A generous gift from Ross Beaty and his family will help create a facility that engages the community and sheds light on the marine biodiversity crisis.

By Kenneth Conrad | For Giving Power

The Steele Ocean Sciences Building has served as a hub for ocean research at Dalhousie since it opened a decade ago. Now, an $8.2-million gift from entrepreneur and conservationist Ross Beaty and his family sets the stage for its further evolution by creating a cutting-edge educational space for the community as well.

The building will soon host the Beaty Centre of Marine Biodiversity, a first-of-its-kind interactive ocean research and discovery centre made possible through a transformative gift from the Beaty family.

Faculty of Science Dean Dr. Chuck Macdonald (BSc’94, PhD’98) says the Beaty Centre will educate audiences on both the challenges facing marine ecosystems and the importance of our oceans.

“The Beaty Centre for Marine Biodiversity will be a fantastic facility for Dalhousie to engage with the many communities of which we are a part,” he says. “It will provide a highly engaging and interactive experience that demonstrates how Dalhousie’s world-leading research, teaching and training are advancing understanding about the critical issue of marine biodiversity. It will also inspire people to think about what they can do to help protect the ocean, its species, and its delicate ecosystems.”

Exploring marine biodiversity

Beaty, who previously supported the development of a biodiversity research centre at the University of British Columbia (UBC), says he was intrigued by the chance to establish a marine-focused centre on the opposite coast and shine a light on the changing ocean environment.

“The ocean is under threat – we just can’t see it as clearly as we can on land,” says Beaty, noting the space will serve as a tool to inform, educate, and make people aware of the marine biodiversity crisis. “We’re losing species at an alarming rate because humans have too heavy a footprint.”

He mentions the support of his family on this project while pointing out their connection to the ocean: his wife is a marine biologist and his daughter recently graduated with a PhD in marine biology from UBC.

“This is very near and dear to our hearts,” Beaty says. “I’m proud to be linked with Dalhousie on this project and I look forward to bringing my family back here to visit when it opens.”

Inspiring the next generation of ocean researchers

The Beaty Centre for Marine Biodiversity will feature two floors of exhibits developed in collaboration with Discovery Centre International to engage youth and visitors from inside and outside Dalhousie on today’s most pressing marine biodiversity issues. Planned exhibits include a life-sized kelp forest, a climate change sphere, educational displays of species facing extinction, and aquaria filled with the diverse plant and animal life found off the coast of Nova Scotia.

A blue whale skeleton suspended from the building’s atrium will serve as a show-stopping focal point of entry into the centre. The display was previously announced as part of Dive In: The Blue Whale Project.

Construction of the Beaty Centre is scheduled to begin in January 2024, with an expected opening in early 2025.