News & Events

The AQUA program hosts community panel discussion regarding a proposed oyster farm in Antigonish harbour

More than 250 community members from the Antigonish area attended the Tuesday 13 August 2019 Panel Discussion to learn more about a proposed Oyster Aquaculture operation to be located in Antigonish Harbour.  Several AQUA students attended and a special thank you to AQUA volunteers Brenna Martell and Aaron Cogger!

Panelists included:  

Dr. David Garbary: outlined the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture process to apply for and obtain permission to locate any aquaculture operation within the Province.

Mr. Ernie Porter from Town Point Consulting Inc.  - the Proponent.  Mr. Porter outlined the importance of aquaculture for rural NS communities, and he detailed his proposed aquaculture operation.

Friends of Antigonish Harbour, a local non-governmental organization (NGO).  Two representatives provided biological rationale, and economic arguments, against the establishment of an oyster aquaculture operation in Antigonish Harbour.

Dr. Tony Miller, StFX Biologist, presented information about the importance of the natural environment of Antigonish Harbour and many of the wild inhabitants.

Mr. Kerry Prosper, Mi'kmaq Elder and Knowledge Keeper at StFX, talked about changes that are coming, both due to global climate and to society. He stressed that working together may be the way forward and he hoped that where we see change that adaptation and cooperation would result.  

This type of community engagement is what StFX university is about.  In addition, the interdisciplinary nature of the topic - aquaculture, business, biology of the harbour and proposed sites, water currents and tides, economic development, societal concern,etc. - fits perfectly with the purpose of the AQUA Program.

Two AQUA Students Receive Major Research Awards

Brenna Martell and Megan Fraser will develop valuable academic and leadership skills, conducting research in fulfillment of their AQUA 400 Work Terms and with respect to their AQUA 450 Senior Research Projects, with StFX professors, as follows:

Irving Research Mentorships (The Frank McKenna Centre for Leadership)

Megan Fraser

Biology and Aquatic Resources; J. Williams (Biology).
 

The project focuses on Boat Harbour, Pictou County, NS; a body of water that has been receiving effluent from a nearby mill for ~ 50 years.  Megan will be conducting experiments designed to understand what types of marine grasses and small organisms might be able to live in the pre-industrial sediments of Boat Harbour once remediation of the site is complete.

RBC Foundation Research Awards (The Mulroney Institute of Government)

Brenna Martell

Aquatic Resources and Public Policy and Social Research Advising faculty member.

P. Kikkert, Irving Shipbuilding Research Chair, Mulroney Institute of Government, Public Policy and Governance.

Project title: Assessing Community-Based Capabilities for Oil Spill Response in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut.

As climate change increases maritime activity in the Canadian Arctic, a strong community-based oil spill response capability is essential. This project will examine the different policies, plans, and resources in place for oil spill response in the communities of the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut.

Each student was awarded a minimum of $6,250 to conduct research during the summer of 2019.  Both of these research project satisfy requirements for AQUA 400 Work Term/Internship.  Additionally, the research undertaken by these students will result in a senior research paper and a poster that will partially satisfy requirements for the AQUA 450 Capstone course/Senior Seminar.

Congratulations To All 2019 Aquatic Resources Graduates!

The May 2019 graduating class of Aquatic Resource major students is as diverse as always, including: 3 Honours students (M. Ragan: BSc Honours Anthropology and AQUA  +  M. Besaw and O. Pushie: BSc Honours Earth Sciences and AQUA), 4 BSc Biology and AQUA, 4 BA Public Policy and Social Research and AQUA, and 1 BA Economics and AQUA.

Several graduates will go on to Graduate School for Masters degrees at the University of Ottawa (Earth Sciences), StFX (Earth Sciences), and Dalhousie (Resource and Environmental Studies); while others will seek employment, apply for International Internships, etc.  Regardless of where they go, we wish them great success!

Congratulations To Mary Besaw And Olivia Pushie For Successfully Defending Their Bsc Honours Earth Sciences Undergraduate Theses

On Thursday 4 April 2019, both Mary and Olivia defended their respective theses:

Olivia Pushie:

K-feldspar Analysis of Niobium-Yttrium-Fluorine (NYF) Type Pegmatites 

Olivia will continue her eduation at StFX in a Master of Science (Earth Sciences) degree program.

Mary Besaw:                                       

Geochemical Characterization of K-feldspars from Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum Type Pegmatites

Mary will begin a Master of Science (Earth Sciences) at the University of Ottawa in 2019.    

Monica Ragan Successfully Defends Her BA Honours Anthropology With Subsidiary In Aquatic Resources Undergraduate Thesis (5 April 2019) Congratulations!

Monica will begin her Master's degree at Dalhousie University, in the School for Resource and Environmental Studies, in 2019.

September 2018: Meadow Green AQUA 100 River Restoration Field Trip

AQUA Student, Olivia Pushie, Receives UCR Award To Conduct Research For Her AQUA 400 Work Term/AQUA 450 Senior Project

Ms. Olivia Pushie, third from left, is a BSc Honours Earth Sciences and major Aquatic Resources student who received a StFX Student Research Award and University Council for Research (UCR) Award valued at $4,500. She will work with Dr. Alan Anderson on research centered around examining pegmatitic rocks important for critical metals typically used in lithium ion batteries, electronics, cellphones, etc.

“The research I plan on conducting will help us to understand the origin and processes involved in the formation of ore mineralization so that we can devise better models for future exploration. Being awarded the UCR Student Award opens so many doors for me academically. Not only will I be able to conduct and contribute valuable research to the field of earth sciences, but I will also be able to further my own knowledge in something I am very passionate about, mineral/resource exploration,” she says. 

The AQUA Listserve

Welcome to the ISARnews Listserver, a service provided by the Aquatic Resources Program of St. Francis Xavier University. This listserve is relevant to students in the Aquatic Resources Program and others with an interest in water. Subjects may include job postings, both summer and full time; interesting water-related news from global media sources; announcements about guest speakers on campus and in the community; and announcements about opportunities relevant to ISAR students, etc. 

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