Reversed logos Vertical Vertical logo PMS 634U reversed from black OCEAN NETWORKS CANADA EXPLORATION • INNOVATION • ACTION FOR A CHANGING PLANET A UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA INITIATIVE Vertical logo black reversed from black Vertical logo PMS 634U reversed from PMS 634U LEADING THE WORLD Transforming ocean research and addressing ocean change INNOVATIVE OCEAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Competitive advantage At the forefront Canada’s two world-leading ocean observatories are changing the way we study the oceans and VENUS and NEPTUNE Canada are the focus Opportunities—Providing creating unprecedented opportunities for commercialization, public engagement and applications to of international attention as other countries international leadership in ocean priority areas of public policy. develop similar ocean observation systems. science and technology, Ocean Canada is leading the world in this field and Networks Canada(ONC) manages and The VENUS and NEPTUNE Canada observatories, developed and managed by Ocean Networks currently has the competitive advantage. develops the VENUS and NEPTUNE Canada (ONC), use innovative engineering, data communication and sensor technologies to gather Canada ocean observatories as continuous real-time data and images from the ocean depths. Working with national and international national facilities globally accessed partners, the two observatories are by scientists, government, industry Key features of both observatories are: creating new economic opportunities for and the public. • Powered fibre-optic cable laid along the seafloor, connecting key scientific sites Canada in marine technology, fibre-optic communications, power systems design, Excellence—Funded by the • Seafloor nodes supplying power and two-way communications data management, and sensors and robotics. Canada Foundation for Innovation, • Multiple scientific instruments and sensors Indirect benefits are expected in the subsea the BC Government, the Networks • A sophisticated data management and observatory control system technology, communications, policy, education of Centres of Excellence, NSERC For the first time, land-based scientists from St. John’s to Victoria and around the world can conduct and tourism sectors. and other partners, the VENUS, offshore and deep sea experiments remotely. Via the Internet, they can respond instantly to events NEPTUNE Canada and ONC Centre As a federal centre of excellence in such as earthquakes, tsunamis, fish migrations, plankton blooms, storms and volcanic activity. for Enterprise and Engagement commercialization and research, the ONC programs have been peer-reviewed Their long-term observations will inform public policy in areas such as climate change, natural Centre for Enterprise and Engagement is and awarded the highest marks for hazard mitigation, resource management and national security. accelerating these commercial and outreach excellence and innovation. Attracting opportunities for the benefit of industry and international attention, the The shared data management system offers unprecedented access to long-term ocean observations. the public. observatories are a model for new This ever-expanding archive is an invaluable and lasting resource for scientists, policy-makers, systems in other countries, giving educators and students everywhere. Canada a competitive advantage and leadership role in this field. Partnerships— Collaborations with industry, institutions and government are key to the development and success of ONC and essential for meeting its goals of supporting research excellence and promoting economic, environmental and social benefits. Far Right: SeaWiFS 3CO photo (NASA) Left: Dungeness Crab & shrimp (VENUS) Right: Undersea installations (NEPTUNE Canada/CSSF) Coverpage: Internet-operated crawler studies gas hydrates at Barkley Canyon (NEPTUNE Canada/Jacobs University) 2 3 Reversed logos Vertical OCEAN NETWORKS Vertical logo PMS 634U CANADA Exploration, innovation and action for a changing planet reversed Ocean Networks Canada from black www.oceannetworks.ca NEW GENERATION OF OCEAN OBSERVATION SYSTEMS Strategic objectives Understanding the oceans has never been so critical to our national and global futures. Global ONC’s mandate warming, acidification, and oxygen depletion are seriously threatening the health of our oceans. Sea- Supporting transformative science and technology — Playing a key role in advancing science and technology, working level rise, seismic events and tsunamis pose major risks to coastal populations. Canada and the rest of with government, agencies and other partners to secure funding required to sustain and develop the research capacity of the NEPTUNE Research—Supporting innovative the world are in urgent need of new research tools for monitoring ocean change, improving the health Canada and VENUS observatories. undersea cabled observatories and of marine ecosystems, and mitigating the risks from ocean-related hazards. — Providing an unprecedented evidence base to inform high-priority public policy issues, including ocean- enhancing oceans-based research Informing public policy Transformative science climate dynamics, natural hazard mitigation, marine biodiversity, resource management, and maritime security. capacity in Canadian Universities. Cabled ocean observatories are transforming the way we study and understand the oceans. The VENUS — Working with private sector partners to generate commercial opportunities and Education—Informing public Creating commercial opportunities and NEPTUNE Canada observatories put Canada at the forefront of this new generation of technologies economic benefits for Canada in the areas of sensors and instruments, ocean observing system technologies, oceans-related information policies on major ocean issues and which bring power and the Internet to the ocean allowing global access to continuous data in real- and communications technology, as well as, public outreach and communications. advancing public education and time. The observatories open up exciting new avenues for science, inform vital issues for public policy, disseminating research results. create commercial opportunities for innovative technology development, and allow the public of all Promoting public engagement — Supporting the translation of vast data streams from the observatories into products and services of value and interest to lay audiences in schools, colleges and universities, in science centres, aquaria and museums through the Collaboration—Working ages to engage with the ocean through the Internet. Internet and beyond. with other research organizations Global vision nationally and internationally, as well Demonstrating best practices in governance and management — Adopting best practices in governance and as promoting academic, governmental Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) was established in 2007 to build and sustain Canada’s leadership in management at all levels within the organization to fully capitalize on the major investment in the capital and operating costs of the and industry cooperation to further ocean science and technology through the VENUS and NEPTUNE Canada ocean observatories. ONC’s observatories. Vertical logo ocean research. vision is to position Canada as an international leader in ocean observing system research and to black maximize the associated economic and social benefits for Canada and its international partners. reversed ONC is governed by a board of directors made up of respected leaders from Canadian and U.S. from black universities, provincial and federal governments, and industry. Both observatories involve national consortia of university, government and private sector partners led by the University of Victoria. Left: VENUS engineer tests the HD Camera (VENUS/ NEPTUNE Canada) Right: NEPTUNE Canada installations (NEPTUNE Canada/CSSF) 4 5 Vertical logo PMS 634U reversed from PMS 634U VENUS The ocean online, real time, any time VENUS timeline At THE LEADING EDGE 2006 2008 2009 2010 Saanich Inlet array Strait of Georgia All instruments Expansion to VENUS (the Victoria Experimental Network Under the Sea) is a trailblazer in subsea technology delivers data array delivers data installed & roving platforms development. Built using the expertise of Canadian industry, VENUS is a showcase of Canada’s excellence VENUS is delivering now research flowing in ocean science and technology. VENUS began operations in Saanich Inlet in June 2006 and in the Strait of Georgia in www.venus.uvic.ca VENUS takes explorers into the depths of our coastal ocean to discover, experience and study. It is the Strait of Georgia Vancouver world’s first operational subsea laboratory, offering all users an open portal to interact with the ocean— 2008. To remain a technological leader, to in real time, any time, through the Internet. keep Canadian researchers competitive, and to maintain Canadian industry at the leading Sharing the discoveries Key features of the VENUS observatory edge, VENUS is now funded to instrument the Salish Sea from surface to seafloor. Need—The ocean is an alien • two separate arrays of powered fibre optic cable, totaling 44 km world to humans, yet is a source of • three 2.5-tonne undersea nodes built by a Vancouver company As the first of its kind in the world, VENUS inspiration for young and old. How do • more than 50 instruments and sensors has proven the fundamental concepts we remove the barrier? • a data management and archive system (shared with NEPTUNE Canada) and technology for cabled observatories, including interactive remote control