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In Brief

MI hosting fisheries researchers

Fishery researchers and scientists from around the world are visiting Memorial University’s Marine Institute and the Ocean Science Centre to attend the seventh International Congress on the Biology of Fish, which runs July 18-22 in St. John’s.

The biennial congress, organized by the American Fisheries Society - Physiology Section, attracts 450 delegates from over 30 countries, and provides an opportunity for the scientific and professional community, resource users, and the general public to exchange the latest research on fish physiology processes, tools, and techniques.

The Marine Institute is taking an active role in the congress. In addition to co-hosting the opening ceremonies, executive director Glenn Blackwood and Ocean Science Centre director, Dr. Ian Fleming, will address the congress on Wednesday morning, July 19 at the Fairmont Hotel. Delegates will tour the Marine Institute’s Centre for Aquaculture and Seafood Development and the Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Resources (CSAR) later in the day. CSAR director, Dr. Paul Winger, will also co-chair a session on fish capture and discard/release: behavioural and physiological aspects.

This year’s congress is organized in partnership with Memorial University of Newfoundland, Bridges, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Canada), the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Provincial team defends ROV title

For the second straight year, the Eastern Edge Robotics Team, representing Memorial University, captured the gold at the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) centre’s International Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) competition. The annual event was held recently at NASA’s Sonny Carter Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston, Texas.

The competition challenges teams to design, build, and operate an ROV to perform a series of tasks like those performed by an ROV in an industrial setting. This year’s competition was based on the theme of Ocean Observation Systems.

Of the 16 teams competing in their class, Eastern Edge was one of only two teams to complete all of the tasks. Eastern Edge also turned in the fastest time requiring less than 15 of the allotted 30 minutes for the mission. As a result, the team was awarded first place overall as well as the Judges’ Choice Award.

The 18-member team is comprised of post-secondary students from the Marine Institute, Faculties of Engineering, Science, and Kinesiology and the College of the North Atlantic. These students have worked since January to prepare for the competition.

Shad Valley returns

Bright young minds from across the country are back on Memorial’s St. John’s campus as the Shad Valley program has returned.

Shad Valley is an enrichment program for young people that focuses on science, engineering and entrepreneurship. The program is delivered through the P. J. Gardiner Institute for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship located in the Faculty of Business Administration building.

This is the fourth year Memorial has hosted the program.

The Shad Valley program was launched in 1981, and currently boasts a network of 7,800 Shad Valley alumni, over 200 benefactors, and thousands of educators at schools nation-wide. Memorial is one of 12 Canadian universities hosting Shad Valley 2006.

Student participants are selected through a highly competitive application process. In total, 620 students will participate in this award-winning summer program from July 2-28.

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