RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT THEMES
- Microbiological agents (bacteria, viruses, moulds)
- Physical agents (noise, radiation, heat, etc)
- Marine biotechnology
- Climate change
- Visual impacts
- Erosion control
- Residual matter
- Air quality
- Water quality (drinking water, industrial waste, process water, waste water)
- Ecosystem quality (terrestrial and aquatic fauna and flora)
- Soil quality
- Ecosystem services
FIELDS OF EXPERTISE
- Prevention of environmental issues in various sectors of economic activity
- Environmental response strategies and management
- Technical support
- Establishing environmental monitoring observatories
- Contaminant reduction at source
- Establishing the preventative “Enviro-Actions” management model
- Environmental monitoring, diagnosis, and analysis methods
- Research and development projects aimed at specific businesses and industry needs
Services
sampling
• Water quality (physico-chemical and biological parameters)
• Sediment quality
• Air quality and weather data
• Ecosystem quality (eelgrass, macroalgae, phytoplankton, benthos, etc)
• Marine mammal surveys
• Identification of marine waste
• Biomonitoring
Environmental studies (Aquatic & terrestrial environments)
• Assessment of environment quality
• Environmental diagnosis
• Defining programs and action plans
• Monitoring
• Environmental impact assessments
• Assessing impacts of human activities on ecosystems
• Assessing impacts of climate change on ecosystems
Developing tailored solutions and technology transfer
• Support through innovation process
• Process development
• Assessing functional properties
• Developing and validating analytical methodologies
• Intellectual property management
• Quality assurance and control
Information & consultation
• Organizing round-tables
• Producing information aimed at various audiences (public, elected officials, businesses, etc)
tailored specialized training
TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES, INDUSTRY, & ORGANIZATIONS
Access to research laboratories & facilities
Applied Research
projects
Enviro-Actions project
The key project of the Centre for Industrial Port Expertise, which aims to facilitate sustainable development in industrial port areas around Quebec’s maritime territory, by implementing the “enviro-Actions” management model through the establishment of environmental observatories.
Collaborators
Scientific collaborators
Partenaires financiers
"Enviro-Actions" preventative management model
With a view to achieve sustainable development while taking into account the objectives of Quebec’s Maritime Strategy and Plan Nord, as well as the economic diversification of industrial port areas, it is imperative for decision-makers to have access to scientific support that is adapted to the needs of Industrial Port Zones (IPZs). Such support would allow decision-makers to reconcile the many varied uses of the environment while preserving ecosystem and human health.
The Enviro-Actions model is a sustainable management tool geared towards IPZ managers, which collects and processes data in near real-time, favouring a preventative management mode rather than an intervention mode.
The Enviro-Actions model is implemented through the instrumentalization of the IPZs.
[More information to come soon]
Collaborators
Main scientific collaborators
QuébecOcéan's partners
Partenaires financiers
Environmental Monitoring Observatory for the Bay of Sept-Îles
The management tools developed by INREST and its scientific collaborators (several universities in Quebec and numerous researchers) allow to meet provincial and federal government objectives in terms of sustainable development and conservation of the St. Lawrence ecosystems.
The “Enviro-Actions” management model, created based on the requirements of the industry and businesses, aims to establish a preventative management mode rather than an intervention-based management, through the implantation of environmental monitoring observatories and setting up data collection.
The bay of Sept-Îles hosts one of the largest ports in Canada, as well as world-class businesses in its surrounding area. In the current context of industrial development around the bay, it seemed essential to assess the state of the local environment.
That is why the Observatory was created in 2013. Phases I, II & III were carried out from 2013 to 2017.
Collaborators
Scientific collaborators
Financial partners
CHONe II
Canadian Healthy Oceans Network II
CHONe (pronounced “Ko-Nee”), is an NSERC strategic Pancanadian network for healthy oceans, that brings together and mobilizes Canadian expertise in marine sciences in order to establish scientific guidelines for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity resources. Chone takes its name from a marine worm found in Canada’s three oceans, and is an indicator of a healthy benthic habitat.
From 2015 to 2020, scientists from multiple universities will be present on the North-Shore, particularly in the Bay of Sept-Îles. They work in partnership with the Institut Nordique de Recherche en Environnement et en Santé au Travail (INREST), that represents the Port of Sept-Îles. The Bay of Sept-Îles has been chosen as one of the study sites for the second phase of CHONe II. The northern environmental conditions, the freshwater input, and the presence of industrial, municipal, tourism, and leisure activities, make it a prime location to study cumulative impacts in northern environments.
Collaborators
Marine biotechnology
INREST and the Centre de recherche sur les biotechnologies marines (Center for research in marine biotechnologies – CRBM) have concluded a partnership agreement in order to develop biotechnological innovations for the benefit of industries in the North-Shore region. This strategic alliance will allow both organisations to offer extensive and dedicated scientific expertise towards the development of solutions that are adapted to the reality of northern industries. Moreover, this partnership will allow to diversify industrial activities in northern environments.
In the context of this agreement, INREST will benefit from the multidisciplinary expertise in industrial research and from the CRBM’s high-quality facilities. On the other hand, the CRBM will be able to build on INREST’s expertise in environment and occupational health and safety, as well as its knowledge of northern industries.
Collaborators
Air quality
The Round Table on air quality in Sept-Îles was created in October 2012, and was derived from an initiative from the Corporation de protection de l’environnement de Sept-Îles with the support of the City of Sept-Îles, and in collaboration with stakeholders from the government, municipalities, businesses, the environment, and representatives of regional citizens.
The objective of the Round Table is to obtain a clear, global, and integrated vision of air quality in Sept-Îles, in order to present to the public a portrait of Sept-Îles’ air quality and to identify, when necessary, discrepancies, additional needs, and actions to be taken.
The Round Table tasked INREST with carrying out a study on air quality in Sept-Îles in areas with mandatory or voluntary measures from businesses and industries. Reports and documents related to the Round Table’s work are available here (French).