Safeguarding salmon for future generations by building Western Canada’s premier aquatic research laboratory.
Pacific salmon are cultural icons, an important part of aboriginal culture, and economic drivers—accounting for half of British Columbia's $1 billion fish and seafood economy. But this valued resource is facing unprecedented threats from climate change, habitat destruction and unsustainable harvesting.
Millions of salmon smolts leave rivers in British Columbia each year, but fewer and fewer return. The reason for this decline remains unclear, and research is needed to determine how the Pacific salmon can be protected. That research requires water-based life support systems and highly specialized laboratories tailored to the species’ complex lifecycle—infrastructure that is currently lacking in Western Canada.
The SAFEGARD Project
SAFEGARD will catalyze research on early life stages of the Pacific salmon by developing Western Canada’s premier aquatic research laboratory. The planned $7 million facility will give researchers access to critical, environmentally-controlled infrastructure and accelerate research that is urgently needed to inform responsible and sustainable fisheries management. The SAFEGARD facility—housed in UBC’s newly renovated BioSciences Building—will enable world-class researchers to explore two key questions:
» How do environmental changes affect the performance and survival of Pacific salmon?
» Are genetic differences within and between Pacific salmon species related to resistance to environmental challenges?
Answers to these questions will form the scientific underpinnings of how we save our rapidly dwindling Pacific salmon stocks from extinction.
Located near the mouth of Canada’s largest salmon producing river, the Fraser River, SAFEGARD will supply the critically needed marine and freshwater laboratories necessary for cutting edge research on effects of environmental changes on the performance and survival of outgoing juvenile and returning adult salmon. SAFEGARD will target and develop solutions for the maintenance of sustainable Pacific salmon stocks—a key economic and cultural issue for generations of Canadians.
SAFEGARD Facilities
» 20,000 square ft in 22 aquatic research rooms, 10 environmentally controlled chambers, and 2 infectious disease units
» Environmentally controlled freshwater and saltwater fish holding facilities
» State-of-the-art research labs able to study salmon at the genetic and ecosystem levels
» Advanced physiological performance labs specialized for salmon
» Fulltime dedicated staff, available 24/7 for aquatic life support
» Automated and Internet-accessible environmental control systems for secure and accurate long-term studies
Partnerships
Managed by a committed team of researchers, technical staff, institutional veterinarians, and research services personnel, SAFEGARD will integrate with UBC’s Aquatic Ecosystems Research Laboratory (AERL) and Beaty Biodiversity Centre (BBC). Both have initiatives designed to protect and preserve global fisheries and biodiversity; however, neither have the aquatic research infrastructure necessary to address the questions that will save the Pacific salmon.
Investing in SAFEGARD
Saving an iconic species from extinction represents an unprecedented partnership opportunity for business and industry. Funding for SAFEGARD is more than 50 percent committed, with substantial commitments for the life support systems ($1 million) and building envelope renovations ($3 million).
Contact the UBC Science Development Office at 604.822.3404 to learn more about how you can help support SAFEGARD--and ensure the survival of the Pacific salmon species for generations to come.
