Core Facilities
Centre for Shellfish Research
The opening of the $4 million Centre for Shellfish Research Facility in October 2004 was a significant step in the evolution of BC shellfish aquaculture into a world-class industry capable of creating wealth and jobs for BC coastal communities.
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Centre for Shellfish Research at Vancouver Island University |
Established in 2001, the CSR was originally housed in the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture offices on the Vancouver Island University (VIU) campus in Nanaimo. However, by 2002, VIU had successfully attracted infrastructure funding to build a new research centre for the CSR.
Funding for the construction of the CSR Research Facility on the Nanaimo campus was received from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, BC Knowledge Development Fund, Vancouver Island University Foundation, Western Economic Partnership Agreement and industry.
The Research Facility includes modern facilities for wet laboratories ( 8000 sq. ft.), dry laboratories (3000 sq. ft.), offices and conference room (2000 sq. ft.). Wet labs are supported with a state of the art sea water recirculation system and an algae production lab.
The Research Facility includes
Wet Laboratories
The three CSR wet labs are all equipped with:
- Recirculation pump
- Freshwater supply
- Filtered and UV disinfected seawater
- Aeration
- Ventilation.
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CSR Recirculation System, designed by PRAqua Technologies Ltd. in Nanaimo. |
One of the wet labs is also equipped with:
- Drum filter or rotofilter
- Biolfilter with programmed automatic backflushing
- UV sterilizer
- Foam fractionator
- Water temperature control system including electrical heater and chiller
Larval Laboratory
The larval rearing wet lab is further equipped with:
- UV filtration
- additional cartridge filtration down to 1 micron
- 4 upwelling | downwelling troughs with 12 bins for raising juvenile bivalve seed
Algal Culture Facility
This facility is equipped with:
- 22 transparent algae culture columns
- Air compressor
- Magnetic transfer pumps
- An incubator with photoperiod control
- An autoclave
- A laminar flow cabinet
- compound microscopes
- dissection microscope.
- Distilled water still
- Freeze-dryer
- Drying oven
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The species of microalgae cultured in this laboratory include:
- Isochrysis galbana, clone T-iso
- Pavlova lutheri
- Chaetoceros calcitrans
- Chaetoceros gracilis
- Thalassiosira pseudonana
- Isochrysis galbana (clone C-iso),
- Chroomonas salina,
- Nannochloropsis oculata,
- Tetraselmis suecica,
- Skeletonema costatum,
- Rhinomonas reticulata,
- Phaedactylum tricornatum
- Thalassiosira weissflogii.
For more detail on the Ecological Research and Shellfish Health and Husbandry Research Programs click on the links below.