When Ocean Networks Canada’s marine operations team hauled out the Campbell River community observatory for its annual maintenance, they were in for a surprise. A herd of sea urchins had made the platform their home and were earning their keep by feeding on the marine debris that normally accumulates on underwater infrastructure, aka biofouling.

Only 0.5 percent of the world’s population lives in the Arctic, a remote region where extreme conditions prevail and daily life revolves around ice. And as global warming continues to cause rising atmospheric and ocean temperatures, that all-important sea ice is increasingly melting away.

When ONC installed a community observatory in Cambridge Bay in 2012, fifteen-year-old Mia Otokiak was inspired to get involved and learn about the ocean that surrounds her tiny hamlet. Five years later, she is fulfilling her dream of pursuing a science career, and helping other young people do the same. Mia recently landed an exciting job to help protect Nunavut communities. “I can guarantee that ONC was a huge reason I have been able to get my current job with the Nunavut Impact Review Board,” says Mia. “ONC has been a huge stepping stone in my science career, and I am truly grateful to have been a part of the team.”

On 11 September 2017, Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) board member Don Krusel announced his retirement from his role as president and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority, after serving as a visionary leader of that organization for the past 25 years. Krusel remains a valuable member of the ONC board of directors.

For the first time in Canadian history, a group of marine biologists, educators and divers successfully broadcast live across the country from the frigid Arctic Ocean. On Sunday, 27 August, Victoria-based Fish Eye Project climbed aboard the Canada C3 ice breaker in Cambridge Bay and hosted a broadcast that provided Canadians with an opportunity to experience a glimpse of Arctic marine life.

In June 2017 Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) hosted a WERA high frequency oceanographic radar workshop to discuss “first ever” real-time data that detected tsunami waves when Typhoon Songda hit the west coast of Canada in October 2016, triggering a tsunami alert on the WERA system. The system is capable of detecting large events, storm surges and tsunamis up to 80 kilometres from shore, which could provide up to 20 minutes of advanced warning of an incoming tsunami.

Monitoring the ocean in real-time requires platforms, instruments, cables and sensors in the deep sea. This ocean observing hardware requires high voltage power inputs from shore and delivers big data outputs. Good engineering practices keep the systems running smoothly. In 2017, power and data backup systems on shore are being overhauled after a decade of operations.

Modern science is starting to take amateur scientists’ observations seriously. The impressive performance of over 500 citizen scientists who signed on for a study counting sablefish off the Tofino coast is heartening proof that we can all play a part in understanding the ocean, says one of the Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) scientists who co-authored the study.

It’s never too early to help young ocean scientists get to know the ocean. In April 2017, Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) hosted its fifth annual Ocean Science Symposium, an engaging two-day opportunity to inspire the next generation of ocean scientists. Bringing together over 70 students and teachers from 16 schools across Vancouver Island, northern British Columbia, and the Arctic, this educational hands-on experience emphasized the teamwork and collaboration needed to explore and understand the ocean.

Ocean exploration is as exciting and complex as traveling into outer space. It involves cool tech, hard science, daring innovation, and a large team of highly qualified personnel. And thanks to underwater cameras and telepresence technology, the public can participate in Ocean Networks Canada’s (ONC) quest to know the ocean. Starting on 28 April, Expedition 2017: Wiring the Abyss is ONC’s first major expedition of the year. This ten-day operation involves a team of 35 scientists, engineers, technicians, and data specialists who will live aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Vessel John P. Tully.

How do you study a moving wall of water and sediment the size of a truck traveling at 30 kilometers per hour? A paper about a spectacular Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) dataset was recently selected as one of science journal Sedimentology’s Top 10 articles of 2016, as an example showcasing “good practice, innovative approaches, and noteworthy advances of our science.” Congratulations to marine geoscientist Gwyn Lintern and colleagues from Natural Resources Canada who published this paper on the tumbling delta dynamics laboratory platform.

Coastal communities are facing a variety of rapid environmental changes. Real-time data from cabled observatories can be used by community members to make informed decisions about their coastal and marine resources. In March 2016, ONC continued to push the innovation envelope by deploying three community observatories along the British Columbia coast: in Campbell River, Kitamaat Village, and Prince Rupert. After a year in operation, this first anniversary review celebrates the successes, challenges, and future for ONC’s community observatories.

For International Women’s Day, we celebrate two powerful ocean leaders who stand on guard for the sea on Canada's east and west coasts. On the Pacific coast, ONC CEO Dr. Kate Moran (left) is an internationally renowned ocean engineer who has led several major oceanographic expeditions. And on the Atlantic coast, Dr. Wendy Watson-Wright is CEO of Dalhousie University's brand new Ocean Frontier Institute. Dr. Watson-Wright brings 25 years of experience in the marine scientific research community including serving as Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s assistant deputy minister of science. This dynamic duo are leading the way for global ocean research and stewardship.

Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) applauds the United States and Canada in their resolve to embrace opportunities and confront challenges in the changing Arctic through Indigenous partnerships and responsible, science-based leadership.

On 20 December, President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau issued a United States-Canada Joint Arctic Leaders’ Statement to launch actions ensuring a strong, sustainable, and viable Arctic economy and ecosystem. Actions include low-impact shipping, science-based management of marine resources, and freedom from the future risks of offshore oil and gas activity. Together, these actions set the stage for deeper partnerships with other Arctic nations, including through the Arctic Council.