Canada's participation in the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance

Fifth expedition: July 2016

Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent departed Halifax on July 22, 2016, on its way to Tromsø, Norway. This was the fifth mission under the Canada-E.U.-U.S. Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance.

The team conducted surveys of the North Atlantic Ocean to build on the work undertaken in July 2015. The collected seabed data will contribute to the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO).

The expedition was made up of students and early career scientists representing Canada and the U.S. They sailed on board the Canadian Coast Guard ship Louis S. St-Laurent and wrote daily web logs to chronical the mission.

Expedition participants included the:

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS)
• Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland
• University of New Hampshire's Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping Joint Hydrographic Center

Fourth expedition: May 2016

A fourth seabed mapping survey took place under the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance on board the research vessel (RV) Celtic Explorer, from May 11 to 21, 2016.

The expedition was led by a team of 12 Canadian and international scientists. They mapped a path of the Atlantic sea-floor between St. John's, Newfoundland, and Galway, Ireland. This built on the results of the first expedition under the Galway Statement in June 2015.

Expedition participants included:

• the College of Charleston (U.S.)
• the National University of Ireland
• Memorial University (Newfoundland and Labrador)
• the Marine Institute and Geological Survey of Ireland (INFOMAR)

Third expedition: February 2016

In February 2016, a seabed mapping transect took place from Pointe à Pitre, Guadaloupe, to Ponta Delgada, São Miguel. This was on board the multi-purpose research vessel L'Atalante owned by the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (in French only).

Aside from the participants from France, members of Maritime Way Scientific Ltd. from Ottawa, also joined the expedition.

Second expedition: July 2015

The second expedition under the Galway Statement took place in July 2015. It explored the seabed between Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Tromsø, Norway, aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent.

The team used deep-water multibeam echo sounder technology to:

• acquire valuable oceanographic data
• create high resolution images of the seabed
• gather information on the physical characteristics of the sea-floor, such as:
  • depth
  • hardness
  • sediment cover

The team of scientists discovered several volcano-like features near the mid-Atlantic Ridge. The largest was mapped at 1,250 m in diameter at its base and 280 m high.

The data collected will help further our understanding of:

• navigation
• conservation
• marine habitats

Expedition participants included the:

• Marine Institute and Geological Survey of Ireland (INFOMAR)
• U.S.'s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS)
• Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland

First expedition: June 2015

The first expedition under the Galway Statement took place in June 2015 on board the Irish RV Celtic Explorer.

The vessel undertook a mapping expedition between St. John's, Newfoundland, and Galway, Ireland, in June 2015.

The international team gathered information on the physical characteristics of the sea-floor, such as:

• water:
  • depth
  • hardness
  • roughness
• presence of geohazards

On the Newfoundland and Labrador shelf, the international team uncovered 235 km squared of:

• iceberg scarred seabed
• buried sediment channels
• ancient glacial moraine features

Expedition participants included the:

• Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere
• Marine Institute and Geological Survey of Ireland (INFOMAR)
• U.S.'s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland