The University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is making its first foray into the Arctic, just as the sea ice extent is setting a new record low.
The observatory has been granted a five-year research license from the Nunavut Research Institute for a cabled seafloor observatory system and surface weather station in the coastal hamlet of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. The community observatory, using technologies developed by UVic’s VENUS and NEPTUNE observatories, intends to provide year-round, near real-time undersea monitoring of the northern environment, and to make research data available to the community for educational and other purposes.
Alerts
SHOWING 10 RESULTS
Showing matches for "community observatories"
Community Observatory Keeps Eye on Arctic Sea Ice
Overview
Smart Ocean™ Systems update: ONC on track for five new observatory sites along BC's coast
Overview
**NEWS RELEASE**
VICTORIA, B.C. - Now in its second year of funding, the Ocean Networks Canada Smart Ocean™ Systems initiative is making significant progress with plans to install new ocean monitoring stations along the British Columbia coast as far north as Prince Rupert.
Introducing Campbell River's new observatory
Overview
**Campbell River - Kwakwaka'wakw / Coast Salish Territory Community Observatory: a first for Smart Ocean™ Systems**
*by Mercedes McLean, Maia Hoeberechts and Jessica Brown*
Despite the gale force winds, our Learning team braved the weather and drove up to Campbell River to host an information session and celebrate the installation of the Campbell River - Kwakwaka'wakw / Coast Salish Territory Community Observatory in the new Discovery Passage Explorer Lab at Discovery Pier. As we passed Nanaimo and the winds picked up, we opened the new Campbell River website portal from our car to monitor the deteriorating weather conditions.
This event was an exciting opportunity to share information about the different components of this observatory (shore station, underwater platform, AIS antenna, and WaMoS radar system) with the community of Campbell River. We ventured outside to show attendees the already installed instruments on the pier and at the [Maritime Heritage Centre](http://www.maritimeheritagecentre.ca/).
The centre hosts the community observatory servers which receive the data from the shore station and underwater instruments, and then relay them back to UVIC. We were thrilled to have such a variety of attendees from ocean enthusiasts—city councilors and local volunteers, to educators and students—all in attendance for a fun day of learning about this new ocean instrumentation. A big shout-out and thanks to Mark Wunsch and the SeaLife Society for hosting us in their great new space.
Josh Chernov from [Ocean Dynamics](http://www.oceandynamics.ca/) enthusiastically explained the specifics of the community observatory deployment using a small, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and also what it’s like to be an ROV pilot. Thank you, Josh, for bringing the ROV for everyone to see!
Grade 11 biology students from Timberline High School had the opportunity to see firsthand what some of the observatory instruments look like, how they work, and why they are important. They explored how to sample ocean water with a combined conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) instrument. Then they learned how these ocean parameters can contribute to a better understanding of local ocean environments, and even global ocean circulation.
Community members were keen to learn how this new instrumentation will benefit the community of Campbell River and complement existing ocean monitoring in the region. The newly installed sensors will support smart decisions, based on sound science, about local management of marine resources and use of the ocean. The data being collected are available to anyone who wants to better understand the Campbell River marine environment and are freely accessible over the internet.
This event was just the beginning of ocean data exploration through ONC’s [Ocean Sense](https://www.oceannetworks.ca/learning/youth-programs-k-12/ocean-sense-program/) program and the first community observatory in a series of new installations along the British Columbia coast. We’re looking forward to participating in upcoming community events, collaborating with other organizations interested in ocean monitoring, and continuing to share ocean science with everyone in Campbell River.
For more information about ONC’s community observatories: contact Maia Hoeberechts, Associate Director, User Services.
New ocean observatory and radar for Prince Rupert
Overview
Today, Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) completed installation of a community ocean observatory and two land-based high-frequency radar stations within Ts’msyen Territory at Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Similar observatories were installed at Kitamaat Village and Campbell River.
Located on Digby Island near the Prince Rupert airport, the new community observatory includes an underwater cabled seafloor platform equipped with a live-streaming video camera, instruments that measure local water quality, and a hydrophone that records the underwater sounds of whales and the noise caused by ships. On shore, a weather station and above-ground video camera tracks environmental conditions 24/7.
Monitoring the surface waters nearby, a new high-frequency land-based radar system provides data on sea surface currents and a co-located automatic identification system (AIS) antenna tracks ships in Chatham Sound.
Further south, a second radar installation at Ridley Island provides two additional complementary radar systems—one to work with the Digby Island radar to extend coverage of the region’s sea surface currents, and another to measure waves, within a shorter range.
Automatic identification system antennas at both Digby and Ridley Island also track large ships in the region.
All of the observatory data are streaming to a shore station in the village and from there, to Oceans 2.0, ONC’s advanced data management system. Data are freely available for viewing through the ONC website.
An initiative of the University of Victoria, Ocean Networks Canada operates world-leading cabled observatories in the northeast Pacific Ocean and Arctic Ocean. In 2014, ONC’s Smart Ocean™ Systems received funding from [Western Economic Diversification](http://www.wd.gc.ca/eng/home.asp) to install [a number of ocean observatories](http://communications.uvic.ca/releases/release.php?display=release&id=1415) along the British Columbia coast.
By continuously collecting, archiving and delivering data from the ocean, these observatories provide information that will help make informed decisions about earthquakes and tsunamis, climate change, coastal management, conservation and marine safety.
Cambridge Bay observatory monitors Arctic ocean health and safety
Overview
As shrinking sea ice ushers in a new era for arctic tourism, Ocean Networks Canada’s (ONC) newly expanded Cambridge Bay observatory becomes a vital tool for monitoring ocean health and marine safety.
Cambridge Bay at the crossroads of history and climate science (2016)
Overview
In late summer 2016, Cambridge Bay, Nunavut found itself at the centre of an arctic crossroads of sorts: a pivotal meeting place where ice-bound history is melting into climate science. A week after the first luxury cruise ship sailed through a virtually ice-free Northwest Passage and anchored in Cambridge Bay, the wreck of Franklin’s ship The Terror—abandoned in 1845 due to impenetrable sea-ice—was finally discovered in Terror Bay, just 200 km east.
The coincidence in time and place of these two iconic voyages poignantly highlights how quickly the arctic climate is changing, the need to monitor these changes, and the growing importance of Cambridge Bay as an emerging arctic hub.
Ocean Networks co-op student improves thermodynamic sea-ice model
Overview
Undergraduate student, Ada Loewen, just completed her co-op term at Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) as part of her combined University of Victoria degree in physics and ocean sciences. Using data from the Cambridge Bay observatory, Ada improved a one-dimensional thermodynamic sea-ice model funded through ONC’s [Safe Passage](https://www.oceannetworks.ca/news-and-stories/stories/sea-ice-research-and-its-benefits/) project with Polar Knowledge Canada.
A first anniversary for British Columbia’s community observatories
Overview
Coastal communities are facing a variety of rapid environmental changes. Real-time data from cabled observatories can be used by community members to make informed decisions about their coastal and marine resources.
In March 2016, Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) continued to push the innovation envelope by deploying three community observatories along the British Columbia coast: in Campbell River, Kitamaat Village, and Prince Rupert (Figure 1). After a year in operation, this first anniversary review celebrates the successes, challenges, and future for ONC’s community observatories.
A viral sensation: hungry sea urchins keep Campbell River observatory clean
Overview
When Ocean Networks Canada’s (ONC) marine operations team hauled out the Campbell River community observatory for its annual maintenance, they were in for a surprise. A herd of sea urchins had made the platform their home and were earning their keep by feeding on the marine debris that normally accumulates on underwater infrastructure, aka biofouling.
ONC’s field services manager Paul Macoun [tweeted a photo](https://twitter.com/PaulMacoun/status/958428562855362560) and it’s gone viral, finding an audience with both the ocean tech community, and Star Trek fans. Sea urchins bear an uncanny resemblance to tribbles, the cute fuzzy balls that ran amok on the Starship Enterprise in a memorable 1960’s episode called [“The Trouble with Tribbles”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trouble_with_Tribbles) (Figure 1).Recovered instrument platform, still clean after a year at 8 m depth thanks to a swarm of hungry sea urchins #biofouling @Ocean_Networks pic.twitter.com/y7smI5dVim
— Paul Macoun (@PaulMacoun) January 30, 2018
Helping remote coastal communities to #knowtheocean
Overview
Since 2012, Ocean Networks Canada’s (ONC) community observatories in the Arctic and along the British Columbia coast have delivered high-tech ocean monitoring solutions directly into the hands of coastal communities.
Stay up to date with ONC
Subscribe
Ocean-Climate Building University of Victoria
#100, 2474 Arbutus Road, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8N 1V8
info@oceannetworks.ca+1 (250) 472-5400Marine Technology Centre University of Victoria
#106, 9865 West Saanich Road, North Saanich, BC, Canada, V8L 5Y8
info@oceannetworks.ca+1 (250) 472-5400@ 2025 Ocean Networks Canada. All rights reserved.