Bedford Institute of Oceanography
The Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) is a major Canadian government ocean research facility located in Dartmouth in the Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia.
Established in 1962 as Canada's first, and currently largest, federal centre for oceanographic research, BIO derives its name from the Bedford Basin, an inland bay comprising the northern part of Halifax Harbour, upon which it is located.
Spread out over 40 acres (160,000 m²) of former Canadian Navy land near Shannon Park in Dartmouth, BIO consists of a series of interconnected buildings housing research labs and offices, as well as docks for Canadian Coast Guard and MARCOM research vessels.
As the federal government seeks to concentrate its operations in the Halifax Regional Municipality, BIO is being considered for additional office buildings to house other non-oceanographic and non-research organizations and their employees.
Current operations
BIO houses several organizations from various federal departments which "perform targeted research mandated by government or in partnership, advise on marine environments, provide navigational charts covering Georges Bank to the Canadian Arctic, and respond to environmental emergencies [1]."
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Maritime Region)
- Canadian Hydrographic Service (Atlantic)
- Department of Natural Resources (Atlantic Region)
- Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic)
- Department of National Defence
- Working with CHS Atlantic.