Sediment analysis is a significant aspect of the environmental monitoring SIMCorp undertakes. Conducting this work in house results in quicker analysis times and more quality controls. In 2011, the SIMCorp Marine Benthic Sediments Laboratory was opened in Halifax at the National Research Council’s Institute for Marine Biosciences. Our lab offered our clients a controlled environment in which to have sediment samples analyzed for redox potential, sulphide concentration, porosity, percent organic matter, and grain size. Our lab was unique in that it allowed us to calibrate sensitive probes, on demand, in a stable environment and using freshly prepared standard solutions.
In 2020, an opportunity presented itself for us to purchase a building on Milltown Boulevard, St. Stephen. The building was extensively renovated, new laboratory equipment was installed, and our lab was moved to New Brunswick. Just down the street from our main office and close to the salmon-farming industry of New Brunswick, the new SIMCorp Environmental Sciences Lab provides a controlled-access space furnished with equipment customized to our needs. Our new location puts us closer to the largest concentration of fish farms in the Maritimes, reducing the need to ship sediment samples and expediting sample analysis with the same attention to detail and the same quality controls as in our old location. The lab in New Brunswick also has a boardroom, allowing the lab personnel to liaise with our clients, field staff, and other professional connections.