Canada Excellence Research Chair in Aquatic Epidemiology

CERC在爱德华王子岛大学的水生流行病学研究项目将把基于种群的流行病学研究方法应用于水生生态系统中食用动物的可持续生产。水产养殖业2004年的全球产值为700亿美元，年增长率为10%，是世界上增长最快的食品生产部门；在加拿大，鱼类水产养殖和龙虾销售总额 每年大约20亿美元。世界各地养殖鱼类种群和水生生态系统健康的管理面临严重且往往不可预测的挑战，从疾病问题到气候变化。CERC研究项目将加强UPEI大西洋兽医学院在流行病学和水生健康方面的国际认可项目，该项目的两个主要目标是(1)产生尖端的流行病学能力，以帮助加拿大水生生态系统的管理者和水生食用动物生产者做出以科学为基础的决策；(2)将这些新能力与基本的流行病学技能一起应用于全球水生食用动物疾病的管理。应用全面、多学科的方法，CERC团队将调查养殖和野生鱼类种群之间的疾病动态和健康互动，并为水生生态系统的疾病控制和预防制定具有成本效益的测试战略和监测计划。该项目由我们的CERC提名人、世界领先的兽医流行病学家之一Ian Gardner博士指导，将巩固加拿大在与水生食用动物物种相关的流行病学研究和培训方面的全球领先地位。CERC研究团队将致力于应对向饥饿世界提供高质量蛋白质的全球挑战；与国际专家网络合作，包括我们拟建的世界动物卫生组织水产流行病学合作中心；并增强公众对国内外水产养殖产品健康和水生生态系统安全的信心。

The CERC research program in aquatic epidemiology at the University of Prince Edward Island will apply population-based, epidemiological research methods to the sustainable production of food animals in aquatic ecosystems. With a global value of $70B in 2004 and an annual growth rate of 10%, aquaculture is the world’s most rapidly expanding food-production sector; in Canada, finfish aquaculture and lobster sales total approximately $2B per year. The management of cultured fish stocks and aquatic ecosystem health around the world faces serious and often unpredictable challenges, ranging from disease problems to climate change. The two overarching objectives of the CERC research program, which will augment the internationally recognized programs in epidemiology and aquatic health at UPEI’s Atlantic Veterinary College, are (1) to generate sophisticated, cutting-edge epidemiology capabilities to assist both regulators of aquatic ecosystems and aquatic food animal producers in Canada in making science-based decisions, and (2) to apply these new capabilities, along with basic epidemiology skills, to the management of disease in aquatic food animals worldwide. Applying a holistic, multidisciplinary approach, the CERC team will investigate disease dynamics and health interactions between cultured and wild fish populations, as well as develop cost-effective testing strategies and surveillance programs for disease control and prevention in aquatic ecosystems. Directed by our CERC nominee —Dr. Ian Gardner, one of the world's leading veterinary epidemiologists—this program will cement Canada's global leadership in epidemiological research and training related to aquatic food animal species. The CERC research team will engage with the global challenge of supplying high quality protein to a hungry world; collaborate with an international network of experts, including our proposed OIE Collaborating Centre in Aquatic Epidemiology; and contribute to public confidence in the health of aquaculture products and the safety of aquatic ecosystems at home and abroad.