Goal
NEPTUNE is an innovative US/Canada project
whose goal is to establish a regional-scale, submarine network of interactive
observatories, for real-time, long-term Ocean
and Earth studies.
Overview
NEPTUNE:
North-East Time-series Undersea Networked Experiment
NEPTUNE will be the first large-scale ocean observatory.
NEPTUNE will cover
the entire Juan de Fuca tectonic plate, an area of 200,000 square kilometers
in the Northeast Pacific Ocean, with 30 undersea laboratories
connected by a network of 3000km of powered, fibre-optic cable. Shore-based
researchers from around the world will be able to monitor and control remote
deep-sea experiments in real-time over the Internet. Utilizing a vast array
of scientific sampling instruments, video cameras, and remotely operated
vehicles, scientists will study the geology, chemistry, physics, and biology
of the ocean,
from seafloor to surface and its interaction with the lower atmosphere, never
before possible on this scale and in real-time.
NEPTUNE is revolutionizing Ocean Science
Ocean science has reached a new frontier.
Traditional ship-based research expeditions and modern satellite imaging
have provided a solid base for understanding
the ocean, but their capabilities are limited, and many important questions
remain unanswered. The vastness and complexity of the ocean, involving multidisciplinary
processes occurring over an extremely broad range of spatial and temporal
scales, from microns and milliseconds to kilometers and decades, requires an
innovative
new approach to scientific research. Now, exceptional advancements in communication
technology will enable scientists on shore to probe the mysteries of the
deep ocean, and allow the world to share in the incredible discoveries. The
development
of powered, fibre-optic cabled observatories covering a wide range of marine
environments will allow, for the first time, real-time observations that
will establish a comprehensive interactive database and decadal time-series.
NEPTUNE will put the ocean floor online
Scientist, students, decision-makers,
and the general public will be able to use NEPTUNE via the Internet to
gain a new understanding of an incredible
diversity of ocean processes, including earthquakes, tsunamis, ocean nutrients,
fish stocks, marine mammals, mineral and hydrocarbon deposits, and human
influences on ocean and climate systems.
NEPTUNE’s impact will be as profound as the Hubble Telescope has
been to our knowledge of space
Utilizing state-of-the-science marine technology and
groundbreaking research techniques, NEPTUNE will strengthen Canada’s
leadership in research of the deep ocean. It will be the most advanced system
for studying the last physical
frontier on Earth. As a pioneering research initiative, NEPTUNE will also help
develop technologies for use in research and exploration of other planets and
moons in our solar system, such as Jupiter’s moon Europa, via NASA
missions.
Leadership/Project Management
NEPTUNE is a joint US/Canada venture led by
the University of Washington and the University of Victoria. An “Executive
Team” of
representatives from each of the NEPTUNE partners oversees the project. Chris
Barnes, UVic, and John Madden, IPOST, represent NEPTUNE Canada. The NEPTUNE
Canada project office is located at the University of Victoria on Vancouver
Island, British Columbia.
Partners
There are six major institutional “partners” involved
in NEPTUNE. In Canada, the University of Victoria is the lead institution,
with the Institute for Pacific Ocean Science and Technology as
the other major partner. The US initiative is lead by the University of Washington,
with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
at Caltech and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute as the other
major partners.
Numerous international researchers and other institutions are involved in
the project, including, for example, a network of 12 Canadian universities
spanning from coast to coast.
Schedule/Cost
The NEPTUNE network is expected to be operational by 2006 and
will cost approximately $250 million US to develop, install, and operate
through the first five years.
| Phase 1 |
- Conceptual Design |
1998 - 1999 |
| Phase 2 |
- System Design |
2000 - 2003 |
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- MARS Test bed |
2002 - 2005 |
| Phase 3 |
- Procurement |
2004- 2005 |
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- Installation |
2007 - 2008 |
| Phase 4 |
- Operations |
2008 - 2038 |
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Funding
Canada is committed to about 30% of the cost of the project. The Canadian
portion of NEPTUNE has received conditional major funding from the Canadian
Foundation for Innovation (CFI); one of the conditions being to secure
matching funds, which are presently being sought from the British Columbia
Knowledge
and Development Fund (BCKDF). Additional funding proposals are in preparation
and under review in the US to the National Science Foundation (NSF) and
other agencies. To date, over $50 million has been obtained for the Concept
and
Design phases.
Benefits for Canada
NEPTUNE will strengthen Canada’s leadership in deep
ocean science and technology. New scientific understanding will help with critical
Canadian problems
in fisheries, energy resources, and climate change. The multidisciplinary data
archive will be a lasting, interactive resource for scientists, industry, policy
makers and regulators.
All three British Columbia research-intensive universities are participating,
together with nine others across Canada, along with many government and industry
research institutions.
VENUS and MARS
Two smaller experimental arrays, VENUS and
MARS, will serve as shallow and deep water test
beds, respectively, for NEPTUNE design
and infrastructure. VENUS, the Canadian project, is led by Dr. Verena Tunnicliffe
of the University of Victoria.
FAQ
Please see NEPTUNE “FAQ’s” for further information.
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