As part of $1.3 million in funding from the Collaboration for Atlantic Salmon Tomorrow (CAST), UNB has established a research chair to conduct innovative research projects aimed at curbing the alarming decline of Atlantic salmon stocks.
The investment by CAST, a partnership of scientists, environmental groups and industry participants focused on saving wild Atlantic salmon, has earmarked $500,000 for the creation of the research chair, while the remainder is focused on four research projects:
The Thermal Imaging Project will develop methods to understand how high water temperatures are affecting Atlantic salmon production and how to respond to these stressors.
The Smolt to Adult Supplementation Initiative is a conservation method where wild smolt, on their way to sea, are collected and grown to adults at the Miramichi Salmon Association’s South Esk hatchery with the intention that the mature fish are then released to their natal river to spawn.
The Population Modelling Project will create a common home for all salmon data, which will better support the research and work being done to protect Atlantic salmon. A data management system will be developed for all existing and future Atlantic salmon data in support of developing a comprehensive salmon management plan.
The Adaptive Resolution Imaging Sonar Project is developing an automated method for estimating the returning run of Atlantic salmon in certain sections of the Miramichi River.
These research projects, undertaken by scientists at UNB and the Canadian Rivers Institute, will allow for a greater understanding of how Atlantic salmon behave, what is threatening the stocks and what might be done to revive them. The work will focus on one of the great Atlantic salmon rivers of the world, New Brunswick’s Miramichi River, although the techniques developed and knowledge generated will be applicable across the species’ range.
The New Brunswick Health Research Foundation and Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. have invested a combined $1 million, over five years, to establish a Health Research Chair in Cannabis at UNB.
The cannabis health research chair – the first in pharmacological sciences – is a prime example of the university’s commitment to discovery. The chair will focus on the study of the biochemistry, medicinal use and pharmacology of cannabis.
Potential research areas for the chair include the analysis of existing cannabis literature in order to understand inconsistencies and identify needs for future research, the biochemistry and medicinal chemistry analyses of cannabis, and preclinical pharmacology studies.
This research will expand the university’s capacity to train, mentor and prepare undergraduate and graduate students to work effectively in botanical product research.
