This summer, Federal scientist Geneviève Tanguay joined the ranks of Ocean Networks Canada’s citizen scientists across the country who are helping to monitor climate impacts and environmental changes in the ocean.
Between July and August 2024, Dr. Tanguay, Canada’s vice-chief science advisor, and her husband, Paul Gaudreau, sailed up the St. Lawrence River into the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, and along the Atlantic Coast of Canada, collecting oceanographic data, and expanding the data set shared through ONC’s Community Fishers Program — a citizen scientist initiative on the three coasts of Canada.
Dr. Tanguay collected data on seawater temperature, oxygen, and salinity levels at different depths in the St. Lawrence and coastal regions, contributing to efforts to monitor changes in ocean conditions that can affect ocean health and marine habitat.
Climate changes have significant effects on the waters of the Saint-Lawrence river, estuary and gulf ecosystem. The increase in water temperature and the lower oxygen content have reduced the availability of zooplankton and the overall biomass which in turn threatens the livelihood of the inhabitants. My husband and I were happy to bring more light on this phenomenon. – Dr. Geneviève Tanguay, vice-chief science advisor, Government of Canada
Dr. Tanguay and Gaudreau’s travel route and approximate sampling locations.
Ahead of her journey, Dr. Tanguay and her husband received Community Fishers Program training from ONC staff, and was equipped with a CTD, an oceanographic instrument that measures seawater salinity (conductivity) and temperature relative to depth. The CTD is paired with the ONC Community Fishers app that enables easy instrument operation and data transfer to ONC’s free, open data management portal, Oceans 3.0. Check out Dr. Tanguay’s data here.
As we navigate the St. Lawrence River, estuary, and gulf, as well as the Atlantic East Coast, we can also collect data points that may prove useful for scientists or communities today or in the future. These data points can aid in site selection for further studies, adding our grain of sand to the scientific endeavour. ONC‘s team in Victoria supported us with advice and monitored our data to ensure it was as accurate and useful as possible. It is a joy to contribute to this project. – Dr. Geneviève Tanguay, vice-chief science advisor, Government of Canada
Daniela Loock, ONC’s director of engagement and knowledge mobilization warmly welcomes Dr. Tanguay’s contribution to ocean monitoring, noting that her data points will add to the growing knowledge of this important waterway, alongside the valued efforts of Community Fishers around the country in monitoring ocean health.
She says Tanguay’s valued efforts may open the door for the expansion of ONC’s ocean monitoring capacity.
“Dr. Tanguay’s oceanographic voyage served as a pilot for ONC to test new tools to support “vessels of opportunity” where ONC trains and equips scientists and other boat operators to collect data in areas not visited as part of regular sampling programs.” Loock says. “Having more spatial coverage of ocean data will help scientists and communities understand environmental impacts from climate change.”
This pilot program uses the framework of ONC’s Community Fishers Program where partners are monitoring – by boat or snowmobile – their local ocean conditions and marine habitat at more than 350 sampling sites on all three coasts of Canada.
Many communities share their data through the open Oceans 3.0 data portal with ownership and control retained through data agreements. The data collected by Community Fishers provide important baseline data on ocean conditions and how they are changing, and can be used to inform decision-making.
ONC works with coastal communities, Indigenous governments, and organizations across Canada to co-develop ocean monitoring initiatives that meet local needs, support ocean health, and advance Indigenous ocean science leadership.
