The Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of Two Canadian Biological Stations

Abstract

The evolution of the Biological Stations established by the Government of Canada at St. Andrews, N.B., and Nanaimo, B.C., in the summer of 1908 is outlined from small operations with limited facilities ashore and afloat manned seasonally by volunteer university scientists to modern well-equipped laboratories used by year-round scientific and technical staffs. The excellence of the work of the two stations depended on the independence and scientific integrity of the Biological Board (1912–37) and the Fisheries Research Board (1937–73) with memberships combining representatives of government and industry with a majority of university scientists. Under the Board the stations maintained a high level of efficiency and a good balance between short-and long-term and between fundamental and applied research. Programs were responsive to the needs of government and industry and made important contributions to fisheries management and development both domestic and international in both the Atlantic and the Pacific. It is hoped that the new regime may be modified to enable the stations to continue the level of excellence achieved under the Board.