The Atlantic Reference Centre (ARC) is a centre of excellence for biodiversity information and applied environmental research, anchored by its research museum for Canadian Atlantic marine life. It is a partnership between Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the Huntsman Marine Science Centre (HMSC).
ARC and client researchers collaborate on a wide range of projects related to the wealth of biological diversity in Canada’s Atlantic and Arctic waters. ARC scientists provide a range of services to government, academic and industrial clients, including taxonomic advice and identification of zooplankton, ichthyoplankton, benthic invertebrates, and fishes.
The ARC collection dates from the 1900s and now houses over 150,000 lots of specimens, mostly from Atlantic Canada. Information on individual ARC specimens is available online through the
Ocean Biogeographic Information System. Its collection of marine fish eggs and larvae is the second largest in North America.
Holdings comprise fishes and most invertebrate groups with especially strong taxonomic and geographic representation of
- deep-sea, mid-water and bottom fishes
- fish parasites
- shallow-water and deep-sea crustaceans
- molluscs (particularly cephalopods)
- polychaetes
- sponges
This wealth of taxonomic, geographic, and historic collections of Canadian Atlantic biota presents unique and exciting research opportunities in a wide breadth of scientific disciplines. Researchers and educators may access ARC specimens by loan or visit. Laboratory facilities, accommodation, research vessels, and field equipment are available. Applicants for ARC internships and summer student positions are encouraged as funding opportunities arise.
The extensive inventory of marine samples at Atlantic Research Centre is able to provide high quality samples for a variety of research applications.
History
The ARC was created in 1984 as a partnership between the Huntsman Marine Science Centre and Fisheries and Oceans Canada and has been a continuous contributor to the advancement of marine science in the region, since that time. The former curator of the ARC collections was Lou Van Guelpen.
The HMSC is a private, not-for-profit research and education facility. It was originally created as the Hunstman Marine Laboratory in 1969 by a consortium of universities in Canada, government departments, and private sector interests. It became the Hunstman Marine Science Centre in 1987.
