Event : Official opening of the Aquatic Ecosystems Research Laboratory (AERL)
Date/Time : Friday, March 10, 10-11 a.m. Media Tour begins at 9 a.m.
Place : 2202 Main Mall, UBC
For a map, visit www.maps.ubc.ca and search by address.
Parking : Parking available next to the building
Visuals: Digital photos of the Immersion Lab and whale skeleton available at www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/download
Media are invited to a tour of the new Aquatic Ecosystems Research Lab (AERL) Friday at 9 a.m., immediately followed by the official opening ceremony.
Home to the world renowned UBC Fisheries Centre and the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, AERL replaces 40-year-old trailers and features the latest technology to help UBC researchers advise decision makers on fisheries and environmental policies.
Two features of AERL will be showcased during the media tour:
Unique in the world, the Immersion Laboratory is designed to simulate, in real time, the impact of environmental policies to world fisheries. Five 61-inch flat-panel widescreen displays are connected to a sophisticated simulation software that creates images of underwater and coastal habits.
Also showcased is the skeleton of a four-metre long juvenile killer whale beached 15km south of Powell River in 1996. First of a series of marine mammal skeletons to be displayed for educational purposes at AERL, the skeleton was prepared under the supervision of world renowned marine mammal expert, UBC professor Andrew Trites.
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