Retired professor of Marine Biology from the University of New Brunswick, Dr. Thierry Chopin has passed away. He was announced dead in a social publication that read “Deeply heartbroken by the loss of an amazing mentor and friend, Thierry Chopin. I’m grateful for the laughs and great times and discussions we shared since I met him and became his student in 2019. I’ll certainly carry forward all of our discussions and dreams every day.”
Who was Thierry Chopin?
Thierry B.R. Chopin was a phycologist and professor of aquaculture at the University of New Brunswick, Saint John. His body of work and knowledge is well-respected around the world. His enthusiasm for educating people about Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture even resulted in a dance interpretation of it performed at the Imperial Theatre in 2011.
Known around the world as the Father of Seaweed Aquaculture, his passion was unmatched. Thierry’s enthusiasm for life was infectious and his academic achievements unmatched with numerous awards and accolades. He just retired and has been posting about his cottage on PEI.
About Thierry Chopin
Dr. Thierry Chopin was born and educated in France. He obtained his Doctorate from the University of Western Brittany, Brest, France. He moved to Canada in 1989 and is presently Professor in the Biology Department at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John. Dr. Chopin was originally an ecophysiologist and biochemist working on the relationship between nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) and the production of phycocolloids, such as carrageenans, in seaweeds of commercial value both in controlled culture conditions and natural beds.
He became interested in aquaculture when he realized that the significant amount of inorganic nutrients and organic particles generated by fed finfish (salmon) aquaculture could be used to enhance the cultivation of extractive species, such as seaweeds (kelps) and shellfish (mussels), through the development of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) systems providing environmental sustainability, economic diversification and social acceptability for the aquaculture sector within the broader perspective of responsible coastal zone management.
In 2001, Dr. Chopin became the Principal Investigator of an inter-disciplinary project funded by AquaNet, the Canadian Network of Centres of Excellence for Aquaculture, which was entitled “Development of integrated aquaculture (fish/shellfish/seaweed) for environmentally and economically-balanced diversification and social acceptability”.
