A brand new $25-million marine research centre opened Monday in Dartmouth, N.S., to co-ordinate the subtle underwater platforms utilized by Canada to collect ocean knowledge.
The Facility for Intelligent Marine Systems brings collectively researchers from Fisheries and Oceans, Natural Resources Canada and Defence Research and Development Canada into one place.
“These researchers will be leading the way in testing new systems to observe Canada’s marine environment,” Dartmouth MP Darren Fisher mentioned on the facility’s official opening.
“They will have an unprecedented opportunity to collaborate, to share ideas, tools, infrastructure in a meaningful way that is sure to benefit everyone involved.”
The case for co-operation
All three federal departments use uncrewed gliders and remotely operated autos for their very own functions: DFO to monitor ocean circumstances, the military to pay attention for pals and adversaries, and Natural Resources for seabed mapping.
The new research centre, positioned on the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, is meant for extra environment friendly use of obtainable equipment.
The Facility for Intelligent Marine Systems opened in Dartmouth on Monday on the Bedford Institute of Oceanography. The facility will co-ordinate the subtle underwater platforms utilized by Canada to collect ocean knowledge. Paul Withers has the story.
“We can put sensors on that measure the ocean as well as, say, acoustic sensors that listen for things that are in the ocean — whether that be whales or ships or other sound sources,” mentioned scientist Clark Richards, a bodily oceanographer at Fisheries and Oceans.
“And then we can not only share the data that comes out of that for our own purposes, but also take advantage of the logistics that are involved and the expertise.”
The facility is just not security-classified, though among the sensors utilized by the military and the knowledge collected could also be restricted.
Mapping ‘our personal yard’
Rear Admiral Josee Kurtz, commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic, mentioned the main target is on seabed mapping “our own backyard” as a altering local weather makes the Arctic more and more accessible.
“It’s really important to partner up with DFO and NRCan [Natural Resources Canada] so that we can continue to monitor that environment and understand it a little bit better,” mentioned Kurtz.
“So that when we, the navy, go up North to establish our presence in defence of our sovereignty, we can do it with the best possible technology either fitted in our ships [or]Â embarked in our ships’ remote equipment that we can leave there, gather information, bring it back, analyze. So that next time we go, our presence there is as assertive as can be.”
‘What occurs within the Arctic does not keep within the Arctic’
Working with Defence Research and Development Canada taking measurements within the Arctic will assist perceive what is going on far to the south on Canada’s East Coast, mentioned Richards.
The outflow from the Arctic Ocean flows into Baffin Bay alongside the Labrador coast across the Grand Banks and onto the Scotian Shelf.
“These changing Arctic conditions are impacting regions further downstream. What happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic,” mentioned Richards.
“We definitely see that more and more as we see less ice. It means more fresh water. That fresh water gets transported, but it’s hard to track where it goes unless you’re actually out there frequently enough to make those measurements.”
DFO Maritimes science director Francine Desharnais cited an upcoming mission within the Gully — a deep canyon and marine protected space off Nova Scotia — for example of collaboration with Natural Resources Canada.
“We work with NRCan and share data. NRCan being interested in the seabed and for us in the ocean ecosystems,” she mentioned.