The university

Marine Science

Ever since its establishment, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR) has made the marine environment a vitally important field of study and research. Eastern Québec is blessed by its unique geographical location along the vast St. Lawrence Estuary, home to an exceptional natural environment and a rich maritime tradition.

UQAR has brought together an extraordinary group of researchers whose expertise covers a broad spectrum of ocean-related issues.

Marine Science Training and Research

haut

ISMER and oceanography

Research

Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski (ISMER) is at the forefront of oceanography research at UQAR, occupying an entire building on the UQAR Rimouski campus. The institute has close to 100 students in graduate oceanography programs. Researchers and students have access to high tech equipment, a 50 m long research vessel (Coriolis II), and an aquaculture laboratory kept supplied with seawater. ISMER's multidisciplinary research teams of biologists, chemists, geologists, and physicists, and other associated specialists are actively involved in a number of national and international marine science programs.

ISMER is devoted to the discovery and advancement of basic and applied knowledge of coastal environments. Operating from a sustainable development perspective, the institution is a leader in fields such as climate change at different latitudes, the effects of ultraviolet rays on the lowest links in the food chain, and the impact of contaminants on coastal ecosystems. Marine acoustics, aquaculture, population dynamics, and sediment transportation are other areas where it has developed extensive expertise.

Training programs include:

Master's in oceanography aimed at training scientists to adopt a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to the study of ocean phenomena
PhD in oceanography aimed at training independent researchers on the cutting edge of their fields

Every year ISMER's oceanography summer school also welcomes postsecondary students for a brief introduction to the world of coastal oceanography.

Maritime Resource Management

haut

Maritime resource management is another training and research specialty at UQAR.

The university offers a Maritime Resource Management Master's program with concentrations in the environment, maritime transportation, and fishery resources. This program develops students' decision-making abilities, both on a strategic and operational level, by providing in-depth knowledge of marine environments. A PhD program in Maritime Resource Management is also offered.

Another team specializes in studying economic problems in the maritime sector that affect fishing, processing, marketing, aquaculture, biotechnology, and shipping, a field in which UQAR has a research chair, with an interest for public policies.

Other Maritime specializations

haut

UQAR also has a number of other ocean-related research and training projects. The university offers the following training programs:

Bachelor's in biology with a concentration in marine sciences that includes an environmental focus and fieldwork
Bachelor's in geography with a concentration in marine environments that seeks to familiarize students with cartography, current dynamics, the geography of maritime Québec, and ecosystem enhancemen

Research

Maritime themes and issues can also be part of programs in history, regional development, and engineering.

On the research side, our biologists study marine biomolecules, fish, and seabirds. In geography, bank erosion and marine remote sensing are major areas of interest. Engineering professors and students strive to meet the technological needs of the maritime sector, working for example to develop innovative equipment for fishing, aquaculture, and marine acoustics. In sociology, certain specialists have taken an interest in the particularities of island communities, while five research professors based in the Gaspé Peninsula are currently studying the development of marine environments.

Research Units

haut

Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski (ISMER)

ISMER also works closely with the St. Lawrence Global Observatory (SLGO), the St. Lawrence Ecotoxicology Network, and the ArcticNet network of centers of excellence.

Maritime Resource Management

Government of Québec Research Chair in Maritime Transportation
Collaboration with the ADRA Group (decision-making support for aquatic resources)

Biology and Geography

A Region That Looks Seaward

haut

In addition to these UQAR organizations with an interest in marine sciences, Eastern Québec is also home to various establishments and organizations that work together to promote development of the marine and maritime environment: