MSX and Dermo parasites pose serious threats to Atlantic Canada’s oyster industry. This project uses environmental DNA (eDNA) to develop rapid, cost-effective detection tools that can provide early warning of outbreaks and help predict their impact—giving shellfish growers, governments, and regulators a critical head start in managing the spread.

As ship traffic grows, so do concerns about its impact on marine ecosystems. This project uses environmental DNA (eDNA) to deliver faster, more comprehensive biodiversity monitoring in Atlantic Canada’s ports. By analyzing genetic material in seawater, the project provides vital baseline data and practical tools to help ports track environmental change and support sustainable marine management.

This project supports First Nations leadership in water stewardship using advanced genomic tools. Led by the Atlantic First Nations Water Authority and Dalhousie’s Centre for Water Resources Studies, the initiative uses environmental DNA/RNA (eDNA/eRNA) to monitor microbial safety in source and wastewater systems across Wabanaki Territory. Guided by community priorities, Indigenous knowledge, and OCAP principles, the project combines modern science with Two-Eyed Seeing to support self-determination and safer water for First Nations communities.

A $17.6M sequencing collaboration will help explain why certain chronic diseases disproportionately affect Black populations in Canada.

Oil-eating microbes can be very helpful at locating methane leaks from abandoned petroleum wells, both on land and at sea. Microbial genomics offers an innovative and accurate way to detect and characterize these leaks, providing a very useful tool to support environmental sustainability and industry practices.

Healthy soils are the foundation of healthy forests and forest management. In Nova Scotia, private woodlot owners own 65% of forest land but have limited information of the health of their forest soils. This project aims to get the right forest soil health tools into the hands of private woodlot owners.