Bedford Institute of Oceanography

The Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) is a major Government of Canada ocean research facility located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. BIO is the largest ocean research station in Canada. Established in 1962 as Canada's first, and currently largest, federal centre for oceanographic research, BIO derives its name from the Bedford Basin, an inland bay comprising the northern part of Halifax Harbour, upon which it is located.

Spread out over 40 acres (160,000 m²) of a former Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) property near Shannon Park in Dartmouth, BIO consists of a series of interconnected buildings housing research labs and offices, as well as docks for Canadian Coast Guard and RCN research vessels.

As the federal government seeks to concentrate its operations in the Halifax Regional Municipality, BIO is being considered for additional office buildings to house other non-oceanographic and non-research organizations and their employees. As such, new buildings have been built for the Canadian Coast Guard as well as Environment Canada in recent years.

Current operations

BIO houses several organizations from various federal departments which perform targeted research mandated by government or in partnership, advise on marine environments, provide navigational charts covering Georges Bank to the Canadian Arctic, and respond to environmental emergencies.

Federal departments and agencies

The following departments and agencies of the Government of Canada maintain facilities at BIO:

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Maritime Region)
  • Canadian Coast Guard (Maritime Region)
  • Canadian Hydrographic Service (Atlantic)

• Natural Resources Canada (Atlantic Region)
  • Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic)

• Environment Canada

• National Defence
  • Working with CHS Atlantic.

• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
  • Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Facilities

In addition to office and research space, BIO has extensive laboratories, particularly for performing research into aquatic species. Tours of BIO are offered for visitors during the summer months and a popular tour destination are some of the large aquariums and tanks used for research. There are also "touch tanks" in a facility called the Sea Pavilion where visitors are permitted to handle North Atlantic Lobster, Snow Crabs, Rock Crabs, Clams (also known as Pea Clams), Sea Urchins, Sea Cucumbers, and other species. Some tanks are transparent and allow visitors to view giant mackerel and sturgeon as well as other rare and interesting specimens such as a lobster that is half male and half female. The Sea Pavilion contains information concerning Leatherback Sea Turtles, Atlantic Whitefish, Northern Right Whales, sharks, Lake Whitefish, Largemouth Bass, Brook Trout, Atlantic Wolffish, and Atlantic Pickerel. There are also displays featuring protected areas such as Sable Island and The Gully and special interest areas such as Halifax Harbour and the Bay of Fundy.

External links

• Institute of Oceanography
• http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=4261&pid=0 Van Steenburgh and Polaris Buildings, Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings, at The Bedford Institute of Oceanography]