CCG Activities in Support of Science

The vision of the Canadian Coast Guard is "to lead the way in marine safety, service and protection of the marine environment". The Canadian Coast Guard, an important part of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) since 1995, provides specially equipped ship and launch support to the research and survey programs carried out by Bayfield Institute staff in Burlington, Ontario. Support for science activities is also provided to other government agencies, such as Environment Canada, and to universities. Repair and maintenance of cutters, launches and small craft is carried out in the marine workshop at the Bayfield Institute.

In the Great Lakes, the Coast Guard operates and maintains a fleet of four major ships, three buoy tenders, one inshore research vessel, nine search and rescue (SAR) cutters, 45 large launches and over 200 smaller boats.

The major research vessel is CCGS Limnos, built in St. Catherines, Ontario in 1968 and modernized in 1971 and 1981. Limnos has a full crew complement of 14, with 16 additional berths available for scientists and technicians. At 45 metres in length and a gross tonnage of 489 tonnes, Limnos is a critical platform from which to conduct open-water research in the Great Lakes.



CCGC Shark is a 16 metre Inshore Fisheries Research vessel that operates throughout the Great Lakes. With a crew complement of two and no overnight accommodation facilities, this vessel operates during the day and comes into port each evening. Shark is an excellent shallow draft sampling vessel and provides a platform for a wide variety of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment Canada science programs.

For more information about Canadian Coast Guard operations, contact Fisheries and Oceans Canada at 201 North Front Street, Suite 703, Sarnia, ON, N7T 8B1; by phone at (519) 383-1856; or visit our regional web site.