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Spring Bloom Observed in Ferry Data

Overview

The biological transition from winter to spring conditions in the Strait of Georgia is characterized by a spring phytoplankton bloom. Inter-annual timing of this phytoplankton bloom can vary by up to 6 weeks (Collins et al. 2009). This broad time range introduces the potential for a mismatch in the timing of the major annual period of zooplankton productivity in the Strait, which can in turn, influence the productivity of higher trophic levels such as fish and sea birds. Understanding the dominant factors influencing the timing of the bloom is therefore the subject of considerable interest (Collins et al. 2009; Allen & Wolfe 2013; Gower et al. 2013).

Second BC Ferry Data Now Available

Overview

Ocean Networks Canada’s Strait of Georgia ferry monitoring program officially expanded operations to a second ferry, the Spirit of Vancouver Island, in October 2014. This ferry, part of [BC Ferries](http://www.bcferries.com/) fleet, connects Vancouver Island and the mainland transiting between Victoria, BC, and Vancouver, BC.The main oceanographic interest of this route is that the ferry travels through more saline, oceanic conditions on the western part of the route through to fresher Fraser River influenced waters on the eastern part of the route. The data collected along the way continues the long-term time series initiative established by Dr. Jim Gower (Fisheries and Oceans Canada). The ferry is instrumented to make high-resolution measurements (every 10 seconds) of sea surface and meteorological properties along its route and complements the same set of measurements made by another ferry, M/V Queen of Alberni, which travels between Nanaimo, BC, and Vancouver, BC. As with the Queen of Alberni measurements, all data collected by instruments aboard the Spirit of Vancouver Island are available online in near real time. The increased coverage gained with the addition of a southern ferry route improves the spatial and temporal resolution of a variety of physical and biological processes including river plume dynamics and the development of the spring phytoplankton bloom. The Spirit of Vancouver Island is now included in the regular maintenance and instrument calibration program started for the M/V Queen Alberni in early 2014. An important aspect of this program is to maintain data quality and ensure that the two ferry systems are comparable. A graduate student of Dr. Rich Pawlowicz (University of British Columbia), Chuning Wang, prepared a report comparing sea-surface properties for both vessels in early October 2014 and found good agreement for most measurements; however, some discrepancy for dissolved oxygen was identified and we are currently in the process of resolving these differences.

A conversation with Jim Gower - B.C. ferry data pioneer

Overview

![Jim Gower PORSEC 2_0.jpg](https://cdn.onc-prod.intergalactic.space/Jim_Gower_PORSEC_2_0_1421b10ad1.jpg) **Q. What inspired you to choose your path in physical oceanography?** I was an assistant professor in radio astronomy at the University of British Columbia (UBC) when asked if I was interested in being a “Satellite Oceanographer” for a new Federal ocean institute on the west coast—the equivalent of the Bedford Institute on the east coast. **Q. How would you describe your research interests?** My specialty since then has been the use of satellites and other “remote sensing” methods in oceanography. Water colour and chlorophyll fluorescence have long been a central interest, but I’ve also worked on altimetry, imaging radar and other satellite, aircraft and land-based sensors. **Q. Why is it important to study our local waters in the Strait of Georgia?** I was a member of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) team for ocean color and also on the European Space Agency (ESA) team for the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) sensor, which was based on our design. It was very satisfying to see and describe events round the world that had previously passed undetected. But local waters have the attraction of being where we can make our own in-situ measurements, or better yet, have someone else, like ONC, make them for us. **Q. How did you come to use the BC ferries to collect your data?** While MERIS was operating, ESA stored a data set for us covering the Gulf Islands and Strait of Georgia. The BC ferries data help us interpret what the satellites see. I started installing instruments around 2000 on the MV *Spirit of Vancouver Island* (SOVI). It was the only practical ferry for us, as it’s based at Swartz Bay, close to the Institute for Ocean Sciences (IOS).

Ocean Networks Canada teams up with BC Ferries to monitor Canada’s busiest waterway

Overview

NEWS RELEASE VICTORIA, B.C. — The University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) has expanded its world-class ocean observatories to include data collected from three BC Ferries. With instrumentation in the ferries’ hull and a weather station on deck, scientists can now observe ocean surface properties continuously while the ferries transit the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver and Vancouver Island. The strait is a vital waterway to understand. Not only is it Canada’s busiest trade route, it’s home to the world’s largest commercial salmon fishery, important habitat for herring to spawn and grow, and one of the largest overwintering areas for waterfowl in Canada. It is also a waterway influenced by tides, current and the Fraser River system, which during spring run off, delivers as much as 10,000 cubic metres of fresh water full of fresh silty water into the Strait, in a plume that can cover 10 sq km—a phenomenon visible from the [space station](http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=85028). “With all three ferry crossings in place, ONC now offers a comprehensive overview of the surface waters of this important body of water,” says Kate Moran, ONC’s president and CEO. “These continuous data are of great interest to scientists in multi-disciplinary studies that span from the dynamic seafloor, currents, waves, and life in the sea.” ONC’s expansion into BC Ferries, initiated in 2010, is a technological collaboration. The water monitoring system built into the hulls mid-ship measures surface water properties such as oxygen, temperature, salinity, turbidity, and chlorophyll. A weather station, combined with communications equipment, is mounted on the upper decks and together they capture high-resolution measurements of sea surface and atmospheric conditions every 10 seconds. Data are transmitted over the cellular network and are freely available in real time, via ONC’s website. The three ferries instrumented are the Queen of Oak Bay (July 2015) the Spirit of Vancouver Island (October 2014) and the Queen of Alberni (May 2012). “As part of our environmental program, BC Ferries is proud to support ONC in its collection of valuable data to better understand the Strait of Georgia where we operate,” says Mark Wilson, BC Ferries’ vice-president of engineering.

ONC now monitors Strait of Georgia with three BC Ferries

Overview

Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) recently expanded its world-class ocean observatories to include data collected from three BC Ferries. With instrumentation in the ferries’ hull and a weather station on deck, scientists can now observe ocean surface properties continuously while the ferries transit the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Read the news release: [ONC teams up with BC Ferries to monitor Canada's busiest waterway](https://www.oceannetworks.ca/news-and-stories/stories/ocean-networks-canada-teams-up-with-bc-ferries-to-monitor-canadas-busiest-waterway/).

Observing Seasonal Marine Changes with BC Ferries

Overview

# BC Ferries takes a closer look at the 2016 spring bloom in the Strait of Georgia Every year, March brings two kinds of spring blooms to the temperate British Columbia coast: one involves an annual flower count, which is the envy of the country; the other turns the Salish Sea green with an explosion of marine productivity. BC Ferries plays an important role on both counts, bringing visitors across the Strait of Georgia to enjoy the Island’s blossoms while simultaneously hosting Ocean Networks Canada’s (ONC) instruments that collect marine data in the Strait of Georgia. ONC measures ocean properties at the sea surface using advanced instruments installed onboard three ferry routes. The route from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay was instrumented in July 2015, making 2016 the first year all three ferries captured the start and progression of the spring phytoplankton bloom, as measured by chlorophyll concentration and fluorescence (Gower et al, 2013). The timing and extent of the spring bloom is thought to have a significant influence on the food web in the entire Strait of Georgia ecosystem, making these detailed data essential for truly capturing the spring bloom. The increased geographic coverage enabled by the ferries, along with measurements taken continuously as they sail, helps to magnify our understanding of this annual event.

Partnering to Expand Ocean Networks' Reach from Sea to Sky

Overview

Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is partnering with researchers and organizations to add critical ocean sensors from sea to sky. # Using light to understand our ocean ONC and [Dr. Maycira Costa](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNKREBAK1Zk) of the University of Victoria (UVic) are working together to install a ferry-based sensor system focused on the calibration of satellite data for ocean health monitoring.