Ocean Networks Canada is pleased to announce the Observatory’s participation in one of the most widely recognized global science events, attended by several thousand of the world’s leading scientists and engineers and covered by top scientific journalists.

The American Association for Advance of Science (AAAS) 2012 Annual Meeting is taking place this year from February 16-20 at Vancouver’s Convention Centre—the first time outside the United States since 1981.

“The AAAS meeting provides a wonderful opportunity to showcase to an international audience the unprecedented science capability of our world-leading ONC Observatory,” says Martin Taylor, ONC President. 

Each year, the AAAS sponsors an international conference that includes four days of symposia, lectures, seminars, workshops, and poster sessions that cover every area of science, technology, and education. Typically attendees hail from nearly 60 countries, and everyone is welcome.

“Everything from climate change impacts on the Arctic, to breakthroughs in digital media.”–Dr. Alan Leshner

This year’s theme of “Flattening the World: Building a Global Knowledge Society” is intended to focus on the complex, interconnected challenges of the 21st century and working towards global solutions through international, multidisciplinary efforts.

Speaking recently at the Annual Meeting Advance Press Conference, Dr. Alan Leshner, CEO of the AAAS Society, hinted of global breakthroughs on “everything from climate change impacts on the Arctic, to breakthroughs in digital media.”

The Ocean Networks Canada team will offer an interactive display as the AAAS Annual Meeting opens its doors to the public on the weekend of February 18 and 19. Visiting families will be introduced to the real-time data flowing from the VENUS and NEPTUNE Observatories as well as video highlights fromour undersea cameras. Citizen scientists of every age can watch and annotate videos of marine life and ecosystems through the Digital Fishers website or put their hands on real deep-sea technology. Adds Dr. Taylor, “through the Observatory’s participation in the Family Science Days part of the AAAS program, we are also highlighting the vital importance of our science for the public at large.” 

The AAAS Annual Meeting organizers are expecting almost 8,000 scientists and engineers as well as students, policymakers, journalists and the general public to attend over the week.