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#ONCabyss Summer 2023 Expedition Recap

Overview

During this seventh year of partnership, Ocean Networks Canada and Ocean Exploration Trust embarked on a 24-day expedition (June 25 to July 18) aboard E/V *Nautilus* to maintain and explore ONC's 800+ kilometre cabled, ocean floor observatory NEPTUNE. Experience deep-sea discovery in the Pacific Northeast at depths of up to 2,660 metres through science and technology highlights from the 2023 #ONCAbyss Summer Expedition.

2023 #ONCabyss Fall Expedition Recap

Overview

Explore highlights from ONC’s deep-sea fall expedition, including video streamed from the abyss by remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Odysseus. Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) partnered with Pelagic Research Services for the last #ONCabyss voyage of 2023. This 14-day expedition onboard the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) *John P. Tully* took viewers off-shore and to depths of up to 2.6 kilometres to maintain the 800+ kilometre underwater cabled NEPTUNE observatory, located off the west coast of Vancouver Island. Exciting deployments included a new research project aimed at combating climate change. Come aboard and find out more! ONC is supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Government of Canada, University of Victoria and Government of British Columbia.

#ONCabyss Spring 2024 Expedition Recap

Overview

Explore highlights from the first #ONCabyss expedition of 2024, onboard the Canadian Coast Guard vessel, *John P. Tully* from March 9 to 17. Working like a well-oiled machine, Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), Tidewater Canada, and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCGS) started mobilizing the *John P. Tully* on Saturday, March 9 for the seven-day #ONCabyss expedition to maintain ONC’s Victoria Experimental Network Under the Sea (VENUS) observatory sites. ONC is supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Government of Canada, University of Victoria and Government of British Columbia.

Delta Dynamics Lab completes final tour of duty

Overview

The Delta Dynamics Lab (DDL), maintained and operated by Ocean Networks Canada, has headed for a well-earned retirement after 21 successful deployments in the Fraser River Delta. The submarine observatory contributed to federal public safety programs related to natural hazards by providing a clearer understanding of the impact of the massive turbidity currents occurring in this region. The final hoisting of the two-tonne custom-built structure during the [Spring 2024 #ONCabyss expedition](https://www.oceannetworks.ca/news-and-stories/stories/oncabyss-spring-2024-expedition-recap/) caps a 16-year joint geohazard investigation between ONC and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) at the mouth of British Columbia’s longest river. Here, a nine-kilometre-wide intertidal mudflat off the coast of Metro Vancouver meets a sloping delta front that extends into the Strait of Georgia. The initiative led by Drs. Gwyn Lintern and Philip Hill, NRCan research scientists and principal investigators for the DDL project, delivered unprecedented near year-round data capturing many of the unique delta processes such as sediment plume dynamics, underwater landslides, and the transfer of land-based sediment to the deep Salish Sea through turbidity currents. The scale of the sediment transfer is significant. NRCan worked closely with UK researchers who have calculated that a single offshore turbidity current can move more sediment into the deep ocean than all the planet’s rivers combined. The Fraser River itself deposits over seven million tons of sediment annually during the spring freshet between May and June.

#ONCabyss Summer 2024 Expedition Recap

Overview

Explore highlights from the #ONCabyss summer 2024 expedition, onboard Ocean Exploration Trust's exploration vessel, *Nautilus* from June 6 to 27. This 21-day expedition marked the eighth year of partnership between ONC and Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) to service and maintain the North East Pacific Time-series Undersea Networked Experiments ( NEPTUNE ) observatory located off the British Columbia coast. ONC is supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Government of Canada, University of Victoria and Government of British Columbia.

#ONCabyss Fall 2024 Expedition Recap

Overview

Explore highlights from the #ONCabyss Fall 2024 expedition, onboard Canpac Marine Service's vessel, *Canpac Valour* from October 4 to 12. Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) and Canpac Marine Services completed maintenance on ONC’s 800-km subsea cabled observatory, NEPTUNE (North-East Pacific Time-series Undersea Networked Experiments), off the west coast of Vancouver Island, and visited an inshore ONC observatory in Saanich Inlet. The expedition was the first trial in the deep ocean for Canpac Marine’s new remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that is purpose-built for science. It features 11 high resolution cameras and 300,000 lumens of light, exceptional manipulator dexterity to support scientific operations and sampling even kilometres below the surface, advanced telemetry for transmitting data, and precise navigation.