Section 2 – Science in the News

Science News Highlights

Oceans, weather and their impacts were the major news stories of 2005. As the year began, the world struggled to respond to the Indian Ocean tsunami, and at year-end, the legacies of hurricanes Katrina and Rita continued unfolding in the headlines. These events focused global attention on ocean science, especially tsunami and storm prediction, warning and ocean monitoring capabilities. In Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Science made news throughout the year, in stories tied to global trends, in news about the contribution of Science to core functions and services of the Department and in stories that reflected issues of daily importance to Canadians. The following is a chronological round up of news highlights from all regions of Canada.

Giant Squid Examined at Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre Wetlab

On January 11, 2005, the media gathered and the wetlab was buzzing with scientists from numerous institutes as well as university and secondary students who gathered for the necropsies of two giant squid, the first such giants recovered in 23 years in the area. The first squid was a mature female, which measured 5.7 metres from tail to tentacle tip and weighed 38.56 kilograms. The second recovered squid was a mature male. It measured 4.05 metres and weighed 32.96 kilograms. It was a rare opportunity to study a species that is virtually unknown and DNA samples were taken to contribute to an ongoing international study. Giant squid have tended to be found in the fall in years when the water was warmer, as it was in 2004. Approximately 30 of the 60 giant squid that have been found in Newfoundland and Labrador waters were recorded during the 1870s. Giant squid were most recently found in the province in 1972, 1981 and 1982.

Science and Seafood

In February, the Government of Canada announced a $59 million investment in the National Aquatic Animal Health Program (NAAHP). This shared initiative, which is led by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, aims to protect aquatic animals from the harmful effects of diseases and to maintain the seafood industry's competitiveness in international markets. By proactively protecting the health of Canadian aquatic animals, the NAAHP also protects industries such as commercial fishing and aquaculture, which depend on them, and thus contributes to the overall economic health of a region. Under the initiative, Canada is developing a strong monitoring and surveillance program that is a co-operative effort among federal and provincial governments, industry and academia. Key goals of the NAAHP are to enable Canada to meet international standards for aquatic animal health, secure seafood export markets, and secure a national aquatic inspection and certification regime equivalent to the system currently applicable to terrestrial animals. Learn more at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/aqua/proge.shtml

Aquaculture and Environmental Research Lab

During March, DFO announced a new collaboration for scientific research with the University of British Columbia (UBC). The DFO/UBC Centre for Aquaculture and Environmental Research (CAER) will share DFO's state-of-the-art West Vancouver Laboratory facility. The 2,500 square-metre facility consists of wet and dry labs and an extensive system of water containers for fish rearing and research, as well as a wharf to dock large vessels. CAER is a centre for focused research programs that integrate concepts of ecosystem and conservation with sustainable aquaculture practices and the development of cost-effective strategies for growing aquatic species of global importance.

Atlantic Seal Research

The most downloaded feature story on DFO Science's website during 2005 concerned the Atlantic Seal Research Project (ASRP), which examined seal abundance, distribution and diet. The tagging and satellite tracking of approximately 100 seals yielded insights into the mapping of seal routes, dive behaviour and swimming speed that has enabled improved modelling of seals' interactions with Atlantic groundfish. In a world first, researchers showed that the proportion of different fatty acids in seal blubber reflects the proportion of different fish species in its diet. For an overview of the ASRP, see the science feature story at: www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/Publications/article/seals_e.htm

Improving International Governance through Science in Newfoundland and Labrador

A major Government of Canada announcement in April concerned funding of $20 million over three years for science, advocacy, policy and legal initiatives in support of Canada's international governance of high seas strategy. Over half of this funding ($11 million) was allocated for scientific research. The Newfoundland and Labrador Region received the largest portion of this science funding. Over three years, $7.6 million will support 14 research projects to help DFO develop a better understanding of the Grand Banks ecosystems and straddling fish stocks. Several projects began in 2005, with more coming on stream in 2006. A backgrounder is online, at:
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/back-fiche/2005/nl-tnl07-eng.htm

Three-spine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) collected from the Broughton Archipelago region of coastal B.C. in 2004. The fish is heavily infected with the salmon louse Lepeophtheirus salmonis and another sea lice species, Caligus clemensi. The stickleback is a newly discovered host of the salmon louse on the B.C. coast, and may be important in transferring the parasite to other fish. Photo Credit: Ted Sweeten

DFO Scientist Tops in Smart Gear Competition

Dr. Edward Trippel at St. Andrews Biological Station preparing barium sulphate gillnet and weak rope for experimental field trials in the Bay of Fundy.

Dr. Edward Trippel, a DFO scientist at St. Andrews Biological Station, won first prize in the inaugural International Smart Gear Competition. The win was announced in April 2005 in the competition sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund. He was recognized for his innovative research to increase the reflective properties of gillnets and to design weak rope to reduce the incidence of bycatch of porpoises and whales in commercial fisheries.

Sea Lice

Potential links among sea lice, salmon farms and wild salmon stocks in British Columbia continued to garner media attention in 2005. DFO scientists are actively engaged in monitoring sea lice and in research about sea lice biology and abundance. These parasites are found in all oceans and on many species, and are common to Pacific salmon adults during their return migration in B.C. coastal waters. We know that wild salmon spread sea lice to farmed salmon; however, the involvement of salmon farms as a source of lice infecting wild juvenile salmon is the source of debate. In the absence of treatment, salmon farms can be a source of lice to the surrounding environment. Salmon farmers, however, can treat their fish and control sea lice levels. Results of our research showed that sea lice levels on wild juvenile salmon varied among years. Infections with sea lice may increase mortality during early marine phases of Pacific salmon, but the issue of greatest concern is whether mortality over the life span of the fish increases and threatens the conservation of local populations. During 2004 and 2005, adult returns of pink and chum increased relative to brood year and approached long term average values. These observations and increased collaborative research with the industry contribute to an emerging view that salmon farms and wild stocks can co-exist. However, the continued presence of sea lice on juvenile salmon in some areas of B.C. is a marine ecosystem puzzle that involves much more than salmon farms. For more about sea lice on the DFO website, go to:
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/infocus-alaune/2005/20051011b-eng.htm

Dr. Robie Macdonald Honoured by Royal Society of Canada

The Royal Society of Canada announced in May that Dr. Robie Macdonald, FRSC, a senior research scientist at the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney, B.C., was awarded the 2005 Miroslaw Romanowski Medal. The prestigious award recognizes significant contributions to the resolution of scientific aspects of environmental problems or important improvements to the quality of an ecosystem. The Society recognized Dr. Macdonald as a world-class scientist, internationally noted for his work on contaminant pathways in environmental systems.

Timothy R. Parsons Medal Inauguration

The first medals named for Canadian ocean sciences pioneer Dr. Timothy R. Parsons were awarded by DFO Science Sector in May. First recipients of the honour were Dr. Parsons himself, for his unparalleled contributions to a holistic approach to ocean sciences, and Dr. Daniel Ware, for his outstanding contribution to the field of fisheries oceanography. The awards were created by DFO Science Sector, and will be given annually subject to a nomination and selection process. Sadly, Dr. Ware passed away just months after receiving the honour from his peers. Learn more about Dr. Parson, and the medal at:
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/award-prix/parsons/index-eng.htm

Institute of Ocean Sciences Researchers Honoured

Researcher Svein Vagle was awarded the Medwin Prize in Acoustical Oceanography in May 2005, while his colleague Eddy Carmack was honoured by election as a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union. Both scientists work at the DFO Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney, B.C.

Workshop Kicks off Design of Atlantic Storm Surge and Tsunami Warning System

In June, DFO hosted the inter-agency Atlantic Tsunami Warning Workshop at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth, involving federal and provincial representatives and researchers from the U.S. The goal of the group is to design and test a sustainable Atlantic Canada storm surge and tsunami warning system.

Hydrographer R. Michael Eaton, C.M., Receives Order of Canada Honour

Renowned nationally and internationally as the “father” of the electronic chart, Michael Eaton envisaged a computerized version of the traditional marine chart that is now a common navigation tool contributing to greater marine safety around the world. In June 2005, he was named a member of the Order of Canada for his outstanding contributions to the advancement of hydrography. Now Scientist Emeritus with the Canadian Hydrographic Service, he developed techniques to accurately map frozen bodies of water and combined various positioning systems to more precisely survey ocean waters.

Whale Recovery

In July, a draft Recovery Strategy designed to promote the recovery of certain Pacific populations of blue, fin and sei whale populations in Canada's Pacific waters made news when it was released. DFO scientists contributed to the creation of the recovery strategy, which will outline the goals, objectives, key knowledge gaps and strategies to address the current threats to the marine mammals. After a period of public consultation, the document was sent to the Species at Risk Act Public Registry for further comments. Science Sector also contributed to that effort. For more on the draft recovery plan for blue, fin and sei whales, go to: http://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/293869/publication.html

Fin Whale. Photo Credit: Provincial Airlines.

State of the Ocean Report for Pacific Shows Record High Temperatures

Also in July, Science Sector released the 2004 Pacific Region State of the Ocean report. It confirmed warm ocean surface waters throughout B.C. in the spring and summer, which scientists attributed to abnormal weather in B.C. and the Gulf of Alaska, as well as to general warming of the global lands and oceans. Other findings showed global land and ocean temperatures were near a record high in 2004. This weather brought record high temperatures to the Fraser River, a contributing factor to the low sockeye spawning numbers observed in 2004.

Canada at Aqua Nor 2005

In August, Canada was the featured country at Aqua Nor 2005, the world's largest international aquaculture tradeshow. “Made-in-Canada” science and technology was featured at the Canada Pavilion along with Canadian efforts in the environmentally sound production of safe, nutritious farmed fish and seafood. Canada hosted seminars highlighting our expertise and our scientists shared ideas with leading aquaculture scientists from around the world. In a move to increase public knowledge and build consumer confidence, Fisheries Ministers for Canada and Norway announced an International Working Group on Cold Water Aquaculture to improve collaboration on food safety and environmental sustainability issues. Learn more at: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/back-fiche/2005/hq-ac70a-eng.htm

Swordfish Tagging Goes High-Tech

In September, DFO announced that scientists at the St. Andrews Biological Station are working with the Nova Scotia Swordfish Harpoon Association in a first-ever Canadian high-tech tagging study of swordfish to determine their migration patterns in the Atlantic Ocean. The pop-up satellite tags are tiny waterproof computers, programmed to record the depth of swimming, temperature of the water, and daylight length, while enduring dives to more than 914 metres. In summer 2006, this information will be relayed by the ARGOS satellite communication system when the tag “pops up” to the surface. The information is then downloaded to a computer where scientists use programs to analyze the data to determine migration patterns of the fish. Read more at:
www.mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/communications/ maritimes/news05e/NR-MAR-05-25E.html

Invasive Species

Aquatic invasive species pose serious threats to native ecosystems and impact fisheries. In 2005, invasive tunicates, or ‘sea squirts' were in the news. Invasive tunicates reproduce quickly and interfere with mussel production, increase industry costs and threaten the marine ecosystem around Prince Edward Island (P.E.I). In September, DFO and the P.E.I. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture announced joint funding of $1 million towards the control, treatment and monitoring of invasive tunicates, as well as risk assessment, biological research, and monitoring the incidence of tunicates in P.E.I. In a second project, DFO, the province and its mussel industry are providing funds for a trial research study on the effectiveness of mitigation measures in removing tunicates from mussels. DFO also funds federal researchers for the monitoring of tunicates and other invasive species in the maritime areas of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Quebec.
www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/npress-communique/2005/hq-ac83-eng.htm

Canadian Hydrographic Service locates WWII Wreck in Gulf of St. Lawrence

In September, while surveying the habitat of the threatened spotted wolffish, the Canadian Hydrographic Service detected what is believed to be the wreck of the SS Nicoya. The merchant ship was torpedoed by a German submarine in 1942 off the Gaspé Peninsula coast, close to the village of Cloridorme, and was the first ship sunk by a German U-boat in Canadian waters during the Second World War.

The illustration shows the wreck of the SS Nicoya as it lies on the seafloor of the St. Lawrence Estuary. The wreck was detected using a Kongsberg multibeam echosounder EM-1002 onboard the CCGS Frederick G. Creed. The illustration was obtained by processing the data using CARIS HIPS software. Photo Credit: Canadian Hydrographic Service.

Solving Arctic Oceanographic Mysteries: Sampling the Unknown Canada Basin

Scientists from the Bedford Institute of Oceanography participated in the international trans-Arctic Beringia expedition on the Swedish icebreaker Oden during September-October 2005. The expedition made oceanographic measurements on a section from the Barents Sea through the North Pole and across the little-sampled Canada Basin to Alaska. It was the first full oceanographic crossing to include the central Canadian Basin of the Arctic Ocean by a surface vessel.

In Franklin Bay, Northwest Territories, a diving specialist positions an ultra-sensitive light meter beneath two metres of Arctic sea ice.  A DFO-led initiative sampled and documented the under-side of the sea ice as part of the Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study (CASES). For more, see:  www.cases.quebec- ocean.ulaval.ca/fieldwor.asp Photo Credit: Jeremy Stewart.

Global Ocean Observing System Milestone

Another international milestone concerning oceans observation was announced in Halifax in September. Meteorologists and oceanographers from around the world gained another observation tool with the completion of the first component of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). The GOOS is a network of observing platforms that measure and collect data on the state of oceans worldwide. The network is made up of drifting and moored buoys, profiling floats, tide gauge stations, ship-based systems, and satellites that monitor and document our oceans. With the deployment of the 1250th drifting buoy in the Atlantic Ocean off Halifax, the network of drifting buoys is now complete. The Global Drifter buoys collect data on ocean temperature, currents, wind, and atmospheric pressure. The buoys are an essential contribution to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). Learn more about GOOS at www.idc.goos.org and about GEOSS at: www.epa.gov/geoss/

Rebuilding Cod Stocks

DFO Science Sector worked for several years to contribute to the release, in November 2005, of the federal-provincial strategy for the rebuilding of Atlantic cod stocks. The various recovery strategies share common elements, many of which will involve DFO Science Sector for years to come, including collection of cod stock status information and examination of key factors affecting rebuilding, including innovation around stewardship. Regardless of whether or not any stocks are listed under the Species at Risk Act, the federal-provincial cod rebuilding strategies will assist in the development of management plans and/or recovery strategies as required. An overview document entitled “A Federal-Provincial Strategy for the Rebuilding of Atlantic Cod Stocks” can be found on the Department's website, along with detailed reports of the various Cod Action Teams. Updates can be found among the media releases of the Department, at: www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/npress-communique/2005/hq-ac95-eng.htm

Argo Floats Milestone

By the end of the year, the international collaborative ocean and climate observation initiative, Argo, had deployed 2,400 Argo floats, or 80 percent of the planned target array. DFO scientist Dr. Howard Freeland chairs Canada's Argo program and is co-chair of the international Argo program which has floats gathering data in the Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Southern oceans. Canada has launched Argo floats and one of the several types of Argo floats is also manufactured in Canada. The floats produce 87,000 ocean profiles per year, which are key to climate and ocean researchers and operational weather and climate centres around the world. Learn more at:
http://www.meds-sdmm.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/meds/Prog_Int/Argo/ArgoHome_e.html

Seasonal to decadal climate variability and predictability is a primary focus of the Argo Project. Subsurface floats drift at depths between 1 and 2 kilometres, surfacing every 10 days to transmit data (temperature and salinity profiles) to satellites before starting a new cycle. Float trajectories reveal subsurface current velocities. Image Credit: Schematic courtesy of Southampton Oceanography Centre, United Kingdom.

Careers in Ocean Sciences on TV

Researchers, biologists and hydrographers working at DFO's Maurice Lamontagne Institute participated in the production of a documentary concerning the more fascinating aspects of their work. “Les métiers de la mer” ran on the TVA network throughout the winter of 2005 and is being presented in schools to illustrate the careers possible in ocean sciences.

Researchers collect samples during a MERICA mission to monitor the Hudson Bay Complex. Photo Credit: François Saucier.

High Tides of December

The high tides of December in the river, estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence caused concern for coastal residents of Quebec. Unusually severe erosion and particularly high seas meant that the advice of the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) was solicited for advice on tides and water levels. CHS also helped explain these phenomena to the many regional news and weather media seeking an explanation for residents of the area.

At over 98 metres long and with a heli-deck, the science research vessel CCGS Amundsen is a large icebreaker, but it is dwarfed by Canada's immense Arctic landscape. Photo Credit: Martin Fortier.

The Amundsen Visits the UN Climate Change Conference

The issue of climate change made news all year. In December 2005, the Amundsen, a DFO Coast Guard ice breaker and state-of-the-art science vessel, visited Montreal during the “UN Climate Change Conference,” more properly known as the United Nations Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention. As DFO Science delegates contributed at the conference, thousands of Canadians visited the Amundsen to learn about how it is used for research. During 2005, the Amundsen was used to study sea ice variability and changes to the Mackenzie Shelf/Amundsen Gulf in the western Arctic, as part of the multidisciplinary ArcticNet program. It is also used to conduct ocean-floor mapping and shallow marine drilling, to deploy and recover a seven-metre survey boat and to take ocean samples in extreme weather conditions through an access hole in the vessel's bottom hull.

ArcticNet researchers aboard the science research vessel, CCGS Amundsen deploy sampling equipment.

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