Smart Integrated Ocean Sensors Project – Projet de capteurs intelligents intégrés pour l’océan
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster Announces $3.6M Advancing Smart Integrated Ocean Sensors Project
One of Three Accelerated Ocean Solutions Program Projects Announced on Feb. 17
The ocean industry is challenged with a need to improve measurements of ocean health using autonomous platforms to broaden observational coverage and reduce the number of people on research vessels. Following the pandemic, the need to enhance autonomous measurements and reduce people will be accelerated. The new sensors developed within the Advancing Smart Integrated Ocean Sensors Project will reduce power, lower costs, enable better system integration, and improve measurements with higher stability and data quality protocols.
With a total project value of $3.6 million, the Ocean Supercluster will provide $2 million in funding for the project, with the balance coming from industry partners. Led by RBR, the project will partner with world-class scientists across Canada at Dalhousie University and Fisheries and Oceans Canada to define and develop new autonomous sensor technology and data quality control in oceans.
The Advancing Smart Integrated Ocean Sensors Project will solve key challenges in the ocean sector related to integrating environmental monitoring sensors into the ocean’s autonomous platforms, creating global commercial opportunities for OSC members. Project partners will benefit from improved sensor performance and lower costs, access to built-in-Canada and supported-in-Canada sensors and platforms, and public-private partnerships that provide work and collaboration experiences to a diverse group of scientists and students.
Quotes
“The Ocean Supercluster is changing the way business is done and positioning Canada as a global leader in the ocean economy. Through innovative projects like the ones announced today, Canada’s Superclusters are clearly succeeding in fostering stronger connections across the innovation ecosystem and creating real benefits for Canadians.” – The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
“Monitoring the ocean ecosystem is critical to how we tackle some of the biggest challenges in our ocean. This new project will not only deliver game-changing capabilities to help us better understand ocean health but also provides global applications across ocean sectors. We are excited to announce the Advancing Smart Integrated Ocean Sensors Project today which brings together SMEs, research and government who will collaborate on this important project.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
“The OSC funding enables a leap forwards in our capabilities and reduces the timeline to bring these exciting new sensors to market.” – Greg Johnson, President of RBR Ltd.
“The addition of biogeochemical sensors to Argo floats is an unprecedented opportunity to address pressing questions about changing ocean ecosystems and global climate that are otherwise intractable. This will be a game changer for ocean biogeochemical observation and prediction.” – Katja Fennel, Professor, Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University
“Fisheries and Ocean Canada is a strong supporter of the Argo Program, and has committed to advancing the effort to integrate biogeochemical sensors into the global fleet. The development ofnew BGC sensors by RBR will provide benefits to all countries that contribute to Argo.” – Blair Greenan, Research Scientist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada