St. Andrews Biological Station
Encyclopedia
St. Andrews Biological Station (acronym: SABS; originally: Atlantic Biological Station) is located on Brandy Cove Road in St. Andrews, New Brunswick
, Canada. Along with the Huntsman Marine Science Centre
, the Atlantic Salmon Federation
, and New Brunswick Community College
/St. Andrew's, SABS is a part of a network of fisheries research and educational institutions in the area. In 1899, it began operations as a temporary, floating laboratory in St. Andrews, but was officially established as a permanent station in 1908. Operated by the Fisheries and Oceans Canada
, it is the country's first marine biological research station.
The current Director is Dr. Thomas W. Sephton. Dr. Robert Stephenson is the leader of its Gulf of Maine Section, while Dr. Peter Lawton, Director of the Centre for Marine Biodiversity, is a Research Scientist at SABS.
was the Curator from 1912 to 1921 and Director from 1921 until 1933. The main lab was destroyed by fire in 1932 and replaced the following year by a fireproof lab, part of the complex that houses the SABS' library. After establishing the first freshwater biological research station in Canada at Gimli, Manitoba
in 1929, the fisheries biologist Alexander Dimitrivitch Bajkov came to work at SABS in the 1930s. In 2009, a contract was awarded to construct a new wet laboratory
building through consolidation of existing buildings into one state of the art wet lab facility that will house the majority of marine life and research operations; completion is expected by June 2012.
. Minimal incubator spaces are available at SABS but they are available at the adjacent Huntsman Marine Science Centre. One of the labs studies Multi-trophic Aquaculture
, growing different species in the same containers.
The St. Andrews Biological Station Library contains the world’s largest collection of northwest Atlantic material. It has collections in the areas of aquaculture, environmental chemistry, environmental sciences, marine biology, ocean sciences, population ecology, and toxicology. Library resources are available on site to the public. Charlotte McAdam is the Head Librarian.
SABS publication is entitled "Environmental Science Research - St. Andrews Biological Station". The free monograph is published in both English and French.
St. Andrews, New Brunswick
St. Andrews is a Canadian town in Charlotte County, New Brunswick.It is sometimes referred to in tourism marketing by its unofficial nickname "St. Andrews-by-the-sea".-Geography:St...
, Canada. Along with the Huntsman Marine Science Centre
Huntsman Marine Science Centre
The Huntsman Marine Science Centre is located on Lower Campus Road in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada...
, the Atlantic Salmon Federation
Atlantic Salmon Federation
The Atlantic Salmon Federation is an international conservation organization established in 1948.The Federation is dedicated to the conservation, protection and restoration of wild Atlantic salmon and the ecosystems on which their well being and survival depend.ASF’s headquarters are in St...
, and New Brunswick Community College
New Brunswick Community College
The New Brunswick Community College is a community college. The enabling legislation is the New Brunswick Community Colleges Act ..-Campus:There are campuses in:#Miramichi,#Moncton,#Saint John,#St...
/St. Andrew's, SABS is a part of a network of fisheries research and educational institutions in the area. In 1899, it began operations as a temporary, floating laboratory in St. Andrews, but was officially established as a permanent station in 1908. Operated by the Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, frequently referred to as DFO , is the department within the government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in oceans and inland waters...
, it is the country's first marine biological research station.
The current Director is Dr. Thomas W. Sephton. Dr. Robert Stephenson is the leader of its Gulf of Maine Section, while Dr. Peter Lawton, Director of the Centre for Marine Biodiversity, is a Research Scientist at SABS.
History
In 1899, university professors from around Canada came to St. Andrews over the summer months to do field research work at Canada’s first marine biological station, which, at the time, was a floating scow. In 1908, permanent installations of the biological station were established with the main laboratory, a residence building, and an attic. There were long working tables, and storage area for materials and supplies. Dr. Archibald Gowanlock HuntsmanArchibald Gowanlock Huntsman
Archibald Gowanlock Huntsman was a Canadian academic, oceanographer, and fisheries biologist. He is best known for his research on Atlantic salmon and inventing the fast freezing of fish fillets in 1929....
was the Curator from 1912 to 1921 and Director from 1921 until 1933. The main lab was destroyed by fire in 1932 and replaced the following year by a fireproof lab, part of the complex that houses the SABS' library. After establishing the first freshwater biological research station in Canada at Gimli, Manitoba
Gimli, Manitoba
Gimli is a a rural municipality located in the Interlake region of south-central Manitoba, Canada, on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg. It is about north of the provincial capital Winnipeg...
in 1929, the fisheries biologist Alexander Dimitrivitch Bajkov came to work at SABS in the 1930s. In 2009, a contract was awarded to construct a new wet laboratory
Wet laboratory
Wet laboratories are laboratories where chemicals, drugs, or other material or biological matter are handled in liquid solutions or volatile phases, requiring direct ventilation, and specialized piped utilities...
building through consolidation of existing buildings into one state of the art wet lab facility that will house the majority of marine life and research operations; completion is expected by June 2012.
Services
The station's research includes aquaculture, oceanography, the sustainability of fisheries, stock assessments, aquatic environment, species at risk, and the biology of commercially harvested fish. SABS maintains a reservoir. It provides several services such as saltwater, freshwater and chemistry labs; quarantine water and marine fish rearing facilities; and electron microscopyElectron microscope
An electron microscope is a type of microscope that uses a beam of electrons to illuminate the specimen and produce a magnified image. Electron microscopes have a greater resolving power than a light-powered optical microscope, because electrons have wavelengths about 100,000 times shorter than...
. Minimal incubator spaces are available at SABS but they are available at the adjacent Huntsman Marine Science Centre. One of the labs studies Multi-trophic Aquaculture
Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture
Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture provides the by-products, including waste, from one aquatic species as inputs for another...
, growing different species in the same containers.
The St. Andrews Biological Station Library contains the world’s largest collection of northwest Atlantic material. It has collections in the areas of aquaculture, environmental chemistry, environmental sciences, marine biology, ocean sciences, population ecology, and toxicology. Library resources are available on site to the public. Charlotte McAdam is the Head Librarian.
SABS publication is entitled "Environmental Science Research - St. Andrews Biological Station". The free monograph is published in both English and French.