As the foremost French-language academic research institute of marine sciences in North America, ISMER-UQAR comprises a critical mass of researchers and students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. These specialists are dedicated to discovering and advancing knowledge concerning marine and coastal environments within a perspective of sustainable development.

Affiliated with the Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), ISMER comprises a community of experts in biology, chemistry, physics, and geology. The institute is particularly interested in the functioning of marine ecosystems in the context of climate change, the impacts of human activities, enhancing the value of marine bioresources, and the study of marine geology and natural risks. Research conducted by ISMER professors and students spans the globe, from the Arctic to Africa and Argentina.

The institute’s mission is to contribute to the discovery and advancement of fundamental and applied knowledge concerning marine and coastal environments with the aim of assessing the scope of human activities on the environment and its resources.

Arising from the merger of UQAR’s Oceanography Department and INRS-Oceanology, ISMER officially began its activities on 1 March 1999. At its inception, the Institute had 14 professors. Today, it has 23 research professor positions and 45 associate professors.

A Multidisciplinary Approach is Key to Its Mission

The fundamental mission of ISMER-UQAR is to address questions concerning the sustainable use and exploitation of marine environments and to help solve emerging problems through fundamental and applied research and by the training of highly qualified personnel at the graduate level. The multidisciplinary approach adopted by ISMER-UQAR, which is the basis of its uniqueness and strength, primarily aims to:

• Observe the biotic and abiotic characteristics of marine and coastal environments and systems;
• Understand the functioning of these systems and the effect of multiple anthropogenic disturbances on their functioning;
• Anticipate changes that are occurring and will occur, particularly due to climate change and increasing human pressure.

Exceptional Advancements Since Its Creation

In 2001, the Université du Québec à Rimouski, in partnership with Université Laval, McGill University, and the Université du Québec à Montréal, acquired the Coriolis II through a grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). This ultra-modern 50-metre vessel began operations in the fall of 2002, becoming the only university oceanographic research vessel available for conducting research in the coastal waters of eastern Canada.

Since its inception, ISMER-UQAR has obtained three Canada Research Chairs, a UNESCO Chair, and two chairs in partnership with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. In addition, it has hosted strategic groups such as the network Ressources Aquatiques Québec(RAQ) and the interinstitutional Québec-Océan oceanographic research group. Marine geology researchers from ISMER have also become members of the Réseau interuniversitaire québécois de formation avancée et de recherche en sciences du globe (GÉOTOP). ISMER researchers participate in the ArcticNet and MEOPAR (Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response) centres of excellence.

ISMER has played a key role in developing marine sciences in Eastern Quebec and in the creation of the Technopole maritime du Québec, the Centre de recherche sur les biotechnologies marines (CRBM), the Interdisciplinary Centre for the Development of Ocean Mapping , Innovation Maritime, and the St. Lawrence Global Observatory (SLGO).

Building on this development and committed to strengthening collaborations between different members, UQAR and ISMER proposed and implemented the Réseau Québec Maritime (RQM). Its mission is to unite and stimulate research and innovation in different maritime domains via sustainable development, thereby contributing to overall innovation. The Quebec government has also entrusted RQM with managing the Institut France-Québec pour la coopération scientifique en appui au secteur maritime.

In terms of research funding, ISMER-UQAR has distinguished itself by quadrupling research and development grants and sponsorships since its creation, reaching 4.5 million dollars for the 2016–2017 fiscal year, not including funds related to infrastructure. The research success of its professors and the funding obtained have contributed to UQAR’s excellent research ranking among Canadian universities in its category.

These achievements are built on the national and international recognition of faculty expertise and the excellent training of highly qualified personnel. With these solid foundations and strong leadership, UQAR and ISMER continue to progress with commitment and innovation.

Nearly 50 Years of Marine Science Research

Since the founding of the Université du Québec à Rimouski, understanding the maritime environment has emerged as an essential area of study and research.

Oceanographic research began in 1970 with the formation of the Groupe interuniversitaire de recherche en océanographie du Québec (GIROQ), which brought together researchers from Laval, McGill, and Montreal universities as well as Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

In May 1972, the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) signed a cooperation agreement with the Centre d’études universitaires de Rimouski (which became UQAR the following year) in which it committed to the creation of an oceanographic research centre that would train personnel and increase research in marine sciences in Rimouski.

In September 1973, six students were accepted into the master’s program in oceanography—UQAR’s first master’s-level program. In October of the same year, the first international symposium on oceanographic research was held.

In 1978, the research activities of UQAR’s Oceanography Section had advanced to the degree that UQAR saw the need to create the Oceanography Department, entirely dedicated to marine sciences. The development of teaching and research activities subsequently led to a doctoral program in oceanography in 1982, which was the first doctoral program offered at UQAR.

The increasing number of researchers and graduate students led to the creation and expansion of an oceanographic laboratory, the building of an aquaculture station, and the acquisition of a first research vessel in 1989, the R/V Alcide C. Horth. Being well-equipped for work in the St. Lawrence Estuary and Saguenay Fjord, this vessel greatly increased sea expeditions with student participation and provided a sampling platform, particularly for biologists and chemists.

In 1990, researchers from UQAR’s Oceanography Department and INRS-Oceanology joined to form the Centre Océanographique de Rimouski , which allowed the harmonization of scientific programming, increased joint research activities, and led to the signing of a series of agreements related to governance, teaching, research, and international publicity.

The Groupe de recherche en environnement côtier was formed in 1994, largely because researchers with related interests wished to collaborate as opposed to being based on administrative considerations. Its recognition by Quebec’s scientific community eventually led to the establishment of the Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski.

ISMER-UQAR was officially created on 1 March 1999, with the primary mission being the discovery and advancement of fundamental and applied knowledge of coastal environments to assess the impact of human activity on resources and develop the scientific and technical tools essential for the sound management of our coastal heritage.