Ocean Assemblage

Objective

To provide the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) with the capability to operate in all of Canada’s waters, including Canada’s Arctic waters, throughout the navigable season.  The acquisition of the Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) will increase the CAF’s capacity to defend Canada and its security, including in the Arctic.

Requirements

AOPS will be an ice-capable ship, with icebreaking characteristics to allow for year-round operations in up to and including one metre of first-year ice of high ice concentrations which may include old ice inclusions. It will also possess sea-keeping qualities to allow operations in the open ocean. AOPS will be fitted with gun systems appropriate for use in domestic constabulary roles and force protection, and designed to operate effectively in the anticipated extreme climates. AOPS crew will be up to 65 personnel, with accommodation in the ship for an additional 20 mission personnel who will be embarked as required for more complex taskings including those in support of other Government departments.  It will be capable of a maximum sustained speed of at least 17 kts, with a range of more than 6800 nautical miles.  It is capable of autonomous operations for up to 4 months.  AOPS has been designed to operate and hangar an organic aircraft. While it is anticipated that it will most frequently embark smaller utility helicopters, it will have sufficient capabilities to provide limited support to CH 148 Cyclone operations. AOPS will operate an assortment of boats and crafts to provide rescue, humanitarian, mission, and limited sealift capabilities. The ship is designed with enclosed and open storage facilities to accommodate an array of stores, including 20-ft ISO containers and utility vehicles.  It is capable of loading and offloading these cargos in various locations, such as jetties, landing craft, as well as onto the ice.

Preliminary Estimate

• More than $1.5 billion

Anticipated Timeline

• 2014
  • Implementation Approval
• 2015
  • Contract Award
• 2021 to 2025
  • Final Delivery

Point of Contact

Director Naval Requirements
Phone: 819-939-3951
Email: DAG_Naval-GAD_Naval@forces.gc.ca

The forum will bring together diverse stakeholders to solicit feedback, engagement and discussions on the draft Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) of JPI Oceans.

Practical details:

There are five vacancies on the Board this year. Nomination Requirements:
• Any member of OceansAdvance is eligible for nomination;
• Two references (a Mover and a Seconder) are required in order for a nominee’s
name to be placed on the ballot. They too must be a member of
OceansAdvance; and
• We require an email from the Nominee confirming their acceptance, as well as,
emails from the Mover and the Seconder.
Deadline: Nomination and supporting documentation, as listed above; and also, a short
bio of the Nominee is required no later than 4:00 p.m., Thursday, March 5, 2020.
Please forward your nominations to Susan Barry: susan.barry@oceansadvance.net
Subsequently, we will draft a list of candidates which we will distribute no later
than 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 18, 2020.
To attend the OceansAdvance AGM please RSVP: susan.barry@oceansadvance.net

Our April 8, 2020 EBM/EBFM speaker is Heather Leslie of the University of Maine, Darling Marine Center & School of Marine Sciences Abstract: Coastal communities’ ability to adapt to socioeconomic and environmental change is a subject of increasing attention. The research group I co-lead with Joshua Stoll uses a social-ecological systems framework to investigate, map, and analyze the capacity for sustaining fishing-dependent, place-based communities, including the state of Maine, USA. I will describe how we conduct this research in partnership with our students and community partners, by integrating diverse biophysical and social science approaches at multiple spatial scales. I will share three vignettes to illustrate how diverse disciplines, institutions and worldviews can be leveraged to advance ecosystem science and stewardship, and to train the next generation of marine science and policy professionals. Our research aims to contribute to better understanding of the adaptive capacity, resilience, and risk and opportunities posed by transformation in coastal communities and underscores the need for ecosystem-based approaches to studying and supporting adaptation in fisheries-dependent communities in Maine and beyond. About the Speaker: Heather is Director of the University of Maine’s marine laboratory, Darling Marine Center, and Associate Professor of Marine Sciences in UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences. She studies the drivers of ecological and social processes in marine systems, and how to more effectively connect science to policy and management. Together with co-editor Karen McLeod and more than 40 contributing authors, she published Ecosystem-Based Management for the Oceans in 2009. This collaborative project catalyzed Heather’s engagement in the science and practice of EBM in the US and Mexico, in particular. While this seminar will focus on her most recent work in Maine, information about her EBM-related research in Mexico and elsewhere is available at https://umaine.edu/leslie-lab/

Abstract:
Seamounts are important habitats in the deep-ocean and are increasingly the focus of national and international conservation efforts. Their structure and local community composition vary depending on location, form, and local oceanic conditions. As with other deep-sea habitats, seamounts can be challenging environments for exploration and surveys. Corals and sponges can be difficult to identify visually, and motile organisms may avoid detection. Sampling is often limited and it is impossible to sample every individual in large, diverse communities. Environmental DNA (eDNA) studies provide a unique way to begin to address whole community diversity on seamounts, capturing a snapshot of a local community and allowing detection of numerous taxa from a single water sample. During the 2018 E/V Nautilus season, 36 eDNA samples were collected at five seamount communities off British Columbia, and 25 eDNA samples were collected from nine seamounts in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. These sampling efforts targeted areas of dense coral and sponge communities, which were highly variable among locations. Representative samples of coral and sponge individuals, as well as high resolution video and still images were collected over the course of the same dives. Combining high throughput amplicon sequencing of the eDNA samples, including markers developed for octocorals, black corals, sponges, and fish, with traditional video and DNA barcode analysis, we have explored whole community diversity around these seamounts. This provides critical baseline information of the structure of these communities for future management of these protected areas.

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Abstract:
Deep-sea coral and sponge communities in the Aleutian Islands are important habitat features for many life stages of commercially important fish targets, including Atka mackerel, Pacific cod, and rockfish. The effects of commercial fishing activities on deep-sea corals and sponges has been difficult to quantify due to a lack of spatially-explicit fishery data, bottom contact by different gear types, undetermined location of corals and sponges, and the susceptibility and recovery dynamics these structure-forming invertebrates (SFI). To address these challenges, a fishing effects model was developed in the North Pacific to integrate spatially explicit VMS data with target-specific gear configurations for over 40,000 bottom trawls since 2003. Fishery observer coverage for Aleutian Island trawl fisheries is nearly 100 percent and records catch species composition. Species distribution models provide presence data for coral, sponge, Primnoidae, and Stylasteridae. A simple spatial overlap analysis of the trawl footprint indicates trawl fisheries are extremely aggregated and spatially distinct for three main targets �” mackerel, cod, and rockfish. Across the Aleutian Islands, trawl fisheries affect less than 10% of areas of the highest probability of presence for SFIs. Patterns in spatial variation exist longitudinally, from about 5% in the eastern, 10% in the central, and 20% in the western Aleutians. This footprint analysis depicts maximum overlap, as it does not account for bottom contact, estimated at between 20 and 100% for AI fisheries, or susceptibility or recovery of SFIs. However, this analysis does provide valuable information for fishery managers evaluating impacts on SFIs.

The Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference is the largest, most comprehensive event of its kind in the region, featuring the latest scientific research and management issues relevant to the health of the Salish Sea ecosystem. The conference features plenary sessions, concurrent oral sessions and poster presentations, workshops, field trips and other special events including a film festival in 2020. The Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference happens every two years, alternating between Seattle, Washington, and Vancouver, BC.

The GOOS Steering Committee will meet for four days during the week of 20-24 April 2020, with location to be determined.

The Government of Iceland in collaboration with the Nordic Council of Ministers is hosting an International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Region in April 2020 in connection with the Icelandic Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. On behalf of the government of Iceland, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources, and the Ministry of Industries and Innovation are responsible for the preparation of the Symposium.

The symposium is further sponsored by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the OSPAR Commission, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC), the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute of Iceland, the Harvard Kennedy School and the International Arctic Science Committee.

Iceland holds the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council from May 2019 to May 2021 and intends during this period to promote discussion on ways and means that may reduce the impact of plastics in the Arctic Marine Environment.

Iceland holds the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2019. The Icelandic Presidency prioritizes the ocean with a focus on the fight against plastic in the marine environment, one of our times biggest challenges. The Presidency project NordMar Plastic runs for three years, up until 2021 and is in joint partnership of all eight Nordic countries.

The International Symposium will focus on scientific knowledge of the problem and the best practices to deal with the huge challenge. In this way the symposium is expected to build a foundation of science and deliver information and advice for decision makers.

Abstract:

Ostrea lurida, the Olympia oyster, is native to the western coast of NorthAmerica from British Columbia to Baja California, where it is a vital part ofbays and estuaries along the Pacific coast, providing food for humans and otherspecies and enriching diversity. This webinar introduces the unique ecology ofthe Olympia oyster, the challenges it faces, and approaches taken torestoration. It also highlights the accomplishments of The Native OlympiaOyster Collaborative, a community of practice formed to rebuild populations ofOlympia oysters to maintain their legacy for future generations, including a website thatserves as a portal for resources about native oyster science, restoration, andeducation, and story map that synthesizes approachesand lessons learned from Olympia oyster restoration projects to date. Theselessons apply to restoration of any coastal foundation species anywhere: theimportance of a structured decision-framework to match goals to approaches, theopportunities for community engagement, the need to consider ecosystemprocesses, and the value of a regional network for strategic planning.

Bio(s):
Dr. Kerstin Wasson has served as Research Coordinator of the Elkhorn Slough NERR for the past 20 years, publishing about 40 papers on a variety of topics in estuarine science during this period, from sea otters to water quality. While she is dedicated to place-based research, she also has led various collaborative endeavors across a network of oyster and marsh restoration sites, scaling up to seek generality in estuarine ecology.

Dr. April Ridlon is the Collaborative Lead for the Native Olympia Oyster Collaborative (NOOC), and a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Science for Nature and People Partnership (SNAPP). In these roles, she engages in and coordinates research into the native Olympia oyster, and is assessing aquaculture as a conservation intervention for this oyster, and for marine foundation species broadly.

Subscribe to the OneNOAA Science Seminar weekly email:
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Title:
Phylogenomic analysis of flatfishes based on exon-capture data

Presenter(s):
Calder Atta, BSc., Research Assistant, University of Washington Joint Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and Ocean, Seattle, WA. Seminar

Sponsor(s):

This seminar is part of NOAA’s EcoFOCI bi-annual seminar series focused on the ecosystems of the North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea and U.S. Arctic to improve understanding of ecosystem dynamics and applications of that understanding to the management of living marine resources. Visit the EcoFOCI webpage for more information, https://www.ecofoci.noaa.gov/.

Abstract:
Using a comprehensive genome-wide dataset to address a complex history of disagreement between studies that has spanned more than a century.Remote Connection:
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/891851101
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (872) 240-3311
Access Code: 891-851-101
Seminar POC: Heather Tabisola (heather.tabisola@noaa.gov)

Subscribe to the OneNOAA Science Seminar weekly email:
Send an email to OneNOAAscienceseminarsrequest@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word ‘subscribe’ in the subject or body. See https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/seminars/

Description: The MSP Challenge uses game technology and role-play to support communication and learning for Marine/Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP). Since 2011, a role-playing game, a board game and a digital interactive simulation platform have been developed. The MSP Challenge editions have been used in workshops, conferences, and education, as well as for real life stakeholder engagement. The digital version (simulation platform) of MSP Challenge will be released open source and for free on the website http://www.mspchallenge.info later this year. With real geodata as well as shipping, energy, and ecosystem simulations, this platform provides a sea basin (e.g., the North Sea) in which a group of users can collaboratively draw up spatial plans and evaluate their potential consequences. This webinar will provide a brief overview of MSP Challenge’s development over the years and a demonstration of the simulation platform.

Presenter(s):
Katie Lohr, Conservation Science Fellow for the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries through the Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program

Sponsor(s):
NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Seminar POC for questions: Claire.Fackler@noaa.gov, (805) 893-6429
Remote access: Register for webinar at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4679716503903139852

Abstract:
As coral reefs decline globally, interest in using coral gardening techniques for reef restoration is increasing. This webinar presentation will review well-established and cutting-edge techniques for propagating and restoring corals, as well as experimental work focused on identifying corals that can survive future ocean conditions.
More information on the National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series:
http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/teachers/webinar-series.html
Are our seminars recorded? Yes, you can find our webinar archives, copies of the presentation slides, and other educational resources at: https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/teachers/webinar-series-archives.html
Subscribe to the OneNOAA Science Seminar weekly email: Send an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word ‘subscribe’ in the subject or body. Visit the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series website for more information. https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/seminars/

Join your colleagues and industry professionals for exhibits and technical presentations that will address occupational diving operations, as well as ROV & AUV activities across North America.

The 2020 Canadian Underwater Conference & Exhibition (CUCE) will be held in Avalon Ballroom at the Delta Hotels St. John’s Conference Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.  Building on the success of the 2018 conference, we expect that the conference will welcome approximately 32 exhibitors, 200 delegates and 22 speakers.w

This PRIMER version 7 workshop takes place over 5 days (Monday – Friday, 08:15 to 17:15 on each day). Participants will
engage in a mixture of informative lectures on key topics and computer lab sessions on literature data sets. Participants will
have ample opportunity to discuss and analyse their own data sets in consultation with the lecturer, with dedicated time
for this provided on the Friday. Participants are expected to bring their own laptop. Software either may be purchased (at a
discounted price – see below) or a free fully functional but time-limited version will be made available to registered
participants for trial use over the period of the workshop. Note that PRIMER is a Windows-only product, so Macs need to
run a Windows emulation.

Recommendation #92 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action calls on Canada’s corporate sector to support the economic growth of Indigenous communities and peoples. The purpose of Forward Summit is to facilitate a professional and open environment where Indigenous communities, businesses, and thought leaders can gather to build relationships, learn, and share experiences. The result of the event is to amplify the voices of Indigenous champions and connect community and industry together to build economic wealth and Indigenous prosperity.

Mari-Tech was created by the Canadian Institute of Marine Engineering (CIMarE) in 1976 and is the premier event for the marine engineering community in Canada.

Held annually, Mari-Tech is hosted in turn by each of the CIMarE’s seven branches; the 2020 edition is hosted by CIMarE’s Atlantic Branch.

The conference has earned a respected position as a neutral, non-political event devoted to engaging the private sector, government and academia.

Escape from the office to a place where you can visualise, create and discuss issues facing marine professionals with some of the most imaginative and strategic minds in the industry.  This year’s conference theme, Vision, Innovation and Trending in the Marine Sector, challenges marine engineers to look forward at coming innovations in fuels, propulsion systems, controls and more.

The Mari-Tech 2020 will highlight the industry’s hot topics in a series of keynote and technical presentations by distinguished experts from the public and private sector.

Connect with 400+ leading professionals from across the world, including:

• Industry leaders and senior management from the private sector
• Government policy-makers (federal, territorial and provincial)
• Innovators and consulting firms
• Academics
• Communications and government relations professionals
• Young professionals and the next generation of marine engineers

MEOPAR and Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment will host our second Canadian Marine Planning Process workshop at University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, April 28-30, 2020.

Click here for more information and to register. 

The MPP workshop will present participants with key issues in the marine planning process using national and West Coast case studies, interactive game-based activities, and an optional field trip on April 30th. Participants will learn an innovative approach to marine planning while building their network of coastal management professionals and early-career researchers in the Pacific region and across Canada.

Who should attend?
This workshop is designed for industry, public and not-for-profit professionals who make decisions regarding coastal and marine uses and resources, as well as those seeking a better understanding of marine planning decision-making. Students and postdoctoral fellows are encouraged to attend.

Travel Funding for HQP
HQP and recent alumni are eligible to apply to MEOPAR for travel funding. Up to five HQP from the Pacific region and five from other areas of Canada may receive travel support. Please contact Laura Avery to express interest.

The Marine Planning curriculum was produced by Battelle Memorial Institute and was made possible through generous funding provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Marine Conservation Initiative. It is offered by the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University in partnership with MEOPAR. Online training is also available through Duke University.

Workshop Aims:

– Explore the use of emerging observation-based estimates of large-scale energy and water transports in model evaluation, assessment and development
– Assess the current capability of the ocean observing system to constrain changes in heat and freshwater storage and identify priority areas for new observations
– Assess the current state of heat and freshwater conservation in Earth system and climate models

The workshop will explore the utility of emerging observation-based estimates of Earth’s large-scale heat and freshwater transports to aid understanding climate model simulations by bringing together expertise from both the observational and modelling communities. A central aim is to develop a suite of metrics for routine use in climate model assessment and development to promote increased fidelity in simulations of the energy and water cycles and to help address long-standing climate model biases.

A second element of the workshop will explore the utility of model simulations as a test-bed for the current and future observing system through “synthetic observation” approaches, focusing on our ability to monitor storage changes and close regional heat and freshwater budgets. These approaches will be used to assess the capability of the current observing system to constrain climate variability and change and develop recommendations for future evolution of the ocean observing system.

The final part of the workshop will bring together scientists across modelling centres to assess the current state and challenges associated with heat and freshwater conservation in model systems. The aim is to use the workshop as a jumping off point for a review paper on the current status of heat and freshwater conservation in state-of-the-art climate and Earth system models and to discuss the implications for downstream climate applications.

Anticipated Outcomes:

– A community-led set of priority metrics for large-scale heat and freshwater transports and observational targets based on the current observing system
– A community view on priorities for future ocean observations that would accelerate key process understanding and model development
– Develop a series of “case study” papers on use of synthetic observations for observing system assessment and estimating uncertainties in global indicators of climate change
– Review paper on the status, challenges and opportunities for heat and freshwater conservation in coupled climate models

The purpose of this 4‐day workshop is to review current scientific information regarding challenges associated with spatial modelling of fishery survey data, and establish further research activities to address these challenges. The workshop will build new collaborations on existing and new research projects, and also introduce new case studies. It is anticipated that the workshop will generate scientific publications that describe proposed solutions

Description: There are numerous ongoing UN and non-governmental initiatives to map important marine areas at the global scale. As countries of the world seek to achieve numerical targets for marine protected areas, scientists must emphasize the “where” and the “how.” To help achieve the former, we used GIS to overlay ten global maps, quantify the extent to which they overlap, and then conduct a gap analysis to show areas of importance that are not currently protected by MPAs. We also looked at current protected area coverage in terms of size, biogeographic representativeness, no-take status, and exclusive economic zones. 55% of the ocean is identified as important by one or more of the initiatives. Over 14% of the ocean was identified as important by multiple studies, but nearly 90% of this area is currently unprotected. The largest concentrations of important but unprotected areas are in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Coral Triangle, and around Madagascar. We found a lack of biogeographic and political representativeness in the current coverage of MPAs, representing ample opportunity for action based on current information and evidence. This webinar will present study results as well as a new online version of the map available at https://www.somas.stonybrook.edu/research/global-research/macop.

Title:
Bet Your Bottom Dollar: Mapping and Modelling Benthic Macrofauna Distribution in the New York Wind Energy Area

Presenter(s):
Will Sautter, Marine GIS Analyst working for CSS, Inc, in support of NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Marine Spatial Ecology Division, Biogeography Branch. Presenting in person at NOAA in Silver Spring.

Sponsor(s):
NOAA’s National Ocean Service (NOS); coordinator is Tracy Gill. If interested in obtaining a PDF of the slides and/or the mp4 recording, contact Tracy Gill.

Remote Access:
Please register here. After registering, you will get a confirmation email with a link to the webinar. If you have not used Adobe connect before, it is best to test your ability to use Adobe Connect, before the webinar, here. Audio is over the computer, so adjust the volume on your computer speakers or headset. Users should use either google, IE or Edge on Windows or Safari if using a Mac. Questions will be addressed in the chat window. If interested in obtaining a PDF of the slides and/or the mp4 recording, contact Tracy Gill.

Abstract:

NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) was funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to conduct a substrate analysis and benthic faunal assessment of the New York Wind Energy Area (NYWEA). NCCOS mapped the NYWEA using multibeam echosounders for bathymetry and backscatter, and then conducted a ground validation mission using a modified van Veen grab sampler. Underwater video data and sediment samples were collected at 400 different ground validation sites to classify the geoform, substrate, and biotic cover of the seafloor. The ground validation analysis revealed a vast sandy seascape with aggregations of pebbles and broken shell, and large colonies of foraging common sand dollars (Echinarachnius parma). Other benthic macrofauna were observed in the NYWEA including common sea stars (Asterias rubens), polychaete worms, hermit crabs ( Paguroidea sp.), and Atlantic moon snails (Euspira heros). The only species of fish that was observed during the survey was the little skate (Leucoraja erinacea), however the common sand dollar was the most abundant and widely distributed type of fauna. We used multiple linear regressions and geospatial models to examine the relationships between sand dollar abundance across depth, substrate type, and geoform type. This information helps scientists and managers understand how benthic faunal communities are distributed in the New York Bight, which is a critical component for the site suitability analysis and environmental impact assessments for the offshore wind farm.

Bio(s):
Will Sautter is a marine GIS analyst with the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science in Silver Spring, MD. Originally from Charleston, SC, he received a Bachelor of Science in Geology at Appalachian State University in North Carolina and is currently working on a Master’s in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University. He specializes in mapping the seafloor using multibeam sonars, video analysis, and sedimentology. Will has been a part of many mapping missions through the National Ocean Service; from finding shipwrecks in National Marine Sanctuaries, exploring uncharted canyons in the Caribbean, to helping inform management decisions for offshore renewable energy projects. His latest work has been focussed on the habitat mapping of the New York Wind Energy Area, which was funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

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Send an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word ‘subscribe’ in the subject or body. Visit the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series website for more information.