Fundy Discovery Aquarium

40 Pages·2011·25.02 MB·English

Page 2 Huntsman Marine Science Centre
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Huntsman Marine Science Centre Page 3
The Huntsman Marine Science Centre
The Huntsman Marine Science Centre, located in St.
Andrews, is a not-for-profit facility that opened in 1969.
In 1972, a public aquarium was added, and this small
building lasted until 2010, when it was torn down to
make way for the Fundy Discovery Aquarium, which
opened to the public on September 1, 2011.
The Huntsman, however, is more than just an aquar-
ium. At its core is education and research. Schools,
universities and other groups can visit and study for the
day, or stay on the upper campus, with accommodation
available for up to 100 people. Food is also prepared on
campus, and the lower campus, where the aquarium is
situated, also houses a number of labs for the students
to utilize.
Students take many field trips, and often study on
board the Huntsman’s research vessel, the Fundy The Atlantic Reference Centre’s Dr. Gerhad Pohle.
Spray, which is also used frequently by industry part-
ners for a variety of research projects in the Bay of try partners for their own marine-related research.
Fundy. The Atlantic Reference Centre (ARC) is also a part
The Huntsman’s education department partners with of the Huntsman, and is a collaboration with the St.
School District 10 for the Grade 6 Ocean Discovery pro- Andrews Biological Station. There, a museum of
gram, which forms a part of the school curriculum. North Atlantic species is kept, and staff members
Each summer, the Huntsman runs programs for stu- there carry out many studies, including species iden-
dents, adults and teachers. tification for different partners from the private and
Also on the lower campus are a mixture of research public sectors. The ARC was also involved in the
labs and buildings, some of which house Huntsman 10-year-long worldwide Census of Marine Life project
projects, with others being rented out to other indus- that ended last year.
Page 4 Huntsman Marine Science Centre
The aquarium - a year of big changes
The new, $8-million aquarium took around a year to build. It
was determined that the Huntsman needed to grow, and a new
aquarium was required.
The aquarium is a part of a $20 million renewal project that has
seen upgrades to buildings, a new water system, a research vessel,
research facilities and other improvements made to the entire
campus. The governments of Canada and New Brunswick each
contributed $2.5 million for the aquarium portion of the project,
which meant that the Huntsman had to raise the remaining $3
million itself.
While fund-raising efforts are still ongoing, many foundations,
businesses and individuals contributed to the successful opening
of the new building.
Local and regional businesses were heavily involved in the
construction process, while some specific expertise on aquarium
construction needed to be sought further afield.
The building was designed by Comeau MacKenzie Architecture,
with renowned aquarium designer Bobby Poole overseeing the
aquarium content of the building. Poole had previously worked
on aquariums in New England, Virginia, Baltimore, Alaska, Japan
and many others.
The Canadian climate provided some challenges, as construction
took place in all weathers in order to open in summer 2011 with-
out missing a tourist season. And on September 1, it did open, The two-storey tidal tank is so large it had to be lowered into place
with one of the busiest weekends on record as members of the before the roof was put on the new building.
public flocked to St. Andrews to see the results.
Huntsman Marine Science Centre Page 5
Huntsman aids economic engine
The ocean is a key economic driver for the Province of New
Brunswick. With over 5,500 kilometres of coastline, it generates in
excess of $1 billion in annual revenues from sectors such fisher-
ies, farming (aquaculture), and transportation . The Bay is a truly
spectacular resource, and 41 per cent of the visitors to the Fundy
Region report that the natural scenery was the factor most en-
joyed during their visit. Simply put, with over 50 million people
living within a day’s drive from St. Andrews, there is an enormous
audience for New Brunswick’s ocean biodiversity story.
The Huntsman (huntsmanmarine.ca) is a registered, private, not-
for-profit, research and science-based teaching institution located
in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick. It was established in 1969 by a
consortium of universities, government departments and pri-
vate sector interests and has been an active steward of the ocean
resource by finding ways to educate Canadians about the oceans
for the past 40 years. An aerial view of the new Fundy Discovery Aquarium.
The education programs of the Huntsman have been pioneering;
knowledge-based activities that have influenced the develop- Aquarium provides public access to the activities of Huntsman
ment of highly qualified personnel in the marine sciences and the and represents a transformational event in the life of the organiza-
oceans industry sector of the Canadian economy. The school pro- tion.
grams have welcomed more than 35,000 students —ranging from The new fixed assets have created a concurrent sense of renewed
elementary school age to university graduate level. For many, it is capacity which in turn has led to bold initiatives in the mission of
their first introduction to the Canadian Atlantic region. Education, Research and Innovation. The Huntsman is now in a
The Huntsman has also welcomed more than 700,000 members of position to take full advantage of the opportunities and challenges
the general public through the operation of its aquarium facility, that lay ahead with the ocean agenda. We have begun a new
informing visitors to the region about Canada’s east coast marine strategic planning exercise designed to identify where these new
ecology and marine based economy. The new Fundy Discovery paths will take the organization.
Page 6 Huntsman Marine Science Centre
While some of the
rock work at the new
aquarium is real, other
portions of the habitat
were specially created,
such as the Bay of
Fundy Fishes tank, left.
Some was created by
a specialty company in
California, while other
tank interiors were
crafted locally by John
Anderson.
Huntsman Marine Science Centre Page 7
Seals, screens and sweatshirts
Loki was born at the old aquarium in 1993, and his son, Snor-
kel, was born in London, Ontario, in 2006. Both returned to the
Huntsman three years ago after the passing of the popular Buddy
and Chelsea. The seals are trained, and fed at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
daily. The show can be viewed from one of two decks, or from
inside, as speakers convey the trainers’ informational talk. The
balcony has a spectacular view of the St. Croix River and into
Maine.
The seals are also visible from the lower gallery, and love to in-
teract with visitors. On this level are several DFO exhibits, touch
screens, movies and, of course, tanks.
Always popular is the collection of rare lobsters. With two 22 lb.
crustaceans (Big Dee-Dee and Tiny), a yellow lobster (Fiona),
blue lobster (Lily) and calico (Pumpkin), the aquarium has be-
come the lobster capital of the aquarium world. The Bay of Fundy The gift shop, above,
Fishes tank, complete with large sturgeon, dogfish, salmon, cod, carries a variety
halibut and other local species, has three large viewing windows. of marine-related
The aquarium also includes a gift shop that carries a variety of products, and a
merchandise, including clothing, toys, books, DVDs and jewel- cash counter with
lery. There is no admission charge to just visit the gift shop, mak- a difference (right),
ing it an ideal destination for holiday shopping for something a shaped like a wolffish.
little different.
Opening hours and admission prices can be found on the Hunts-
man’s website at www.huntsmanmarine.ca
chandler sales huntsman cmyk 2011.indd 1 11/29/2011 2:16:26 PM
Page 8 Huntsman Marine Science Centre
The aquarium is a favourite place for school
groups. Some classes simply come to enjoy the
facility. Others have a guided tour given by one
of the staff interpreters. Guided tours take in
the region of one to two hours.
Students from the many schools that stay on
the campus also have the opportunity to visit
the aquarium, where they can study creatures
in the touch pool, or the behaviours of the
seals.
The new aquarium also includes a wet-lab, so that
students can carry out experiments or look at Bay of
Fundy plankton under the microscopes. The wetlab also
includes a SMART board, for teaching purposes, and
organisms can be shown on the big screen by the
Huntsman’s teaching staff. The entire aquarium,
including the lab, has a fast wireless internet connection,
and the technology in the building also makes it possible
for students to connect to their own school, or have
guest speakers beamed in live. Schools from across the
continent come to stay at the Huntsman for field courses.
Huntsman Marine Science Centre Page 9
Big changes
‘up the hill’
In the not too distant past, it was only students that stayed on the
Huntsman’s upper campus. This ranged from overnight Grade 6
students to UNBSJ classes that spend the entire semester here.
However, last winter, major upgrades were undertaken at
Anderson House, the old building with an amazing view of
Passamaquoddy Bay. The $1 million renovations saw the
conversion of rooms in the building to the construc-
tion of an
annex with queen beds and en suite bathrooms.
And the facility still has its food services, to cater to
students and Lobster Academy attendees, and also to
cater events at the aquarium.
The changes were made to accommodate the Lobster
Academy, which is now one of the Huntsman’s
partners. The academy brings buyers of lobsters from
around the world to St. Andrews to learn about the
lobster industry, biology and cooking. They stay at
Anderson House, visit Deer Island, take a trip on a
lobster vessel, learn about the lobster industry and
lobster biology in the aquarium theatre, and view
food demonstrations in the aquarium’s test kitchen.
Page 10 Huntsman Marine Science Centre
A boardroom with a difference
The test kitchen is in the new multi-purpose boardroom, named It can be rented out for different periods of time throughout the
the Paturel Room. year, even at times when the aquarium is not open. For more
With moveable tables that can configure from U-shape to class- information on the multi-purpose room, contact Marlene Chase
room format to one huge table in seconds, the room is adaptable at [phone], or [email protected]
and can be hired out for a variety of functions. It features a screen,
so that those in the room can follow
what is happening in the kitchen
from an overhead camera, projector
and screen, wireless internet, many
plug-ins for laptops, and an array of
technology for guest speakers and
teleconferencing.
Possibly the highlight is the large
“window” that is a part of the seal
habitat, meaning that every once
in a while, Snorkel or Loki takes a
peek in to see what is going on. It
certainly adds a new dimension to
board meetings and seminars!
To date, the room, which has a
capacity of 28, has been used for
university seminars, birthday par-
ties, the Lobster Academy, school
meetings, to cater for a private func-
tion, and for several other events.
Supporting our Community
Congratulations to the Huntsman Marine
Science Centre, on the opening of
the Fundy Discovery Aquarium.
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