Aquatic Research Facilities

Huntsman research facilities presently occupy nine buildings located on our Lower Campus in beautiful St. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick, Canada. Our dry laboratories are well-appointed to support the in-life phase of studies and sample assessments with extensive tissue sampling, microscopy, bacteriology, and tissue/data archiving capacity. Our wet laboratory spaces are unmatched throughout the Atlantic region with more than 4,180 covered square meters (45,000 square feet), supplied with 3,000 US GPM of natural seawater pumped ashore and dechlorinated freshwater. Our technical staff maintain many aquatic species in stable cultures, close aquatic life cycles to access target life stages, produce commercial-scale quantities of live feed, and co-own and curate a 150,000+ lot natural history museum of Atlantic specimens for research.

Breeding & Genetics – Huntsman is uniquely situated as the only institution in Atlantic Canada, and likely across Canada, that has the experience and capacity to design and manage comprehensive commercially relevant aquatic animal broodstock programs. Our holistic broodstock development approach provides a significant opportunity for the Huntsman to have a measureable impact on local and international aquaculture operations. Data management, selection of parents for breeding, measurement of relevant traits, and technology transfer to commercial producers are our specialties.

Taxonomy & Biodiversity – Huntsman is recognized as a leader in Canadian Atlantic marine fauna taxonomic and biodiversity services since 1977 when our original Larval Fish Laboratory was established. We offer a full service from study design and field sample collection to sample processing, specimen identification and curation, quality control, statistical data analysis, interpretation, and reporting. Collating large volumes of data within international databases are an essential activity as species assemblages and the effects of human activities and environmental changes are monitored to regulate activities affecting our aquatic resources.

Toxicology – The first graduate student at the Huntsman in 1970 studied the effects of oil spills on the American lobster. Today, we combine our extensive experience to hold and close aquatic species life cycles with world class toxicology expertise and facilities to offer exposure studies using published standard methods and custom study designs for a broad range of contaminants and sectors. Our results are often visualized through digital predictive models that assist responders as their efforts attempt to limit the environmental effects from human activities.

Animal Health – Aquatic pathogens and parasites must be addressed to ensure food production and security from our oceans. The Huntsman ability to maintain an array of finfish and shellfish species and life stages in freshwater and natural seawater allows us to customize study designs – focused on efficacy, target animal safety, residue depletion, and regulatory data collection – that tackle the most pressing aquatic animal health issues of our time. Our Study Sponsors deploy a range of biotechnology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and advanced manufacturing to develop and validate their innovations to achieve these overarching objectives.

Production Research – Huntsman research capacity has been involved to test and validate several breakthrough innovations. These projects have supported entrepreneurial efforts focused on many components of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) for land-based production and technologies deployed in open sea farming environments.