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Canada Funds International Project That Will Revolutionize Ocean Research

OTTAWA, February 12, 2007 — Canada is poised to bolster its position as a global leader in the development of better fisheries management and the understanding of climate change thanks to a $35 million investment awarded today to Dalhousie University by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).This funding will be supplemented by additional investments of up to $10 million from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC) and $327,500 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Dr. Eliot Phillipson, President and CEO of the CFI, was joined in Halifax by the Honourable Peter McKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, on behalf of the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry; Dr. Suzanne Fortier; President of NSERC, and Dalhousie University President Dr. Tom Traves to make the landmark announcement.

This major award will provide infrastructure and operating funds for the creation of the $160 million Ocean Tracking Network (OTN). Headquartered at Dalhousie University in Halifax, the OTN will unite the finest marine scientists in the world in the most comprehensive and revolutionary examination of marine life and ocean conditions ever undertaken. The project will consist of installing cutting-edge, made-in-Canada tracking technology at strategic locations in 14 ocean regions on all seven continents. This world-wide network will allow researchers to record the movement and behaviour of fish and other marine life — from salmon, to turtles, to whales — as well as monitor ocean characteristics, such as water depth, temperatures, and chemistry. The project will also include an important social sciences component that will shed light on the international social and legal framework of oceans. OTN data will provide invaluable new insight into marine management practices, and will determine how life-sustaining ocean conditions are changing in response to climate change. Never before has collecting oceanic data on such a grand scale been contemplated.

"This is an outstanding initiative that will reinforce both Canada's and Dalhousie University's international leadership in ocean research for many years to come," said Dr. Phillipson. "The OTN will transform ocean-based life sciences around the world."

"The benefits to Canada of this ambitious project are tremendous," said Minister MacKay. "The OTN will foster the development of new Canadian technology, a deeper understanding of the effects of climate change, and help shape fisheries and endangered species management world-wide."

"Dalhousie is honoured to receive this award, and we are proud of the research team led by Ron O'Dor," said Dr. Traves. "Our institution is at the epicentre of international ocean research that will change how scientists and world leaders understand pressing global concerns such as fisheries management in the face of climate change."

"The oceans of the world influence all life on this planet," said Dr. Fortier. "Given that Canada has a direct interest in three oceans, I am especially pleased that NSERC is collaborating with the CFI to support world-leading researchers in the marine sciences."

"SSHRC is pleased to be a partner in this innovative project, particularly given its focus on researching the legal and social issues raised by technological advances and how these are incorporated into ocean management systems at the local, national and regional levels," said Dr. Chad Gaffield, President of SSHRC.

Today's announcement was made possible thanks to the CFI's International Joint Venture Project, a collaborative initiative that involved partnership with the major Canadian federal funding agencies: NSERC, SSHRC, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), and Genome Canada. Funding was approved following a rigorous merit review process that was overseen by all partners in the initiative.

The CFI's $35 million investment will supply the key components of a global monitoring system that will enable species tracking data capture, ocean biological data capture, as well as data storage, analysis, and management.

In addition to the CFI's investment, NSERC has set aside up to $10 million for the direct research costs, and researchers are expected to submit applications in the near future to the relevant NSERC funding programs. For its part, SSHRC has approved an initial grant of $327,500 which will fund student researchers and a major workshop.

The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) is an independent corporation created by the Government of Canada to fund research infrastructure. The CFI's mandate is to strengthen the capacity of Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals, and non-profit research institutions to carry out world-class research and technology development that benefits Canadians

NSERC is a federal agency whose role is to make investments in people, discovery and innovation for the benefit of all Canadians. The agency supports some 23,000 university students and postdoctoral fellows in their advanced studies. NSERC promotes discovery by funding more than 11,000 university professors every year and fosters innovation by encouraging more than 1,300 Canadian companies to participate and invest in university research projects.

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada is an independent federal government agency that funds university-based research and graduate training through national peer-review competitions. SSHRC also partners with public and private sector organizations to focus research and aid the development of better policies and practices in key areas of Canada's social, cultural and economic life.

For more information:

Charles Crosby
Media Relations Manager
Dalhousie University
Tel.: 902-494-1269
charles.crosby@dal.ca