Halifax, Nova Scotia - Ocean observation is important to understanding how our oceans are changing and predicting how our coasts and fisheries are affected by those changes. Increasing the availability and sharing of ocean science and data ensures Canadians can safely navigate through our coastal waters, maintain our coastal economy, and build resilient coastal infrastructure.
In Halifax, the Member of Parliament for Halifax and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, Andy Fillmore, on behalf of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced $1.5 million per year in ongoing funding to advance the development of a Canadian Integrated Ocean Observing System (CIOOS). It will increase the availability of ocean data to Canadians and will inform science-based decision making on the responsible and efficient use of our ocean environment. The data collected will inform how coastal communities can become more resilient. This initiative is being jointly funded with the Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR), which is providing $2 million over 4 years.
Over the next two years, the Government of Canada and MEOPAR will be partnering with the Ocean Frontier Institute, Dalhousie University, the Coastal and Ocean Information Network Atlantic, the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland, the Ocean Tracking Network, the St. Lawrence Global Observatory, the Tula Foundation, and Ocean Networks Canada (University of Victoria) to implement the first phase of the system.
The Government of Canada’s investment in the Canadian Integrated Ocean Observing System will improve coordination and collaboration among the national and international ocean research community. It will promote sharing of data and expertise to support a wide variety of research efforts to better understand, monitor and manage activities in Canada’s oceans.
Source : Government of Canada