Micro-AUVs: Making waves for the future of oceanographic technologies

The NemoSens micro-AUV underwater

As technology continues to progress and evolve, so does the equipment that scientists use in their monitoring programs. Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) – devices that perform predefined missions without constant human intervention and supervision – are one such example of equipment that has become particularly popular within the scientific community and beyond. The appeal of these devices is that they … Read More about Micro-AUVs: Making waves for the future of oceanographic technologies

Trolling for data in Southeast Alaska

Closeup of the map showing Tyler Hennon's research sites in Southeast Alaska

The ocean surrounding Southeast Alaska is a geomorphically complex area in the Northeast Pacific. Despite the complexities of this area and the numerous stakeholders interested in this ocean ecosystem, much of the region has, until recently, been lacking a regular monitoring program. In 2022, Tyler Hennon, an Assistant Research Professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, started a comprehensive oceanographic … Read More about Trolling for data in Southeast Alaska

Monitoring sound in the Salish Sea: how scientists are trying to understand the decline of Southern Resident Killer Whales

Deployment of the hydrophone mooring.

The Salish Sea, located on the west coast of Canada, is bounded by the lower mainland of British Columbia to the east, Vancouver Island to the west, and the state of Washington to the south. This Sea is a bustling location, with millions of people living along its shoreline and numerous vessels sailing through its waters daily. It is also … Read More about Monitoring sound in the Salish Sea: how scientists are trying to understand the decline of Southern Resident Killer Whales

FjordPhyto: Citizen science in the Antarctic

Oceanographers on a boat in the arctic.

Air and ocean temperatures have notably increased in the Antarctic since the 1950s, with publications finding that it is the third fastest warming region on Earth and that 87% of its glaciers are in retreat. Its nearshore, fjord-dominated areas are particularly sensitive to this glacial retreat, the effects of which can be detected throughout this crucial ecosystem where local megafauna … Read More about FjordPhyto: Citizen science in the Antarctic

RBR and Ocean Networks Canada collaboration extends long-term seismic monitoring capabilities

Location of ONC remote sensing system

In 2021, RBR and Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) collaboratively designed and deployed a suite of instruments tailored to long-term and remote seismic research. This system is serviceable by remotely operated vehicle (ROV) while deployed, addresses instrument drift internally, can be deployed individually or integrated into a cabled array, and is entirely monitored by a portable data controller and power hub. … Read More about RBR and Ocean Networks Canada collaboration extends long-term seismic monitoring capabilities

Understanding the glacier-ocean connection in Jones Sound: A multidisciplinary approach

Group of interdisciplinary scientists from the summer 2022 field season.

Nestled between Ellesmere Island and Devon Island is Jones Sound, which is located in the rapidly and dramatically changing Canadian Arctic. The coastlines here are characterised by intricate fjords, many of which are highly influenced by tidewater glaciers (i.e. glaciers that end at the head of the fjord which discharge meltwater below the ocean surface). It is a region at … Read More about Understanding the glacier-ocean connection in Jones Sound: A multidisciplinary approach