Dive into ocean research at Dal’s Aquatron Community Day – Dal News

“Part of everyone wants to be David Attenborough,” says John Batt, who heads Dalhousie’s ocean research facility Aquatron, reminiscent of the muted natural historian who narrated the famous ocean documentary Blue Planet.

“That is the appeal of Aquatron Community Day. This is an opportunity to make that dream come true and spend time with researchers who are exploring our underwater world and bringing it to life in really exciting ways.”

Marking the 50^e anniversary of Dalhousie’s Aquatron, Canada’s largest university research facility for ocean research, the open house took place 11 May by 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM will bring together ocean researchers from across Dalhousie to share their work. Batt says the event is programmed with families in mind and will offer something for every ocean lover, from face painting and touch tanks to ocean glider demos and tours of the Aquatron, providing a compelling introduction to the world of ocean exploration.

Discover the latest in high-tech ocean monitoring.

With its global reputation, the Aquatron attracts scientists and students from all over the planet and from all fields to study and collaborate. Batt says the community day event will offer the public the opportunity to dive into conversations with researchers and students about their work and get the chance to experience it first-hand.

Sensitive

“We kind of follow the touchy-feely principle,” says Batt. “You know, kids love to touch things, so we’ll have oysters there, we’ll have seaweed there, we’ll have a touch tank. It becomes sensory fascinating, you can see it, hear it, touch it, feel it, smell it. It will touch your senses.”

Get up close and personal with ocean life.

The Aquatron consists of a series of specialized tanks with a combined volume of more than 2,000 m3³, and a wide variety of smaller tanks, research areas and equipment. It allows scientists to artificially create any ocean or freshwater environment, simulating temperatures, chemical composition and currents. It has been a temporary home for countless ocean species, from sea turtles and sharks to seahorses and a number of endangered species.

“When people ask what research we did at the Aquatron, I say it’s a shorter list to describe what we didn’t do,” Batt says. “People say, ‘Oh, I bet you’ve never had a robot there.’ I say, we call that Tuesday. In the middle of winter we turned it into the Great Barrier Reef, and in the summer we turned it into a semi-arctic environment. With this facility we can do almost anything to support marine scientists.”

Spectacular science showcase

Batt and ocean science students will lead attendees on tours of the expanse of the Aquatron and regale them with stories about the research that has taken place and continues to take place, including current work to save the Atlantic whitefish, a species on the brink of extinction. .

Dr. Paul Bentzen and John Batt at the edge of the Aquatron tank containing the endangered Atlantic Whitefish. (Danny Abriel photo)

“We will talk about our Atlantic whitefish project, where we have the largest population of Atlantic whitefish in the world. There are only two populations, the wild one in Petite Rivère and the one in the Aquatron,” says Batt, who works with researcher Dr. Paul Bentzen to breed them for an eventual release in October.

The event will also feature partners who use the Aquatron as a key part of their research programs, including the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, whose researchers are working with endangered species on the whitefish project. Parks Canada will also be represented and present a video presentation on their work with the Aquatron team to support wild salmon stocks and release the fish into the wild in Cape Breton.

Atlantic whitefish at home in the Aquatron.

“This is a great opportunity for people to come in and talk directly to researchers and ask them questions about endangered species and climate change, and to learn about shellfish, aquaculture, seaweed aquaculture and groundbreaking new things the industry is doing. It’s really exciting.”