Stories

Jan 8, 2021

Oceans link to climate change

Brett Jameson, University of Victoria PhD student. Photo: UVic Photo Services

December 23, 2020 - Jody Paterson

Deep in the ocean off Vancouver Island’s west coast, a gas associated with climate warming is making its way to the surface. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a product of plankton decomposition, pulled to the surface in areas where deep-sea waters migrate upwards in what’s known as coastal upwelling.

Where is it coming from? That’s a question that University of Victoria PhD student Brett Jameson is exploring, in collaboration with Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), a UVic initiative, and the Canadian...

Past Stories

A decade of discovery in Saanich Inlet

Feb 28, 2016

Ten years ago, the world’s first complex, cabled seafloor observatory was installed in Saanich Inlet near Victoria, British Columbia. To celebrate this significant milestone, over 50 ocean researchers convened at the University of Victoria campus.

Award-winning study compares the Cascadia subduction zone to offshore Japan

Feb 28, 2016

Award-winning poster: What would happen if the Cascadia subduction fault ruptured, or broke, in the same way as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake?

Ocean Networks Canada joins the excitement in Prince Rupert

Feb 26, 2016

ONC was thrilled to return to the northern British Columbia coast for the 57th annual All Native Basketball Tournament and weeklong celebration of sport and culture.

The Northeast Pacific Blob: fading or not?

Feb 9, 2016

The warm surface water anomaly dubbed the “Blob” that has fascinated scientists and many Canadians for two years has all but disappeared from surface satellite maps. But is it gone for good?

Coming to Nuu-chah-nulth Territory: exciting developments in ocean monitoring

Feb 3, 2016

ONC's Indigenous outreach team recently visited Vancouver Island's Nuu-chah-nulth Territory and the City of Port Alberni, to introduce the latest proposed community observatory site in ONC’s Smart Ocean™ Systems project.

Canadian research hub celebrates 10 years of pioneering ocean science

Feb 1, 2016

On 8 February 2006, the world’s most advanced cabled seafloor observatory was successfully installed in Saanich Inlet near Victoria. British Columbia. It was just the start of a decade of exploration, innovation and expansion that continues today.

Making progress on earthquake early warning

Jan 29, 2016

Many of the pieces are in place in British Columbia for large-scale earthquake detection and alerts, but more sensors and collaboration among major contributors are still needed.

South coast communities feel the shake!

Dec 30, 2015

Ocean Networks Canada seafloor and land-based sensors recorded a magnitude 4.8 earthquake in the Strait of Georgia, just before midnight on 29 December.

ONC’s Innovation Centre: Serving the global blue economy

Dec 7, 2015

During November 2015, ONC’s Innovation Centre circled the globe, showcasing Canada’s ocean observing expertise and world-class technologies to some of the world’s fastest growing marine economies.

Addressing climate change coast to coast

Nov 24, 2015

Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is taking place in Paris from 30 November to 11 December, 2015. Ocean science will be a critical part of the discussion, recognizing the important role that oceans play, not only in supporting life but also in mitigating some of the effects of climate change.

Young Arctic scientist crazy for marine invertebrates

Nov 21, 2015

A native of Quebec City, Julie-Anne Dorval is a 24-year old oceanography Master’s student from the Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski at the University of Quebec. For Julie-Anne, her undergraduate studies in marine biology and a technical degree in bioecology are a natural progression of a childhood fascination with sea life.

Sea ice returns to Cambridge Bay

Nov 20, 2015

Unseen beneath the surface of the Arctic Ocean, the Ocean Networks Canada ocean observatory in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, monitors ocean conditions 24/7. During the night of 13 October, sensors detected the seasonal return of surface sea ice.

Barkley Canyon under the microscope

Oct 30, 2015

In October, ONC hosted a Barkley Canyon Refresh Workshop that brought together scientists from across North America and Europe to review science goals, areas requiring additional study, and to develop a plan for the future of Barkley Canyon observing.

ONC’s new dashboard tracks earthquakes around the world

Oct 21, 2015

Ocean Networks Canada is delighted to announce a new interactive dashboard that lets you explore recent earthquakes, whether they occur off the west coast of Canada, or around the world.

Canadian researchers earn Nobel Prize

Oct 7, 2015

Ocean Networks Canada joins the world in congratulating SNOLAB’s Arthur McDonald on winning the Nobel Prize in Physics for 2015.

ONC completes its most complex operation in 10 years

Oct 2, 2015

That’s a wrap! Ocean Networks Canada’s Expedition 2015, Wiring the Abyss, was an ambitious operation with three ships involved in 24/7 operations and maintenance work at all eight sites on the observatories.

Major Updates to Oceans 2.0

Oct 2, 2015

Ocean Networks Canada is pleased to announce two new data access features for the powerful data platform, Oceans 2.0: an optional login for most features and a data preview tool that enables navigation using tree-based selection.

Van Aqua takes audiences to extreme deep ocean environments

Oct 1, 2015

On 7 October, the Vancouver Aquarium will open its first deep sea exhibit featuring the remarkable “black smokers" located 300 km offshore Vancouver Island.

Expanding the Cambridge Bay observatory (2015)

Sep 30, 2015

Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is in its third year of delivering ocean data from the Arctic Ocean with a new observatory platform and expanded suite of instruments and sensors that monitor the health of the northern ocean.

A Conversation with ONC Visiting Scholar, Dr. Tom Kwasnitschka

Sep 29, 2015

Many of our colleagues are oceanographers, ocean scientists, biologists, geophysicists, etc. How would you describe your specialized profession?

I would say I am a deep sea volcanologist, seafloor surveyor and science visualizer.

Megathrust Chilean quake captured on ONC sensors

Sep 18, 2015

On 16 September 2015, a magnitude 8.3 earthquake occurred at 22:54:33 UTC off the Chilean coast, 229 kilometres northwest of Santiago. Three Ocean Networks Canada broadband seismometers recorded this event in realtime, 10,500 kilometres from the origin of the quake.

Expedition 2015: Wiring the Abyss

Aug 24, 2015

The University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is about to embark on what’s expected to be its most exciting expedition. For the first time ONC will be using two ships, exploration vessel (E/V) Nautilus, on its first trip to Canada, and research vessel (R/V) Thomas G. Thompson.

Bob Ballard & Kate Moran talk Ocean Exploration

Aug 21, 2015

Boat

ONC is pleased to present an afternoon discussion with two world-class explorers: Robert Ballard and Kate Moran. Dr. Ballard has searched many ancient shipwrecks and is best known for his discovery of the sunken R.M.S. Titanic. Dr. Moran led the first drilling expedition to the Arctic Ocean and advised the White House in its response to the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Together, Drs. Ballard and Moran will share the thrills and challenges of being on the forefront of global deep sea exploration.

Explore the ocean depths—live—while ONC wires the abyss!

Aug 14, 2015

Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is poised to head out to sea on a month-long expedition with two world-class ships, to conduct annual operations and maintenance on the observatories off the west coast of Canada.

ONC Launches Call for Board Member Nominations

Aug 6, 2015

Three positions are available on the ONC Board of Directors and qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.

Ocean Networks Canada is governed by an independent Board of Directors that meets four times per year. The Board comprises individuals from industry, academia, and government. Directors are elected for three-year terms, and all Directors serve on at least one standing committee of the Board.

ONC now monitors Strait of Georgia with three BC Ferries

Jul 30, 2015

ONC recently expanded its world-class ocean observatories to include data collected from three BC Ferries. With instrumentation in the ferries’ hull and a weather station on deck, scientists can now observe ocean surface properties continuously while the ferries transit the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver and Vancouver Island.

A sea of crabs captured on camera!

Jul 23, 2015

“Why are these crabs massing at Barkley Canyon?” asked a postal worker from Minnesota who was watching one of ONC's live cameras on the seafloor. Staff scientist and benthic ecologist Fabio De Leo weighs in on this event, captured for the first time on ONC cameras.

ONC designs weather portal for Pan Am athletes

Jul 13, 2015

Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is providing Environment Canada with a customized web portal for the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games to display up-to-the-minute weather forecasts and alerts.

Ocean Networks Canada Partners to Protect the Arctic

Jul 7, 2015

The University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is partnering with the University of Manitoba to develop, install and maintain the cabled estuary observatory component of a new Churchill Marine Observatory (CMO) in Hudson Bay.

Expanding our understanding of climate in the higher latitudes

Jun 30, 2015

The 49th Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS) Congress is the premier gathering place for meteorologists, weather forecasters, oceanographers, and marine scientists from across Canada. They gathered in Whistler, BC during the first week of June to exchange research findings, assess new technology advances, and coordinate national and regional programs.