Services and expertise provided by the Marine Research Station.
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360° video: Marine Research Station - Transcript
[On screen: Marine Research Station – Ketch Harbour, Nova-Scotia]
Welcome to the Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre's marine's research station, located in Ketch Harbour, Nova Scotia.
The BioFence photobioreactors are used to grow various types of microalgae to find the most robust and productive strains suited to different environments.
Important parameters for growth including light intensity and nutrient status are monitored on a daily basis to ensure the algae are growing under conditions as near to optimal as possible.
Our photobioreactors can also be used for research on mesocosms which are experimental systems used to model algal processes in the ocean.
Raw seawater is used to fill the mesocosms in order to understand how changes in various conditions, such as the water temperature and pH, influence the microbial communities that live in the marine environment.
The Brite-Box is an NRC patented algal photobioreactor ranging in size from 300 to 1000 litres.
Using these systems, our scientists can vary growth conditions, such as temperature, pH and light intensity, in addition to other parameters, in order to conduct carefully controlled growth experiments.
Either seawater or freshwater can be used with various media compositions to test the growth of a wide variety of microalgae strains.
Through these tests, we can optimize the growth of candidate strains for various commercial applications.
Algal photobioreactors come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
These photobioreactors are fitted with process control systems for advanced automation.
Wavelengths of light optimal for algae growth are provided by LEDs.
NRC researchers at Ketch Harbour have been growing microalgae, seaweed and other marine and freshwater organisms for over 50 years.
Over this period, our experts have isolated hundreds of new varieties of algae from various locations, which make up NRC's Algal Strain Library.
These strains are available to industrial clients and research collaborators under a variety of different licensing options.
Environmental growth chambers like the one pictured here provide optimal conditions of light intensity and spectrum, temperature, humidity and gas supply for the growth of microalgae.
Some of these chambers are used to conduct growth experiments at the scale of a shake-flask while others are used for long term storage of strains in NRC's Algal Library.
We're fully equipped for seaweed growth and production.
Our wet labs and tanks are used for cultivation and analysis of commercially relevant seaweeds for application ranging from marine environment restoration to the food industry, and more.
[On screen: official signature, National Research Council Canada / Conseil national de recherches Canada]
[On screen: Government of Canada Wordmark]