NSERC Industrial Research Chair for Colleges in Sustainable Aquaculture

林业和渔业等资源型产业在历史上曾是沿海社区的主要经济驱动力，但近年来出现了相当大的萎缩，随之而来的是失业。因此，在受影响地区发展新产业已成为头等大事。其中最关键的是鲑鱼水产养殖的出现，这是加拿大许多沿海地区重要的经济驱动力。然而，未来的环境挑战可能对水产养殖业产生影响。为了应对这些挑战，沿海社区投资于环境监测项目是极其重要的，以便准确地了解这些挑战将如何显现，并促进可持续的农业实践。在此，我们建议实施创新的环境条件监测，评估替代的农田恢复方法，并开发独特的教育工具，以增加培训和意识的机会。具体的创新和新颖的概念将包括：1)开发一个行业驱动的、沿海范围的环境监测计划，包括相关的农场现场系统配置、采样数据中继协议和数据库软件，这些软件将包括历史数据和正在进行的计划输入；2)基于参考条件方法开发可靠的底栖生物监测工具，这将代表鲑鱼生产的重大创新，并且可以说是对当前监管方法的改进；3)在海洋鲑鱼生长地进行海带的商业共养殖，促进工业规模的营养提取，并提供海带生产模型进行评估

Resource-based industries such as forestry and fishing that were historically key economic drivers in coastal communities have in recent years seen considerable contraction and consequent job loss. As a result, the development of new industries in affected regions has become paramount. Key among these has been the emergence of salmon aquaculture, which is now a critical economic driver in many coastal areas across Canada. However, future environmental challenges may have consequences for the aquaculture industry. To address these challenges, it is extremely important for coastal communities to invest in environmental monitoring programs in order to understand precisely how these challenges will manifest and to promote sustainable farming practices. We propose here to implement innovative monitoring of environmental conditions, assess alternative farming site-restoration methods, and develop unique educational tools to increase opportunities for training and awareness. Specific innovative and novel concepts will include: 1) Development of an industry-driven, coast-wide environmental surveillance program with associated farm site system configuration, sampling data relay protocols, and database software that will comprise historical data as well as ongoing program inputs; 2) Development of a reliable benthic biomontoring tool, based on a Reference Condition Approach, that would represent a significant salmon production innovation, and arguably an improvement for current regulatory approach; 3) Commercial co-cultivation of kelp at marine salmon grow out sites, facilitating nutrient extraction at an industry scale, and provision of a kelp production model to assess