NEW BRUNSWICK TEAM RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS NSERC SYNERGY AWARD

October, 2008
Halifax, NS - Successful university-industry partnerships are the focus of NSERC's annual Synergy Awards for Innovation, which were awarded recently in Halifax. The awards were established in 1995, and their value increased substantially this year, with each winner receiving a $200,000 research grant. Industry partners also received the prestigious Synergy sculpture.

This year one of the four prestigious NSERC Synergy Awards was presented to the Institute for Costal Marine Science (ICMS) lead researchers, Thierry Chopin of the University of New Brunswick and Shawn Robinson from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, for their 7 year research partnership on integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), with commercial partners Cooke Aquaculture and Acadian Seaplants.

IMTA pairs the cultivation of finfish and shellfish (which filter organic waste particles) with seaweeds (which absorb dissolved inorganic nutrients) at the same site. These specific combinations take advantage of each species' requirements for food and nutrients at the same site and have shown to lessen the environmental impact of the aquaculture industry as they strive to move towards developing sustainable practices. Reducing the stress on coastal environments through better aquaculture operations has garnered support from agencies like Greenpeace and SeaWeb. Cooke Aquaculture and Acadian Seaplants both have a long history of supporting advancement in science, and this award acknowledges that leadership.

New Brunswick is the second-largest aquaculture producer in Canada, with sales of value-added products totaling $360 million annually. New Brunswick and the Atlantic region, including maritime Québec, have a vibrant marine science and technology cluster.

For more information on this project, the award and the partners involved, please visit:
http://www.nserc.gc.ca/news/2008/p081018-UNB.htm
http://www.nserc.gc.ca/award_e.asp?nav=synergy&lbi=about
http://www.acoa.ca/e/media/press/press.shtml?3514
http://www.cookeaqua.com/index.php
http://www.unbsj.ca/sase/biology/chopinlab/

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