Research organizations in Québec

Private organizations

Since the early 1980s, four private organizations have set up research centres along the St. Lawrence River.

The GREMM, in Tadoussac, headed by Robert Michaud, , conducts research on beluga whales, the great rorquals and the whale-watching industry.

The St. Lawrence National Institute of Ecotoxicology (SLNIE), headed by Pierre Béland, carries out research on beluga whales and the flow of contaminants in the St. Lawrence ecosystem.

The Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS), headed by Richard Sears, headed by Richard Sears, is conducting a long-term study on blue whales, the first of its kind in the world.

The ORES Centre for Coastal Field Studies in Grandes-Bergeronnes, led by Ned Lynas, focuses much of its work on the minke whale.

Governmental organizations

At the Maurice Lamontagne Institute (MLI), under Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Mike Hammil, who is in charge of the marine mammal department, carries out research on seals.

A team led by Yvan Simard focuses its research efforts on the feeding ecology of the great rorquals, while a team led by Lena Measures is working on marine mammal pathogens.

Universities

For its part, Québec's university network is training several graduate students. Daniel Martineau, at Université de Montréal's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, centres his research on beluga whale pathology. At the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), Michel Fournier carries out research on the beluga whale's immune system.