Suncor Energy Fluvarium, Environmental education center in St. John's, Canada

The Suncor Energy Fluvarium is an environmental education centre in St. John's whose lowest level looks into Nagle's Hill Brook through nine large windows, showing deep pool, shallow pool and riffle sections of a diverted tributary of Rennie's River. Brown trout, introduced to Newfoundland in 1884, dominate the brook and enter and leave the viewing section by a fish ladder. Stream-fed aquariums and terrariums hold Atlantic salmon, American eels, Arctic char, wood frogs and green frogs.

The facility opened in 1990 to protect and restore the previously polluted Rennie's River. The project by the Quidi Vidi/Rennie's River Development Foundation aimed to revive this damaged ecosystem.

The center plays an important role in environmental education for school children who participate in salmon breeding programs and learn about river ecosystems here. Visitors can watch young fish being raised in classroom incubators and experience firsthand how science works in practice.

The Fluvarium sits at Long Pond on Nagle's Hill Brook, a tributary of Rennie's River that begins 3 km north at Three Pond Barrens. Over 7.5 km of walking trails, boardwalks and look-out areas run along Rennie's River and around Quidi Vidi Lake. The brook's diverted section is fitted with a fish ladder so fish can enter and leave the viewing windows.

The facility conducts research on fish pigmentation in partnership with the Aquaculture Unit of the Newfoundland and Labrador Institute of Fisheries and Marine Technology. This scientific work helps us understand how fish adapt their appearance to their surroundings.