Biology and Applied Aquatic Science (BAAS) Conference

Name: Biology and Applied Aquatic Science (BAAS) Conference
Start: 2026-03-06T21:00:00Z
End: 2026-03-08T17:00:00Z
Location: Mount Allison University - Sir James Dunn Building

Mount Allison University - Sir James Dunn Building

March 6-8, 2026

Welcome to BAAS 2026!

The Biology and Applied Aquatic Science (BAAS) conference will be hosted by Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB on March 6-8, 2026.

The Biology and Applied Aquatic Science (BAAS) Conference is an annual event that brings together students from across Atlantic Canada to share their research, and network with other students and faculty. We are very excited to welcome everyone to our beautiful town!

Several awards will be given out at the conference, including Biology awards and AAS awards.

See you in Sackville,

The Organizing Committee

Important Dates

Abstract Submissions & Registration Opens: January 30th, 2026

Abstracts due: February 20, 2026

Registration closes: February 20, 2026

Applied Aquatic Sciences (AAS) Presentations:

Talks:
- Both undergraduate and graduate students can present talks.
- Talks are limited by institution only if all slots are filled.
Posters:
- Both undergraduate and graduate students can present posters.

Biology Presentations:

Talks:
- ONLY undergraduate students can present talks.
- There is a limit of two talks per institution as space is limited.
- Institutions must decide which student presentations will be judged.
Posters:
- ONLY undergraduate students can present posters.
- There is no limit to the number of posters that can be presented per institution.
- There is a limit of two posters per institution that will be judged.
- Institutions must decide which student posters will be judged.

Information for Presenters

Talks will be 12 minutes + 3 minutes for questions

Posters should portrait only, and be no larger than 91.4cm (width) x 121.9cm (height) (36”x 48”). Poster space is limited and we can only accommodate portrait style.

For general tips on presenting: https://scienceatlantic.ca/resources/conference-presentation-tips/

Plenary Speakers

BiologyAmy Mui, PhD. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Dalhousie University

Amy Mui is a University Teaching Fellow in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Dalhousie University in Kjipuktuk (Halifax) Nova Scotia. Her research has included efforts to better protect habitat for at-risk species such as the Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), the endangered Bicknell’s Thrush (Catharus bicknelli), and the common wombat (Vombatus ursinus) in collaboration with local and international partnerships. She is passionate about training students to see the natural world through new perspectives and to apply data-driven approaches to solving environmental problems. Dr. Mui also founded EcoHope (www.dalecohope.ca) in 2023 which aims to address eco-anxiety in university students by providing action-based, outdoor immersion, and community-building opportunities. Her current work investigates the use of olfactory misinformation to alter the scent landscape for predators in order to protect vulnerable freshwater turtle nests. She holds a PhD from the University of Toronto in remote sensing of critical habitat for species at risk, an MSc in wildlife conservation from the University of Sydney, Australia and a BSc in wildlife biology from the University of Guelph in Ontario.

Applied Aquatic ScienceEdmund Redfield (left) & Tim Robinson (right), Fort Folly Habitat Recovery Program

Edmund Redfield lives in Memramcook, New Brunswick with his wife and son. He has been employed by Fort Folly First Nation since 2009, now working as Manager of Habitat Monitoring and Conservation for the Fort Folly Habitat Recovery Program. In that capacity he has focused on monitoring improvements to fish passage into the Petitcodiac River following the opening of the Petitcodiac Causeway gates by the Province of New Brunswick in 2010 and its eventual replacement with the Brenda Robertson Bridge in 2021. He has also carried out riverbank restoration projects along Petitcodiac tributaries and engaged in stewardship planning for the watershed. In addition to the Maritimes, he has studied and worked in many other environments: temperate eastern hardwood forests and the desert southwest of the United States; the wet and dry tropics of Australia and Kenya; and boreal forests in Finland and Alberta. He has a B.Sc. in Forestry from the University of Missouri, an M.Sc. in Restoration Ecology from the University of Alberta and is certified as a Fisheries Field Technician by Vancouver Island University. Edmund has co-authored several publications in peer-reviewed journals and published a field guide to wildflowers of the Maritime Provinces.

Tim Robinson, is the Director of Salmon Recovery at Fort Folly Habitat Recovery (FFHR). He has been employed by Fort Folly First Nation since 1995. In that capacity he has been part of early aquatic projects on local watercourses on up to the present day. This work developed into enduring partnerships between FFHR, Parks Canada, DFO, and UNB which has now evolved into the Fundy Salmon Recovery Program (FSR) with its sea cages at Dark Harbour, Grand Manan. Over the course of this time his work has taken him to multiple southeastern NB rivers across Fort Folly's traditional territory, working to re-introduce, conserve, and restore meaningful numbers of iconic endangered inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon to these systems.

Accommodations

Coastal Inn

Website: https://coastalinns.com/sackville/
Address: 15 Wright St, Sackville, NB E4L 4P8

Distance to campus: 1.2 km (18 min walk)

Room types: 14 single rooms and 36 double rooms (reserved group block booked under Science Atlantic BAAS)

Price under group booking rate: $114.00+HST per room (based on 2 ppl/room; additional ppl pay an extra $12 per night)

Includes Coastal Plus breakfast
Check in: 4 pm
Check out: 11 am

To Book: Call (506) 536-0000 and let them know you are attending the Science Atlantic BAAS conference.
Rate available until February 6th, 2026.

Super 8 Hotel

Website: https://super8amherst.ca/
Address: 40 Ancestral Dr, Amherst, NS B4H 4W6

Distance to campus: 22 km (16 min drive or 7 hour walk)

Room types: 10 junior suites and 10 double queen rooms (reserved group block booked under MTA)

Price under group booking rate: $220.00+HST per night for a junior suite and $200 per night for a double queen room

Complimentary SuperStart Continental Breakfast with hot items
Check in: 4 pm
Check out: 11 am

To Book: Call 902-660-8888 and let them know you are attending the Science Atlantic conference at MTA.
Rate available until February 6th, 2026.

Other Accommodations

Marshlands Inn (https://marshlandsinn.com/)

~10 min walk to campus

Travelodge Amherst (https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/en-ca/travelodge/amherst-nova-scotia/travelodge-amherst/overview)

~10 min drive to campus

Hotels in Moncton/Dieppe are 30-40min drive from campus

Connect to the Wi-fi

If you want to connect to Wi-fi while on campus you can access "conf 100" using the password: zogujmoivofa87

You can also connect using "eduroam". If you have already set up with eduroam then you should connect automatically. If not, you may need to download the eduroam installer for your home institution and enter your institutional credentials. You can download the eduroam installer here (https://cat.eduroam.org/)

More information about eduroam (https://eduroam.org/about/connect-yourself/)

Parking

Parking on campus is free and there are a number of available lots. Please check the campus map below for locations.

Campus Map

To the right is a map of campus. Presentations will take place in the Sir James Dunn building. The welcome social and registration, the conference dinner, and the poster sessions will be in the Wallace McCain Student Center. Lunches will be in Jennings Dining hall. You can access the interactive campus map here: https://mountallison.university-tour.com/# or download the campus map here: Download our campus map with parking locations

Participating schools

Each participating school has two Science Atlantic representatives, one for the Biology conference and one for the AAS conference. They can answer your questions.