Canadian NEPTUNE Newsletter for March 2002

Herewith a brief update on progress related to NEPTUNE:

1. On January 30, the Canada Foundation for Innovation announced that the VENUS (Victoria Experimental Network Under Sea) project, led by Verena Tunnicliffe out of UVic, was approved for funding. VENUS involves scientists from about a dozen universities and institutions across Canada and in the U.S. Up to four short cables deployed in the Georgia Basin will accommodate a variety of instruments to enhance our knowledge and understanding of the waters and seafloor of the Georgia Basin, starting late next year or early in 2004. Research topics include: sediment dynamics and slope stability of river delta systems (Fraser River); inshore-offshore dynamics and linkages with ocean circulation; zooplankton dynamics studies; benthic ecosystem studies; salmon tracking studies; whale and porpoise tracking studies and inlet renewal processes. The total project cost is estimated at $10.3 million of which 40% or $4.12 million is supplied by CFI. Of the remainder, it is anticipated that a matching $4.12 million will come from the BC Knowledge Development Fund with the remainder provided by industry and institutional contributions. You can learn more about this exciting development by visiting: http://canuck.seos.uvic.ca/venus. VENUS will make use of NEPTUNE engineering to the maximum extent possible and will serve as an important tool for scientists to develop new techniques for research using ocean cables, techniques which will be invaluable when NEPTUNE is installed.
   

2. On February 4 we submitted our CFI proposal to the International Access Fund. We requested funding of $31,916,104 spread over four years. We were tightly constrained on the length of the proposal we were allowed to send in. A one page summary of the proposal (as submitted) is appended to this newsletter. The 35 page main body of the proposal can be accessed at www.neptunecanada.com. The proposal was submitted by UVic, with Chris Barnes as the Principal Investigator. Memorial, Dalhousie, UQAR, UQAM, Laval, Toronto, Guelph, Waterloo, Manitoba, UBC and SFU are also signatories. We understand that we will be interviewed by a review committee on March 25, and that we should learn whether or not we have been successful by late May.
   
3. In the USA, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) is submitting a proposal to NSF to build the MARS test bed in Monterey Bay by March 1. If approved, this proposal will see the installation of an important facility for testing both the NEPTUNE system itself as well as the scientific equipment we want to deploy on NEPTUNE. While MARS is designed to be a generic test bed for large scale subsea wired observatories more generally, it is planned that at least initially, it will be NEPTUNE hardware and software which is tested. MBARI is blessed with deep water only a few hours sailing from dockside, and it operates two vessels equipped with remotely operated vehicles. These facts, combined with milder winter weather than we experience off B.C., make MBARI an excellent site for this important facility.
   
4. We recently received the final report of a ?desktop study? of the proposed NEPTUNE cable and node layout. This study was jointly financed by the Canadian and U.S. arms of NEPTUNE. The study, the traditional antecedent of a much more expensive route survey using ships, makes use of available data to lay out a cable route, examines options for shore landings, and addresses regulatory, fishing, weather, bottom conditions and cable endurance issues. The study was carried out by FUGRO SSI of Seattle, which had the winning bid of seven submitted late last summer by Canadian and U.S. companies.
   
5. With our support, the Victoria Ocean Observatory Committee has commissioned a feasibility study to examine the potential viability of a public facility for observing and learning about ocean phenomena, based initially on videos and information being collected by VENUS and NEPTUNE. The results of this preliminary study should be available in a few weeks time.
   
6. The Data Management and Archiving System (DMAS) Design Requirements Document (DRD) has been drafted and circulated for comments by the National Research Council team led by Séverin Gaudet. This marks an important milestone in Canada?s engineering contribution to NEPTUNE. The document sets out the scope of the NEPTUNE Data Management and Archiving System, and the most significant requirements which the system must meet.

We appreciate your continuing interest in NEPTUNE. To receive current newsletters from NEPTUNE Canada, please join our mailing list.

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