maintaining accessibility and keeping this unique resource in a state of readiness for users.