Welcome to the NEW homepage of The Atlantic Canada Coastal and Estuarine Science Society (ACCESS). The Society’s membership is composed of: researchers from government, universities and colleges, and industry; graduate and undergraduate students; representatives from non-government organizations; resource managers; and individuals committed to the science of studying and managing coastal and estuarine habitats in Atlantic Canada. The Society’s functions are:

• to promote research in estuarine and coastal waters of Atlantic Canada
• to promote communication on matters related to aquatic science in Atlantic Canada
• to gather and disseminate to Society members and the general public scientific, technical, and other information about estuaries and the coastal zone through meetings, publications, and other forms of communication
• to encourage the teaching of coastal and estuarine science in colleges and universities.

ACCESS is a non-profit organization that is organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes. The Society is an affiliate of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (www.erf.org), an international federation that has seven affiliate societies that encompass all of the coastal regions that border the United States, Canada and Mexico. As an affiliate, ACCESS has representation on the Governing Board of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation. ACCESS has the distinction of being one of the newest affiliate societies as well as the first affiliate that is not principally based in the United States. We have a wide-ranging membership from most of the Atlantic Provinces including Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Quebec. This year (2018) we will be making a special effort to encourage more estuarine and coastal scientists from Newfoundland and Labrador to join ACCESS. 

ACCESS covers the 5 eastern Canadian provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Quebec.