Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Human population growth is taking an unprecedented toll on the environment and the planet's ability to provide sustenance. Projections indicate a massive global food shortage in the next 50 years, particularly for animal protein. The global fisheries provide an affordable source of animal protein for billions of people and also contribute to the livelihood of hundreds of millions of people. However, these industries are facing unprecedented challenges as they work to feed an ever-growing global population. Many fisheries have been exploited to the point of collapse, with their recoveries hindered by a complex suite of genetic and ecological factors. Even healthy fisheries face an uncertain future as they are forced to adapt to a rapidly changing climate. Our lack of scientific understanding of ecosystem adaptations and how to manage and maintain healthy environments is the major hurdle to developing effective policy around our water and natural resources, and ultimately at ensuring our fisheries can meet the global food gap. The requested research vessel will facilitate collaborative research programs addressing healthy environments and ecosystem adaptations at two universities. It will support projects aimed at understanding gene by environment interactions in real-time, competition and food web dynamics, mating behaviour, habitat utilization, and bioremediation across economically important fishes including salmonids and sturgeon. The vessel will help to train 9 graduate students and 3 postdoctoral fellows in the next 5 years. These personnel will become highly qualified and help to meet a major shortage in the cross-disciplinary area of science, resource management, and policy. Thus, our students will have employment opportunities in industry, government agencies, and within the academic sector. The co-PIs are both highly committed to student development, have strong collaborative training records, and provide an outstanding environment for research and training.