Number of partners
137

Partner contributions
$35.7 million

Headquarters
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Scientific Director
Douglas Wallace

Board chair
Karen Dodds
Former Assistant Deputy Minister, Science & Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada

Protecting Canadians from ocean hazards

The opportunity

Port authorities, municipalities, and the oil and gas sector are among those needing accurate and rapid assessments of marine conditions, both for routine operations and emergencies. They also require improved tools to anticipate and plan for the effects of climate change over the coming decades. Canada’s long coastline, dispersed emergency response assets and economic dependence on oceans make the country particularly vulnerable to extremes and emergencies in the marine environment. A 2013 report by the Council of Canadian Academies affirmed Canada’s historical strength in ocean  science, but noted that capacity is dispersed geographically and across a variety of organizations with diverse mandates and priorities. Greater coordination among stakeholders and between scientific disciplines was critical.

How MEOPAR is seizing the opportunity

The Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR) facilitates partnerships between academia, government, the insurance industry, the oil and gas sector, the marine transportation sector, ocean technology firms, coastal communities and not-for-profits to reduce Canada’s vulnerability to marine hazards and emergencies. MEOPAR funds leading-edge, multidisciplinary and collaborative research; trains the next generation of marine professionals; and connects with partners, stakeholders and end users to anticipate, plan and adapt to the opportunities and challenges of a changing ocean environment.

Among the results

• MEOPAR has worked closely in partnership with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to establish and fund the pilot program of a Canadian Integrated Ocean Observing System (CIOOS). This addresses a significant gap in Canada’s international standing in the oceans sphere. This initiative has brought together multiple Centres of Excellence, CFI investments and universities across the country.
• MEOPAR has established the partnered research Call funding model. This has led to an expansion of research specifically addressing partner and end-user needs. These agreements range from a cost-sharing perspective and/or the development and use of new technologies. For example, in partnership with exactEARTH Ltd., MEOPAR supports the widespread use and training of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), an emerging technology that uses satellites to track ship movements across the globe. This technology is bolstering Canada’s understanding of maritime traffic, including its risks and opportunities, particularly in the Arctic.
• MEOPAR investigators are leading the response to the North Atlantic right whale crisis, with the MEOPAR-funded WHaLE project recently funded for an additional three years. Researchers, working closely with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and partners such as the Ocean Tracking Network, are working to address the crisis and apply their research to the shipping industry so that whale strikes can be mitigated.
• MEOPAR researchers from the University of Ottawa have established an important area of expertise related to Arctic marine shipping, ensuring that the traditional activities of Indigenous communities in the north are appropriately mapped to the Northern Marine Transportation Corridors (NMTC) initiative. The work has grown from its initial scope of three communities to encompass twelve communities, and continues to draw positive attention from stakeholders and partners.

Connect with MEOPAR

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