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Methane Flux in Barkley Canyon

Overview

It’s hardly been a case of “all play and no work” for Wally the Crawler. Researchers in Germany and Canada have been making heavy use of Wally and the unique data this deep-sea crawler gathers among the gas hydrates outcrops of Barkley Canyon. A recent paper published in the journal [Geophysical Research Letters](http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/) details their recent findings, which have implications for changes we may expect as Earth’s climate warms.

From Sea to Space | Robots Explore Extreme Environments

Overview

Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments (ROBEX) is a programme funded by the Helmholtz Alliance (Germany). The initiative brings together space and deep-sea research. Composed of sixteen institutions from space and marine research in Germany, the programme partners are jointly developing technologies for the exploration of highly inaccessible terrain on earth, such as the deep-sea and Polar Regions, as well as in the outer space (on the Moon and other planets). To maximize success and expand boundaries of remotely controlled missions, research projects of special interest include the development of innovative technologies for energy exchange (loading stations), data transfer and autonomous decision-making.

A two-ship expedition at Barkley Canyon

Overview

**NEWS RELEASE**
Updated July 2, 2015 On 11 January 2015, the link with Ocean Networks Canada’s Barkley Canyon node was lost, halting all data delivery from this site in the Northeast Pacific. Further investigation revealed that a fishing trawling gear had damaged the node and cut off communications to all sensors connected to the Barkley Canyon node.

Barkley Canyon under the microscope

Overview

From submarine canyons to oxygen minimum zones, and from methane seeps to unique gas hydrate mounds, Barkley Canyon offers remarkable biodiversity in a wide range of depths and environments.

Whalebone Experiment in a Minimum Oxygen Zone

Overview

On 15 May, onboard the E/V Nautilus, the remotely operated (ROV), Hercules, dove to Barkley Canyon’s mid-canyon location, where a seafloor camera monitors benthic communities 24/7. With the successful repair, re-deployment and re-connection of the Barkley Node and extension cables earlier this month, we are now able to continue long-term monitoring of seafloor communities and experiments in Barkley Canyon. At this site enrichment and perturbation experiments that began in 2013, examine these unique biological systems, change under varying oceanographic conditions.

Sedimentary principles: marine geology, shrimp fisheries, and the impact of deep sea trawling

Overview

Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) visiting scientist Pere Puig is a marine geologist whose expertise in deep sea sediment dynamics is contributing to our growing understanding of the importance of submarine canyons. And, as the grandson of a shrimp fisherman in northern Spain, Pere’s research is also having a direct influence on Mediterranean fishing practices.

Technologies shine spotlight on climate role of undersea canyons

Overview

Unprecedented high-resolution data from undersea canyons off Vancouver Island’s west coast is bringing new understanding of the importance of these canyons as rapid-transit corridors for carrying carbon from the ocean surface to the deep sea. An international study co-authored by Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) staff scientist and University of Victoria biologist Fabio De Leo uses synchronized real-time data from “Wally” the deep-sea crawler and NASA’s MODIS satellite for the first time to measure carbon transport from the sea surface to the deep ocean by wintertime ocean circulation, canyon rim eddies and downwelling – the sinking of dense, cold water beneath lighter, warmer water. Wintertime phytoplankton blooms observed by MODIS from outer space disappeared from surface waters off the west coast of the Island and reached Wally at 870 metres depth in Barkley Canyon within 12 to 72 hours. > “Data from Wally and MODIS supports that these canyons play an important role in rapidly transferring carbon to the deep sea during winter,” says De Leo. “This new understanding of canyon transport of organic matter, combined with improved carbon budget models, can help climate scientists better predict global warming scenarios.” Understanding the fate of carbon sources around the world is critical for predicting the amount of global warming. De Leo and colleagues showed that in winter, sinking organic carbon - such as dead phytoplankton - is transported from the ocean surface to the deep sea and permanently sequestered in seafloor sediments. Up until now, carbon transfer during winter was presumed to be insignificant in the global carbon cycle compared to spring and summer. With some 9,500 submarine canyons around the world, “these carbon storage numbers add up and could be globally important for Earth’s carbon budget as it relates to climate change,” says De Leo. Wally is equipped with sensors that measure water currents, fluorescence and turbidity and is connected to ONC’s cabled observatory. Remotely controlled via the worldwide web by a research team in Germany, the crawler has an onboard webcam providing detailed views of seafloor sediments and local marine life. NASA’s MODIS satellite measures ocean surface dynamics and tracks changes over time from space. [The study](http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1038/s41598-017-11075-6) was led by scientists and researchers from universities and institutes in Canada, Germany, Spain, Italy and the US, and published in Nature magazine’s [Scientific Reports](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-11075-6) in September. ONC monitors Canada’s three coasts to continuously deliver real-time data for scientific research that helps communities, government and industry make informed decisions about our future. Using cabled ocean observatories, remote control systems, interactive sensors and big-data management, ONC enables evidence-based decision-making on ocean management, disaster mitigation and environmental protection. ONC is a UVic initiative funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Government of Canada, the Government of British Columbia, CANARIE and IBM Canada. **Media contact**
onc-comms@uvic.ca

New research shines a light on the importance of submarine canyons

Overview

We are only beginning to understand the vital role that submarine canyons play in our global ocean. Acting as ‘deep sea gutters’, these biodiversity hotspots trap and concentrate organic matter that serves as food for many marine invertebrates, fish, and marine mammals. While nearly 10,000 submarine canyons have been mapped to date, only 8.5% of them have been studied by the scientific community. In a new volume of research published recently in [Progress in Oceanography](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079661118302520?via%3Dihub), 17 scientific articles describe new discoveries on physical, geological, and biological processes of these incredibly diverse and dynamic seabed topographic features, highlighting the key role submarine canyons play in [‘Bridging the gap between the shallow and deep oceans.’](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079661118302520?via%3Dihub) The majority of this research was presented at the 3rd International Network for Submarine Canyon Investigation and Scientific Exchange (INCISE) Symposium, (Figure 1) hosted in Victoria, British Columbia in July 2016, co-sponsored by Ocean Networks Canada (ONC).

Sea urchins on the move

Overview

NEWS RELEASE New research has uncovered a change in behaviour of deep-sea fragile pink sea urchins off the south coast of Vancouver Island that is linked to climate change impacts including the “[Blob](https://www.oceannetworks.ca/news-and-stories/stories/the-warm-blob-chills-out/)”, a marine heatwave that persisted in the Pacific Ocean off North America between 2013 to 2016. Researchers from the Memorial University, Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) and the University of Victoria (UVic) found pink sea urchins (*Strongylocentrotus fragilis*) have been moving up into shallower waters as food sources and oxygen levels at lower depths decline due to a warming ocean. The research team analyzed seven years of physicochemical and video imagery data (2013-2020) collected at Barkley Canyon Upper Slope within ONC’s [NEPTUNE observatory](https://www.oceannetworks.ca/observatories/physical-infrastructure/cabled-networks/), along with 14 years of Fisheries and Oceans Canada trawl surveys, covering a 760-square kilometre area in the northeast Pacific Ocean. The data from NEPTUNE’s Barkley Canyon Upper Slope platform (depth 396 metres) included video cameras, oxygen sensors, and tools that monitor water currents and water physical properties.

Northern elephant seals use deep-sea research sonar as dinner bell

Overview

NEWS RELEASE Northern elephant seals were repeatedly captured on camera in the deep Pacific Ocean using sonar from an Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) observatory as a dinner bell to forage for their next fish feast, according to a new study by a University of Victoria visiting scientist. The research study published in the peer-reviewed [*PLOS ONE*](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0308461) journal provides a unique first-ever visual glimpse into the elusive mammal’s deep sea underwater behaviours, with a focus on their sophisticated feeding strategies, prey preferences as well as resting habits. Altogether, at least eight male elephant seals, ages four to seven, were observed on camera and detected by hydrophones during multiple visits to the 645-metre-deep research site at Barkley Canyon along [ONC’s subsea cabled observatory](https://www.oceannetworks.ca/observatories/) NEPTUNE off the British Columbia west coast between 2022 and 2023.