Public Policy

The ONC Observatory is driven by science challenges in the first instance and depends on the excellence of the science teams to meet the rigourous international peer-review processes. That said, applications and impacts of the science in addressing high priority public policy issues are expected by funding agencies and governments.

The public policy initiatives of Ocean Networks Canada have included:

• a review of Canadian federal and provincial policy initiatives and priorities and their relationship to the data types generated by the VENUS and NEPTUNE Canada research programs;
• hosting workshops with federal science-based departments and agencies in the fall of 2010;
• holding discussions with BC government departments reared to their emerging Ocean and Coastal Strategy;  and
• preparation of a discussion paper for federal government departments on the application of cabled observatory technologies to the Arctic.

Current public policy efforts are focused on:

• Hazard Mitigation, including expansion of the seismic network on the Pacific Plate to better understand tectonic processes and earthquake risk.
• Health of the Oceans, including identifying how cabled observatories can contribute to the federal Health of the Oceans program.
• Marine Protected Areas, including collaboration with federal agencies to determine applications of NEPTUNE Canada and VENUS data to the management of MPAs and marine conservation areas (e.g., the Endeavour MPA).
• Ocean Energy, including partnering with industry and government agencies to assess the contribution of cabled ocean observing systems for offshore renewable energy development.
• Arctic Ocean Observing, including determining the feasibility of installing cabled ocean observing systems in Arctic settings in relation to the federal government’s Northern Strategy.