Marine Biology Program
UNB Saint John is one of only a few university campuses in Canada offering a BSc in marine biology. With professors internationally recognized in the field, its ideal location on the St. John-Kennebecasis River estuarine complex, and its own research vessel, the campus is well equipped to offer this program.The marine biology program is a general synopsis of the discipline with special emphasis on Canadian east coast waters. Marine Biology students at UNB Saint John receive a broad, basic training that will allow them to qualify for a wide range of employment opportunities, both in Canada and abroad. Past graduates are employed in government departments at all levels, with consulting and research companies, in private enterprises, in the aquaculture industry, in universities and in many other areas. Student with good records from UNB or elsewhere may pursue postgraduate research and training in marine biology at either the MSc or PhD level in Saint John as well.
Specialization in marine biology is offered mainly in the third and fourth year levels. Interested students are introduced to the program through a first year course (Biol 1202, Introduction to Marine Science) and a marine biology field course (Biol 3173), offered to second year students in early May. Courses of a general nature include all of the fundamental areas of biology. More specialized courses include: Oceanography, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Marine Ecology, Biology of Algae, Physiology of Marine Vertebrates, Ecophysiology and Biochemistry of Seaweeds, Biology and Conservation of Marine Mammals, Environmental Biology, Aquaculture, Structure and Functions of Marine Invertebrates, Marine Behavioral Ecology, and Marine Evolutionary Ecology.
Students in good academic standing will have the opportunity to apply to do a full semester of marine courses through our Marine Fall Semester, which is taught out of the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in St. Andrews, New Brunswick. Depending upon the year, some of the above-noted specialized courses will only be offered through the Marine Semester, but the Marine Semester is not required to do a B.Sc. in Marine Biology.
There are several field courses, including the general course offered locally (Biol 3173, currently offered during the Marine Semester), and other, more specialized courses taught at field stations in Cuba and the Bahamas. An honours program is available in which students carry out a research project and write a thesis. The department also presents special lectures and seminars by local and international authorities in the marine field. Courses in the other sciences and in statistics, mathematics, computer science, economics and other disciplines offer opportunities for a broader program if desired.
UNB Saint John's large wooded campus is situated on the banks of the St. John - Kennebecasis estuarine complex and is within minutes of the Bay of Fundy. The nearby waters support an active fishery along with numerous fresh and saltwater aquaculture operations. The St. John - Kennebecasis estuary is a major waterway, combining the features of coastal plain estuaries, fjords, and other coastal embayments. It is partially cut-off from the sea by an intertidal sill at the mouth of the famed Reversing Falls. The Bay of Fundy, on which the city lies, is an unusually interesting marine eco-system, combining the highest range of tides in the world, diverse fisheries, marine algal harvesting and a rapidly expanding aquaculture industry.
Departmental facilities include large, well equipped laboratories for both teaching and research, a cold room, rooms for holding live specimens, and a green house. The department's laboratories in KC Irving Hall and Ganong Hall are equipped with controlled lighting, running seawater at controlled temperatures, and an algal culture unit. Several portable refrigerated seawater aquaria are available and the department maintains extensive reference collections of the flora and fauna of eastern Canada and the Caribbean.
A student interested in this major should contact Scott Thomas, SASE Undergraduate Advisor.