Polar observation experts from Canada and Europe will be strengthened in a new partnership in which Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) will operate an undersea observatory at the Spanish Antarctic Station, providing near real-time annual data on local ocean conditions. I’m matching it. This is the first time ONC has expanded its maritime surveillance outside of Canadian territorial waters.
This partnership between ONC and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), an initiative of the University of Victoria, will advance scientific understanding of the Southern Ocean or Southern Ocean, one of the least-observed regions on Earth .
The Spanish polar research vessel Hesperides, transporting the ONC observatory, is en route to the Spanish Antarctic Base (BAE) Juan Carlos I on Livingstone Island in the South Shetland Islands, north of the Antarctic Peninsula. It also carries two ONC deep-sea Argo floats, which will be deployed during navigation through the Drake Passage in the Southern Ocean.
The Hesperides, which left Barcelona last fall, will leave the port of Ushuaia in Argentina this week and arrive at BAE Juan Carlos I in Antarctica later this month.
ONC President and CEO Kate Moran said this partnership is a major milestone in polar science collaboration.
“Ocean Networks Canada has been monitoring conditions in the Arctic since 2012 through a network of remote coastal observatories led by Indigenous communities. These observatories are available to everyone through the Oceans 3.0 data portal on the ONC website. “We provide continuous ocean data that can be used,” she says.
“ONC’s expertise in designing and operating underwater observatories that can withstand harsh polar conditions will contribute to Spain’s scientific expertise in monitoring Antarctica, a continent important to the Earth’s climate system. And there are rapid and consequential changes happening that we need to understand.” – Kate Moran, ONC President and CEO
Today’s announcement from ONC and CSIC follows recent calls for an urgent expansion of marine surveillance in the Southern Ocean. In a joint statement released at the 2023 Antarctic Ocean Observation System (SOOS) Symposium, 300 scientists from 25 countries said: “Antarctic research is chronically underserved to detect and assess the impact of change. There are challenges to our capabilities.”
Jordi Solivas Cervantes, head of CSIC’s marine technology division, said the crew will build and deploy the observatory upon arrival as part of the 2023-24 Spanish Antarctic Operation.
“This partnership with Ocean Networks Canada will provide important ocean science data for the Southern Ocean, especially since the new observatory will operate year-round except during the summer months when the observatory is staffed. . Having access to this near-continuous data from anywhere in the world will help address the challenges of the current data gap in the Southern Ocean.” – Jordi Solivas Cervantes, Director of CSIC’s Marine Technology Division.
The proposed site for the cable submarine observatory is located in a small bay called Johnson’s Dock, 23 meters deep. It is modeled after one of ONC’s Arctic observatories in Gascoigne Bay and uses the Iridium satellite network to transmit data to ONC every 30 minutes for processing, archiving, and distribution.
The observatory consists of CTD scientific instruments that measure conductivity, temperature, and depth. Additional sensors will track optical properties such as turbidity and chlorophyll-A, as well as dissolved oxygen concentrations, which are important for monitoring seawater quality here, where freshwater glaciers melt and seawater joins. .
The observatory, along with ONC’s two autonomous deep-water Argo floats, will help monitor changes in biogeochemical and physical ocean processes in this poorly observed and sensitive region.
Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR) manages Canada’s scientific contributions and commitments to the Antarctic Treaty. David Hiku, Chief Scientist and Executive Director of POLAR, said this new partnership between Spain and Canada is an important milestone in advancing ocean surveillance.
“We are pleased that ONC is contributing its expertise and infrastructure to Antarctic and Antarctic research, advancing not only knowledge but Canada’s leadership in polar science and technology.”
This research partnership aligns with UVic’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the company’s strengths in climate action, life in the water, life on land, and sustainable cities and communities. To learn more about UVic’s climate leadership, visit uvic.ca/IMPACT.
“It’s exciting to see ONC’s innovative leadership in marine science expand internationally and inform climate solutions beyond Canada’s three coasts.” said Lisa Kalinczyk, vice president of innovation and member of ONC’s board of directors. “This partnership demonstrates how coastal communities and scientists around the world can drive innovation and scientific discovery.”