Section 5 – International

Science Leadership on the International Scene

DFO Science has leadership roles in international organizations that play an influential role in freshwater and ocean sciences. These include the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the Joint World Meteorological Organization-IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM), the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas, the North Pacific Marine Science Organization, the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the World Organization of Animal Health, and the International Hydrographic Organization, among others.

Sea Lamprey Decreases in Great Lakes

Assistant Deputy Minister, Science, Dr. Wendy Watson-Wright, and Special Advisor to the Deputy, Dr. John Davis, served as Canadian commissioners for the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC), as part of DFO's commitment to manage populations of the invasive sea lamprey. The GLFC is responsible for reducing sea lamprey populations — an invasive species that has devastated lake trout populations —as well as coordinating fishery research in the Great Lakes. The Sea Lamprey Control program has resulted in a 90 percent decrease of lampreys, enabling the restoration of lake trout and other species. The GLFC pioneered the Partnership in Ecosystem Research and Management which funds researchers at the University of Guelph and Michigan State University in the development of innovative methods for sea lamprey control. In 2005, GLFC funded research to describe the structure and function of unique pheromones used by sea lampreys to locate suitable streams for spawning and to attract females to nests. Work began to find unique areas in the lamprey genome that can be exploited in the development of new control methods. The integration of stock assessment, traditional control methods and new methods developed by the science program are expected to further reduce populations to target levels by 2010. http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/regions/central/science/sea-lamprey-lamproie-mer/index-eng.htm

Sea Lamprey. Photo Credit: DFO

The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO)

In 2005, Canada achieved a major fisheries management goal, and NAFO marked a significant milestone towards an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management, when its members unanimously agreed to reform NAFO and improve management of the fisheries outside Canada's 200-mile limit. DFO Science participates in the NAFO Scientific Council, which gives advice upon request on the status of fish stocks in the NAFO Convention Area to Fisheries Commission and Coastal States. The NAFO Scientific Council publishes the NAFO Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science.

In support of the UNCLOS CLSC effort, the Lomonosov Ridge Test of Appurtenance (LORITA) is a collaborative Canadian-Danish project to acquire bathymetric datat about this submarine mountain ridge. The survey team will be based at Canadian Forces Base Alert on Ellesmere Island. A seismic station at Frankfield Bay on Greenland is indicated by FFb. The lines show the plan for acquisition of recieved seismic refraction data. The red dots are the planned seismis shots. Learn more at http://a76.dk/expeditions_uk/lorita-1_uk/index.html Photo Credit: Courtesy LORITA

Canadian Hydrographic Service and United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

Canada ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in November 2003 and has until the end of 2013 to submit evidence to the United Nations Commission for the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to support the establishment of the outer limits of its continental shelf. Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada is responsible for preparing the Canadian submission. The Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS), (a division of DFO) and the Geological Survey of Canada, (a division of Natural Resources Canada) are performing surveys to determine the limits of Canada's Arctic and Atlantic continental shelves that lie beyond the 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. Because of the technical challenges of data collection in the remote ice-covered areas of the Arctic Ocean, the Geological Survey of Canada (in consultation with Foreign Affairs and Interntional Trade Canada) negotiated with the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland to collaborate on surveys in the area north of Ellesmere Island and the Labrador Sea. This will not only reduce the cost for both countries, but also lead to a joint interpretation of the collected information, thereby reducing the possibility of overlapping claims and disputes. An agreement has been developed for a joint Arctic field program on the ice, starting in March 2006. On the Atlantic side, the surveys have been initiated using charted vessels, whereas in the Pacific, as the shelves are narrow, there will be no opportunity to claim areas beyond the 200 mile limit under the UNCLOS.

Joint WMO-IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM)

Canada, and DFO Science, played a leading role in the development of JCOMM. Dr. Savithri Narayanan, Director General of Ocean Sciences and the Canadian Hydrographic Service, served as co-president for four years from 2001, when she was elected during JCOMM's first assembly, until its second assembly held in Halifax in September 2005. DFO will continue to steer JCOMM through participation in its Management Committee and advisory bodies. This intergovernmental body of experts provides the coordination, regulation and management mechanism for the operation of an oceanographic and marine meteorological observing, data management and services system. JCOMM is highly relevant to Canada, as Canada's Oceans Action Plan is dedicated to managing ocean activities in a holistic, integrated way, and DFO's work to manage Canada's fisheries demands the best observations and data management possible. The recent and devastating ocean-generated natural disasters including the Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent storm surge, focused participants on the importance of JCOMM's data gathering and interpretation role. There was strong support for JCOMM input to the development and maintenance of marine multi-hazard warning systems, in view of its existing expertise and facilities in waves and storm surges, maritime safety service formulation and delivery, and deployment and maintenance of ocean observing platforms.

International Tsunami and Storm Surge Warning System Developments

During 2005, DFO Science worked with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) to complete a detailed plan for capacity building programs for assisting in the development of a tsunami warning system in Sri Lanka. Through CIDA, Canada also contributed $500,000 to the IOC for the implementation of the regional Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Centre in Jakarta, Indonesia. DFO Science coordinated this action as part of its IOC activities. DFO directly contributes to the IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation System in the Pacific. Fred Stephenson, DFO Pacific Region CHS, is the vice-chair. Learn more at: http://www.ioc-tsunami.org/

Also during the year, DFO Science worked to ensure that existing West Coast and proposed East coast components to the Canadian tsunami/storm surge warning systems and plans were integrated with the Global Tsunami Warning Systems, and chaired an interdepartmental task team to develop an Atlantic Tsunami-Storm Surge warning system.

Another key DFO Science contribution on this subject was “The Global Reach of the 26 December 2004 Sumatra Tsunami”, a pivotal paper published in Science, co-authored by Dr. Richard Thomson of the DFO Institute of Ocean Sciences with colleagues at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Russian Academy of Sciences. For the first time, this paper described the global propagation of the tsunami and its analysis provided essential verification of models used to predict tsunami run-up and inundation. The research made novel use of satellite altimetry and the global network of sea level gauges. Learn more at: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/309/5743/2045

Pacific Ocean Regime Shift Research

The North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) is an international scientific organization established to promote and coordinate marine research in the North Pacific. In 2003, PICES received its first formal request for scientific advice from the National Marine Fisheries Service of the United States. The request was for recommendations on the science and management implications of a potential 1998 climate-ocean regime shift for North Pacific fisheries. Previous climate-ocean regime shifts have had serious implications for ecosystems and consequently for fish populations and the fishing industry. PICES convened an international Study Group (Fisheries and Ecosystem Responses to Recent Regime Shifts - FERRRS), comprised of 21 scientists from PICES member countries to formulate the scientific advice to the U.S. government. DFO Pacific Region provided substantial participation and the Study Group was chaired by Dr. Jackie King of DFO's Pacific Biological Station. The Study Group's advice outlined recommendations for incorporating regime shift concepts into fishery management activities. The report of the FERRRS Study Group was presented to the U.S. government in January 2005. Recommendations made by the Study Group have implications for DFO science, stock assessment and management mandates. Read more at: http://www.pices.int/publications/scientific_reports/Report28/Rep_28_default.aspx

Integrated Monitoring in the North Atlantic

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) coordinates and promotes marine research in the North Atlantic with contributions from scientists in 19 member countries. During 2005, Canadian scientists worked with other ICES researchers on themes of major importance to Canada, including the survival and management of cod stocks, development and implementation of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management, and development of ecosystem indicators in support of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). ICES member states signed an accord to achieve maximum sustainable yield for the world's fish stock by 2015 and to implement an ecosystem approach to fisheries management by 2010. The WFD requires European member states to achieve “good ecological and chemical status” of surface waters by 2015. While the initial focus is on river basins, the WFD also applies to estuarine, coastal and other marine waters. This WFD goal is analogous to the habitat ecosystem objectives being pursued through the development of integrated management plans in Canada. ICES is participating in the identification of indicators and the development of an integrated monitoring program that includes both chemical and biological effects measurements. These are only a few examples of the benefits Canada receives from the participation of scientists and science managers in a selected number of the more than 100 ICES working groups, science and advisory committees. http://www.ices.dk/indexfla.asp

International Reviews of Marine Ecosystem Science in Other Nations

DFO also contributed expertise to reviews of marine ecosystem science undertaken by other national jurisdictions. In Australia, having recently merged its Oceans and Atmosphere divisions, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation of Australia appointed a five-member task team to review all the science plans from the new merged organisation. The evaluation was to address both quality and policy-relevance of the science being done, and the extent to which the research plans took advantage of the potential synergies of a combined oceans and atmosphere research unit. In the U.S.A, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) formed an eight-member external Ecosystem Task Team charged to evaluate and provide recommendations on two issues. First, is the mix of ecosystem science activities conducted or supported by NOAA appropriate to its mission needs and regulatory responsibilities? Second, how should NOAA organize its ecosystem science and research enterprises? Dr. Jake Rice, Director of Assessment and Advice for DFO Science was invited to participate in both review panels.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, Montreal (COP 11)

The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC – COP11) met for the eleventh time in Montreal in December 2005. There were about 10,000 participants from 189 nations, and 700 reporters on hand for the event. DFO participated with regard to its work in the collection of improved data to understand the Earth's oceans and showcased its work to understand, assess, predict, and mitigate climate change and variability in marine ecosystems, so we can better adapt to these changes. Three staff members from DFO Policy and Science were observers on the Canadian delegation. Read more online at: http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection-R/LoPBdP/PRB-e/PRB0516-e.pdf

The visit of DFO's CCGS Amundsen to Montreal for the event was very popular. The icebreaker, which was re-commissioned and refitted for northern research in 2003, was visited by over 1,700 members of the public as well as the media. The tours sparked dozens of TV, radio and newspaper stories around the world, spotlighting Canada's northern science work.

At the Canada Pavilion, Dr. Ken Denman, a senior DFO research scientist, made a world-class presentation during the Science for Solutions lecture series on the science of the carbon system in climate change. He is the Coordinating Lead Author for a chapter in the next UN report on climate change. DFO Science also contributed to presentations at the Group on Earth Observations side event, and the Global Climate Observing System session.

International Monitoring and Data Gathering Undertakings

DFO assists in and contributes to many scientific data gathering and oceanographic monitoring programs and plays a leading role in the following high profile and internationally significant research and monitoring programs:

Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS)

Canada's contribution to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) earth observations (EO) are oceanic, terrestrial, atmospheric or space-based measurements that allow us to understand the earths systems – its weather, climate, land, oceans, ice, geology, natural resources, ecosystems and hazards. Superior EO data supports the mandate and priorities of DFO, including the Oceans Action Plan, management of fisheries and aquaculture, Coast Guard operations and monitoring the impact of climate change on marine and freshwater resources. http://www.earthobservations.org

The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS):

GOOS is a permanent global system for observations, modelling and analysis of marine and ocean variables to support operational ocean services worldwide. http://www.ioc-goos.org.

ArcticNet

ArcticNet is a Canadian Network of Centres of Excellence involving over 90 researchers from 23 Canadian universities and five federal departments in collaboration with research teams in the U.S.A., Japan, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Poland, the United Kingdom, Spain, Russia, Greenland and France. http://www.arcticnet.ulaval.ca.

Argo

Argo is a global array of 3,000 free-drifting profiling floats that measure the temperature and salinity of the upper 2,000 metres of the ocean. For the first time, continuous monitoring of the temperature, salinity, and velocity of the upper ocean will be possible, with all data being relayed and made publicly available within hours after collection. Effectively, Argo monitors the pulse of the global heat balance. Over 90 percent of the observed increase in heat content of the air/land/sea climate system over the past 50 years occurred in the ocean. Argo improves our understanding of the ocean's role in climate, and spawns an enormous range of valuable ocean applications. For information on Canadian tracked Argo data, visit: http://www.meds-sdmm.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/isdm-gdsi/argo/index-eng.html

Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS)

SOLAS (Surface Ocean - Lower Atmosphere Study) is an international research initiative, “To achieve quantitative understanding of the key biogeochemical-physical interactions and feedbacks between the ocean and atmosphere, and of how this coupled system affects and is affected by climate and environmental change.” SOLAS is part of the Earth System Science Partnership and involves more than 250 scientists from 22 different countries. Go to: http://www.uea.ac.uk/env/solas/welcome.html

Joint Western Arctic Climate Study (JWACS)

This collaboration involving the Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC) and the Institute of Ocean Sciences of Fisheries and Oceans (IOS/DFO) began in 2003. JWACS is part of an ongoing co-operative effort between Japan and Canada to study ocean-ice processes and climate change in the western Arctic Ocean using moorings and bio-geochemical hydrographic surveys. The Canada Basin Climate Study project was conducted aboard the CCGS Louis S. St. Laurent Data collected will address questions of freshwater storage in the Beaufort Gyre, circulation, inter-annual variability of water mass properties, and the distribution and concentration of biota. Learn more at: http://www.jamstec.go.jp/arctic/jwacs/jwacs_index.htm