Mary Clinton grew up with the ocean as a constant companion.

Originally from coastal B.C., she now calls Newfoundland and Labrador home, where she continues to be fascinated by the water.

Ms. Clinton came to this province because of Memorial University’s internationally recognized work as an ocean leader.

The PhD student says the creation of a new research centre will go a long way to enhance that reputation.

At its Feb. 25 meeting, the Board of Regents approved the creation of OFI@Memorial as an official university centre, bringing Memorial’s ocean training and research under a single umbrella.

The centre will contribute to Memorial’s reputation as an ocean university leader while improving the recruitment and retention of students like Ms. Clinton on the highly competitive national and international stage.

“Pursuing ocean research has given me the opportunity to keep playing and learning in nature, and I hope my work can contribute to conserving marine spaces for generations to come,” said Ms. Clinton, who is completing her studies in the Faculty of Science while working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

“OFI@Memorial provides a collaborative environment where students can share ideas, challenge each other’s thinking and grow their networks while developing research skills,” she noted.

She says having access to leading mentors and collaborators from diverse backgrounds has helped her grow as a scientist and as a person.

Creating linkages

The roots of the centre stretch back a decade.

In 2016 the Canada First Research Excellence Fund created the Ocean Frontier Institute (OFI), which was announced as a historic collaboration between lead academic institution Dalhousie University, main founding partner Memorial University and institutional partner UPEI that co-ordinated ocean research and increased collaboration focused on the North Atlantic Ocean.

Today, that work lives on through the institute’s initial research program, now known as Safe and Sustainable Development of the Ocean Frontier, as well as the Transforming Climate Action: Addressing the Missing Ocean research program.

“OFI@Memorial aims to continue to champion co-ordinated research and training programs broadly related to oceans, linking members of the Memorial community with each other and with other institutions that advance understanding and sustainable activities in and around the North Atlantic,” said Dr. Kris Poduska, a professor in the Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography in Memorial’s Faculty of Science and the associate scientific director with Transforming Climate Action.

Ocean-related research takes place throughout Memorial: from natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, medicine and engineering and more.

The new centre will help keep that collaborative momentum going.

“OFI@Memorial will serve as both a gathering place and as a lightning rod for ocean research at Memorial,” added Dr. Paul Snelgrove (B.Sc.(Hons.)’84), University Research Professor with the departments of Ocean Sciences and Biology in the Faculty of Science and an associate scientific director with OFI.

He’s supervising a number of students, including Ms. Clinton.

“That 40 per cent of Memorial faculty study ocean issues attests to both the challenge and opportunity in harnessing that expertise to take full advantage of Memorial’s history, location and potential in ocean research.”

‘Shared understanding’

The researchers say there is lots of work to do.

With the global ocean facing complex challenges, it’s becoming increasingly important for teams to work together to find solutions.

“I’ve found that sharing ideas across labs, faculties and institutions creates space for new and innovative approaches that likely wouldn’t be developed otherwise,” Ms. Clinton said. “Fostering connectivity also allows for the development of shared language and a shared understanding of the challenges we’re facing as a research community.”

OFI@Memorial will undertake a host of activities to foster interconnections among ocean researchers, including generating new funding opportunities for ocean research by bringing together different disciplines and experiences across departments and faculties.

It will host interdisciplinary meetings and events, provide working spaces for student researchers to share ideas, challenges and solutions, and facilitate public engagement with oceans-focused Memorial researchers.

OFI@Memorial can play a vital role in supporting researchers to build relationships with internal and external stakeholders, which can include Indigenous communities, says Dr. Erica (Samms) Hurley, a Mi’kmaw scholar and an assistant professor in the Faculty of Nursing who is cross-appointed with humanities at Grenfell Campus. She is also an affiliate for the Environmental Policy Institute and founder/director of an Indigenous health lab.

“I think that researcher relationships need to be grown and developed with trust,” she said. “This usually takes time and cannot be forced. “Alongside this, working with Indigenous communities also entails even more, including knowing historical contexts and current colonial impacts.”

Dr. Hurley is involved in a Transforming Climate Action-funded project, while her own research recognizes that health and wellness are tied to healthy water systems.

“Connectivity is important in all things,” said Dr. Hurley. “Knowing what other researchers are doing and learning from others is what can help drive our research forward, perhaps even in unexpected ways.”

Dr. Poduska says they’re excited to expand people’s knowledge of OFI@Memorial.

“We want to spread the word that ‘Ocean Is Everywhere at Memorial!’ and to use this common theme to help showcase the great work that our students, staff and faculty do related to ocean research.”