Skip to main content
Ocean Networks Canada

Ocean Networks Canada

Search form

Facebook iconTwitter iconLinkedIn iconYouTube iconFlickr iconInstagram icon

Menu

  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Jobs & Opportunities
    • Events & Workshops
    • Contact Us
    • Support Us
    • Annual Report 2018/2019
    • Organization
      • Leadership
      • Staff
      • Boards
      • Committees
    • Funders, Associate Members & Partners
      • Funders
      • Associate Members
      • Partners
  • Science
    • Science
    • Active Research
    • Highlights
    • Science Plan
      • Summary
      • Science Themes
    • Publications
      • General Interest
      • Academic
    • Getting Involved
      • Proposals
  • Innovation Centre
    • Innovation Centre
    • About the Innovation Centre
    • Success Stories
    • Contact Us
    • Smart Ocean™ Systems
      • Sensors and Instruments
      • Technology Demos
      • Ocean Observing Systems
      • Earthquake Early Warning
    • Partners & Networks
      • Industry Network
      • Global Partnerships
      • R&D Support
      • Students in Industry
    • Atlantic Partners
  • Learning
    • Learning
    • Learning Blog
    • Learning Highlights
    • Learning Events
    • Partnerships
    • Contact Us
    • Ocean Sense
      • Community Observatories
        • Cambridge Bay
        • Campbell River
        • Kitamaat Village
        • Prince Rupert
      • Teacher Info
      • Student Info
      • Resources & Lessons
    • Get Involved
      • For Students
        • For Undergrads & Grads
      • For Educators
        • Educator Opportunities
      • For Communities
      • Ship2Shore
      • Citizen Science
        • Coastbuster
        • Digital Fishers
      • Youth Science Ambassador
    • Resources
      • Educator Resources
      • Ocean Alive!
      • Oceanography 101
      • About the Observatories
      • Research Ideas
      • Student Reports
  • Observatories
    • Observatories
    • Arctic
    • Atlantic
    • Pacific
    • Mobile Platforms
    • Infrastructure
      • Data Facilities
      • Platforms
      • Devices & Sensors
      • Cables & Connectors
    • Expeditions
      • Wiring the Abyss
      • Expedition Logs
      • Maintenance Processes
    • Notices
      • Information for Mariners
      • Alerts
  • Data & Tools
    • Data & Tools
    • Highlights
    • Data Quality
    • Preview & Download
      • Preview & Visualize
      • Data Download Tools
      • State of the Ocean Plots
      • Ocean Report Card
    • Apps & Services
      • Mobile Apps
      • OPeNDAP Web Services
      • Related Sources
      • Earthquake Data Dashboard
    • Data Help
      • Usage Policy
      • Tutorials & Help Pages
      • Request Help
  • Sights & Sounds
    • Sights & Sounds
    • Terms of Use
    • Video
      • Live Video
      • Video Highlights
      • Video Archives
    • Images
      • Maps
    • Audio
      • Audio Highlights
      • Audio Archive
  • News
    • News
    • Stories
    • Newsletters
    • Calendar
    • Media Relations
      • Backgrounders
      • Downloads
      • In the News
      • News Releases
      • Media Contacts

About Us

You are here

  1. Home
  2. » News
  3. » Media Relations

Backgrounders

Sun, 2013-12-01 12:49

Dolphins

The eastern North Pacific is home to 8 species of dolphin (including orcas/killer whales), 3 of which have been recorded by our hydrophones. Many eastern North Pacific dolphin species prefer deep, offshore waters, and so have not come within range of our hydrophones.

Pacific White-sided Dolphins

Pacific white-sided dolphins are very social and gregarious. They travel in groups of 10 to 100 individuals, and have even been seen in groups of over 2000. They often spend time with other marine mammal species, including Steller sea lions, Dall’s porpoises, resident orcas and humpback whales in coastal British Columbia, and Risso’s dolphins, northern right whale dolphins and short-finned pilot whales offshore. They are opportunistic predators; they eat at least 13 different...

Read more...

Wed, 2016-07-27 15:07

Earthquake Early Warning

The west coast of North America is at risk of a major earthquake. An early warning alert of up to 90 seconds could save lives and protect infrastructure. In February 2016 Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) received funding from Emergency Management British Columbia (EMBC) to install the technology that will deliver a system for earthquake early warning for southern British Columbia by 2019.

The potential for earthquakes in British Columbia

  • British Columbia is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an active seismic region. Thousands of earthquakes are recorded annually by seismic sensors across the province.  
  • Many earthquakes occur near the Cascadia subduction zone, where the Juan de Fuca and North American tectonic plates converge....

Read more...

Wed, 2013-06-19 00:00

Endeavour's Complex Environment

The Endeavour segment of the Juan de Fuca ridge is home to one of the deepest (2200 – 2400 m) collections of experiments in the NEPTUNE Observatory. This deep-sea mountain ridge is located approximately 300 km off the British Columbian coast along the spreading crustal boundary between the Juan de Fuca and Pacific tectonic plates. The Endeavour site presents an elaborate network of seafloor structures where active hydro-geothermal venting creates highly variable local temperatures throughout the system. Due to its dynamic characteristics, Endeavour offers a rare opportunity to study globally significant chemical, biological and geological processes unique to these otherworldly deep-sea environments. 

...

Read more...

Fri, 2015-02-27 15:32

False Killer Whales

False killer whales are very social and gregarious. They live in small groups of 10 to 20 individuals, which are part of larger groups of 100 or more. They are often seen with other cetacean species, especially bottlenose dolphins. False killer whales and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are very closely related, and can produce fertile offspring together. False killer whales prefer tropical to temperate water deeper than 1000m. They eat squid and large fish, such as mahi mahi or large salmon, and they share their food with one another. They have even been known to offer food to human boaters, snorkelers and divers.

At up to 5.96m long, male false killer whales are larger than their 5m long female counterparts. They can weigh up to 1360kg, and have a maximum lifespan of 63 years....

Read more...

Sun, 2013-12-01 12:19

Fin Whales

The fin whale is the second largest animal on Earth, next to the blue whale. Fin whales can be up to 27m long and weigh up to 80,000kg, though fin whales in the Northern Hemisphere are slightly smaller. They can live for 100 years or more. Fin whales live in all oceans, with preference for temperate and polar latitudes. Most fin whales appear to be migratory, spending the spring and summer in feeding in higher latitudes and travelling to lower latitudes. A few non-migratory populations of fin whales exist, such as those in the Gulf of California and the Mediterranean Sea. Fin whales in the northern and southern hemispheres do not spend the same months nearer the equator, and so do not interact. Their colouration is asymmetrical; the left side of their lower jaw is dark while the right...

Read more...

Sat, 2013-04-27 00:00

Fraser Delta: a Dynamic Environment

River deltas are known for their dynamic nature. Most of the rivers naturally carry silt that eventually enters the ocean and settles at the bottom, continuously changing the shape of the seabed. Seasonal events, such as freshets - when glaciers’ snowmelt enters the river stream - are the time when the seafloor at deltas can change rapidly causing events called “slope failures” or “subsea landslides”.  Fraser River delta is one such location where subsea landslides occur regularly, in particular during the spring freshet season (May-June). Natural Resources Canada leads several research programs studying seafloor processes and conducts regular surveys of the delta area. 

...

Read more...

Sun, 2013-12-01 12:06

Grey Whales

Grey whales grow up to 14.6 m long and can weigh up to 30,000 kg. The light and dark grey patterns on their bodies are unique to each individual. Scientists use these patterns and the spacing of the cartilaginous “knuckles” along their lower spines to identify individuals. Their skin is covered with whale lice and a species of whale barnacle that exists only on grey whales. Grey whale barnacles time their reproduction with the grey whale breeding and calving season, increasing the chances that their larvae will be able to find a whale to land and grow on.

There are two populations of grey whales, one in the Eastern North Pacific Ocean, and a smaller population in the Western North Pacific Ocean (Atlantic grey whales were hunted to extinction in the 18th century)....

Read more...

Sun, 2013-12-01 12:40

Humpback Whales

Humpback whales can grow to be up to 16 m long and weigh an average of 36,000 kg. They have unusually long pectoral fins that are nearly 1/3 of their body length, giving them their scientific name Megaptera novaeangliae, meaning “big wing of New England.” Their pectoral fins and the undersides of their tail flukes can be all black, all white or any combination of the two. Individuals can be identified by these colouration patterns, which are as unique as a human finger print. Despite their large size, they are known to be acrobatic, occasionally breaching and slapping their fins on the water’s surface, They live in most oceans, undergoing yearly migrations of up to 8,300 km from their breeding and calving areas in tropical and subtropical waters to the nutrient rich polar...

Read more...

Thu, 2013-08-15 12:30

Introduction to Barkley Canyon

Wally the crawler collecting data in ONC's Barkley Canyon observatory.

Barkley Canyon at a Glance:

  • Region: Extending from the continental shelf edge, at a depth of 400 m, and continuing down the continental slope to the canyon axis, at a depth of 985 m, Barkley Canyon is located at the leading edge of the Cascadia subduction zone.
  • Number of...

Read more...

Tue, 2013-08-13 14:41

Introduction to Cascadia Basin

An otherworldly-looking sea spider at ONC's Cascadia Basin observatory.

Cascadia Basin at a Glance:

  • Region: Located in the centre of Cascadia Basin—a heavily sedimented abyssal plain region, which extends from the base of the continental margin to the mid-ocean ridge.
  • Number of Instrument Platforms: 1
  • ...

Read more...

Pages

  • « first
  • ‹ previous
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • next ›
  • last »

Calendar of Events

December 2019

  • « Prev  
  •   Next »
S M T W T F S
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
 
ArcticNet 2019
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
 
Marine Mammal Science Conference
 
 
 
AGU 2019
 
 
 
 
 
 
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Newsletter

Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter:

 

Tweets Follow @Ocean_Networks

 

Story Archives

Earthquake Early Warning
Jul 27, 2016

A Conversation with Dr. Ali Abdolali
Mar 31, 2015

False Killer Whales
Feb 27, 2015

Smart Ocean™ | From Sensors to Decisions
Oct 15, 2014

“Ocean Sense” and Community Observatories
Oct 2, 2014

Sharing Ocean Data
Aug 26, 2014

Humpback Whales
Dec 1, 2013

Dolphins
Dec 1, 2013

Orcas (Killer Whales)
Dec 1, 2013

Sperm Whales
Dec 1, 2013

Blue Whales
Dec 1, 2013

Seals and Sea Lions
Dec 1, 2013

Sei Whales
Dec 1, 2013

Grey Whales
Dec 1, 2013

Fin Whales
Dec 1, 2013

Radioactivity from Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant
Nov 15, 2013

Tides
Sep 26, 2013

Coriolis Effect
Sep 26, 2013

Time Series
Sep 26, 2013

Spectral and Harmonic Analysis
Sep 26, 2013

Ocean Properties
Sep 26, 2013

Ocean Acoustics
Aug 16, 2013

Introduction to Folger Passage
Aug 15, 2013

Introduction to Fraser Delta
Aug 15, 2013

Introduction to Saanich Inlet
Aug 15, 2013

Introduction to the Strait of Georgia
Aug 15, 2013

Introduction to Barkley Canyon
Aug 15, 2013

Introduction to Clayoquot Slope
Aug 15, 2013

Introduction to Endeavour
Aug 15, 2013

Introduction to Cascadia Basin
Aug 13, 2013

Introduction to Middle Valley
Aug 13, 2013

Endeavour's Complex Environment
Jun 19, 2013

MicroSquid Experiment
Apr 30, 2013

CSI Salish Sea
Apr 27, 2013

Fraser Delta: a Dynamic Environment
Apr 27, 2013

Smart Hydrophone FAQ
Mar 1, 2013

ONC Observatory Media Tipsheet
Feb 1, 2013

About Ocean Networks Canada
Dec 14, 2012

Cambridge Bay Community Observatory Backgrounder
Dec 12, 2012

Wally the Benthic Crawler
Oct 15, 2012

Cascadia Subduction Zone
Oct 15, 2012

CORKs
Oct 15, 2012

Vent Fauna and Chemosynthetic Bacteria
Oct 15, 2012

Coastal Upwelling
Oct 15, 2012

Measuring Currents
Oct 15, 2012

Supporting BC's Economy
May 1, 2012

The Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) Observatory
May 1, 2011

 

Highlights

  • Audio
  • Data
  • Learning
  • Science
  • Video

Reading Room

  • Active Research
  • Backgrounders
  • FAQs
  • Glossary
  • News Briefs
  • News Stories
  • Newsletters
  • Publications

Cool Stuff

  • Apps
  • Digital Fishers
  • iBooks & e-Pubs
  • Live Video
  • Maps
  • Images
  • State of the Ocean

Data & Tools

  • Apps
  • Data Plots
  • Data Search
  • Data Policy
  • Data Help
  • OPeNDAP Web Services

Opportunities

  • Calendar
  • Educator Opportunities
  • Global Partnerships
  • Industry Network
  • Jobs
  • Staff List
  • Technology Services

Sites & Instruments

  • Arctic Sites
  • Northeast Pacific Sites
  • Salish Sea Sites
  • Notice to Mariners

Follow Us

Facebook iconTwitter iconLinkedIn iconYouTube iconFlickr iconInstagram icon

Sign up for our newsletter

Feedback

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

                              

About Us | Contact Us | Media Relations | Legal Notices

©   Ocean Networks Canada. All rights reserved.  2474 Arbutus Road, Victoria, BC, V8N 1V8 | 1.250.472.5400