Dalhousie Ocean Research Project Gets $38-Million Fed Investment
HALIFAX – The federal government will invest more than $38 million in Dalhousie University’s Ocean Tracking Network.
The money will come from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation’s Major Science Initiatives Fund. It’s part of more than $628 million the government pledged on Friday to support and maintain 19 research projects across Canada.
The Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) is the only Atlantic Canada-based organization included in that pledge.
OTN is an aquatic animal tracking and data management platform run out of Dal. It uses Canadian-made technology to track and examine the movements of marine animals like sharks, sturgeon, eels, tuna, squid, sea turtles, and others. The network spans the world’s five oceans.
Its goal is to better understand changing ocean dynamics and their impact on ocean ecosystems, animal ecology, and ocean resources. Through its research, the network hopes to address critical issues in resource management and implications for ocean governance.
Some of its work includes monitoring the global movements and behaviour of sharks to better inform and protect beachgoers, monitoring endangered whales through their calls, supporting community-driven efforts to track and sustain commercial species, and assisting in the design of marine protected areas.
Dr. Sara Iverson, OTN’s scientific director, said in a news release the new federal money will allow the network to expand its core operations over the next six years.
That includes bolstering its “world-class” marine glider program, expanding subsea robotics activities, and supporting the integration of satellite-derived animal movements data into the OTN Data Centre.
“The amount that remains undiscovered about the ocean and the species that call it home is vast. As the impacts of climate change ripple through the waters that surround us, it is becoming increasingly urgent to address this knowledge gap,” said Dr. Alice Aiken, Dalhousie’s vice president of research and innovation. “With support from CFI, OTN’s cutting-edge research, technological innovation and global partnerships are helping to build the knowledge we need to revolutionize our understanding and stewardship of aquatic species around the world.”
The feds’ latest investment means OTN has been awarded more than $65 million since 2017.