2008/09 PARR Research Priorities

For the 2008/09 Call for Proposals, the following research priorities were identified under the Program for Aquaculture Regulatory Research (PARR):

1. Ecosystem Carrying Capacity:

   Knowledge enabling accurate assessments of ecosystem carrying capacity is necessary to support informed DFO ecosystem-based environmental regulation and decision making of the aquaculture sector. Quantifying the available resources within an aquatic ecosystem relative to the abundance and diversity of organisms in the ecosystem is critical for decision making focused on maintaining healthy and productive aquatic ecosystems.

2. Ecosystem and Far-field Indicators of Aquaculture Effects on Fish Habitat:

   Ecosystem and far-field indicators will be important tools to support informed DFO ecosystem-based environmental regulation and decision making of the aquaculture sector. An increased number of indicators designed to predict, measure and quantify ecosystem effects will improve confidence in science-based decision making related to potential impacts of aquaculture on fish habitat. Additionally, ecosystem and far-field indicators will contribute to ecosystem carrying capacity assessments.

3. Genetic and Ecological Interactions of Wild and Cultured Fish – Mitigating the Effects of Escapes:

   Scientific tools to assess the genetic and ecological interactions between escaped cultured fish, and wild and naturalized populations of fish are necessary to support informed DFO ecosystem-based environmental regulation and decision making of the aquaculture sector. In order to effectively mitigate against the effects of escapes, it is important to understand and quantify the genetic and ecological interactions between escaped and wild fish.