NEPTUNE Canada

Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre

The Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre (BMSC) was established in 1972 by the Western Canadian Universities Marine Sciences Society in order to provide a permanent base for marine-oriented field research and marine science education on the west coast of Canada. Situated within the traditional territory of the Huu ay aht First Nation in Barkley Sound, and adjacent the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, BMSC offers unparalleled access to a wide array of environments - including unique coastal, marine and rainforest habitats and exceptional species diversity.

An Ocean Observatory has been deployed in Bonne Bay to understand the influence of the physical environment on the temporal variability of marine ecosystems. The Observatory includes an underwater station, a fibre communications and power cable link to the Bonne Bay Marine Station and a small oceanographic boat.

Ocean Networks Canada

Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is a not-for-profit society created by the University of Victoria to build and sustain Canada's world leadership in ocean science and technology through the NEPTUNE Canada and VENUS ocean observatories. ONC supports the core research programs and the applications of the results of the research in at least three major areas: public policy, economic development and commercialization, and public education and outreach.

Ocean Observatories Initiative (U.S.)

The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) is a NSF Division of Ocean Sciences program that focuses the science, technology, education and outreach of an emerging network of science driven ocean observing systems. Within the OOI, the University of Washington is leading an effort to develop the Regional Scale Nodes component, which will encompass cabled underwater research facilities off the coasts of Washington and Oregon. The OOI and NEPTUNE Canada cooperate in the planning and development for what we hope will become an extensive network of observatories, including regional-scale coverage the Juan de Fuca Plate in the northeast Pacific.

VENUS

The Victoria Experimental Network Under the Sea (VENUS) is a cabled ocean observatory designed as an undersea laboratory for ocean researchers. VENUS aims to study three sites near Victoria, BC: a location in Saanich Inlet north of Victoria, which went into operation in February of 2006; a location near the Fraser River Delta; and a location in the deeper waters of the Strait of Georgia.

Dense Oceanfloor Network System for Earthquakes and Tsunamis (Japan)

The Dense Oceanfloor Network System for Earthquakes and Tsunamis (DONET), is an initiative of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). This project is installing twenty stations in the seismogenic zone of the 1944 Tonankai mega-thrust earthquake. Each station is composed of high-precision seismometers, a water pressure gauge (tsunami meter), and other instruments. All the sites will be connected with submarine cables to form dense networks to start a more extensive, and higher-precision, continuous observation, starting in 2010.

European Multidisciplinary Seas Observation

European Multidisciplinary Seas Observation (EMSO) deep-sea observatories are planned for 5 sites offshore from the European coastline. The EMSO development is based on synergic collaboration between the academic community and industry for the development of technology, both presently working within the European Seas Observatory Network of Excellence (ESONET).

Lighthouse Ocean Research Initiative (Oman)

Lighthouse Ocean Research Initiative (LORI) is a deep sea environmental observatory extending 65 km off the northern coast of Oman. The system provides in-situ information with the capability to modify parameters and sampling intervals from anywhere in the world. Oxygen, conductivity, turbidity, temperature, pressure, and current speed and direction are measured approximately every hour and transmitted via fiber optic cable to a self-contained shore facility. Once at the storage facility, data are archived to protect against loss and then telemetered via satellite to our home office in Houston where data are duplicated, backups are archived, and the data stream is readied for initial processing and returned to Oman. The system became operational in 2004, and in 2005 Lighthouse showcased its expansion capabilities by incorporating a Seismic Tsunami Early Warning System (STEWS). The cable was extended an additional 20 km and a sensor package was added to the end which includes a broadband seismometer, pressure sensor, accelerometer, and d/p gauge. STEWS-generated data was verified in May of 2005 by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Lighthouse is currently installing its second LORI system which extends 345 km around Cape Ras al Hadd and expects it to be operational in early 2010.

Long-term Ecosystem Observatory (USA)

Rutgers University's Long-term Ecosystem Observatory at 15 meters (LEO-15) system has been operating since 1996 in the coastal waters of New Jersey, near Tuckerton. This system is being upgraded to provide real-time information for the rapid environmental assessment and physical/biological forecasting.

Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory (USA)

The Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory (MVCO) is a research observatory located at South Beach and in the ocean a mile off the south shore of Martha's Vineyard. It provides real time and archived coastal oceanographic and meteorological data for researchers, students and the general public.

Monterey Accelerated Research System (USA)

The Monterey Accelerated Research System (MARS) is a cabled ocean observatory planned for installation on the seafloor in Monterey Canyon off the California coast. The MARS science node will be installed on the seafloor at a depth of 891 meters (2,923 feet), on a broad, muddy platform called Smooth Ridge. MARS is an initiative of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI).

New Millennium Observatory (USA)

The New Millennium Observatory (NeMO) is operated by the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Newport, Oregon. This observatory studies the dynamic interactions between submarine volcanic activity and seafloor hotsprings at an observatory, Axial seamount. A volcanic eruption occurred at Axial in January 1998, destroying some hydrothermal vent sites and creating new ones. Since then NeMO scientists have been assessing the impact of the eruption and documenting the on-going changes in Axial's summit caldera.

Ocean Observatories Initiative (USA)

The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) is a U.S. National Science Foundation Division of Ocean Sciences program that focuses the science, technology, education and outreach of an emerging network of science driven ocean observing systems. The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) will construct a networked infrastructure of science-driven sensor systems to measure the physical, chemical, geological and biological variables in the ocean and seafloor.

Global Ocean Observing System

The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) is a permanent global system for observations, modelling and analysis of marine and ocean variables to support operational ocean services worldwide. GOOS provides accurate descriptions of the present state of the oceans, including living resources; continuous forecasts of the future conditions of the sea for as far ahead as possible, and the basis for forecasts of climate change. GOOS is also the oceanographic component of the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS), a voluntary partnership of governments and international organizations.

Integrated Science Data Management

Integrated Science Data Management (ISDM) is a branch of Canada's Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). ISDM's mandate is to manage and archive ocean data collected by DFO, or acquired through national and international programmes conducted in ocean areas adjacent to Canada, and to disseminate data, data products, and services to the marine community in accordance with the policies of the Department. ISDM is a member of the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE), whose mission is to facilitate the exchange of oceanographic data and information.

National Geophysical Data Center

The United States National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), located in Boulder, Colorado is a part of the US Department of Commerce (USDOC), National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS). We are one of three NOAA National Data Centers. NGDC provides stewardship, products and services for geophysical data describing the solid earth, marine, and solar-terrestrial environment, as well as earth observations from space. NGDC's data holdings currently contain more than 400 digital and analog databases, some of which are very large. As technology advances, so does the search for more efficient ways of preserving these data.

National Oceanographic Data Center

The United States National Oceanographic Data Center is a national repository and dissemination facility for global oceanographic data which acquires and preserves a historical record of the Earth's changing environment to be used for operational applications and ocean climate research. NODC is an organization made up of the Oceanographic Data Center, National Coastal Data Development Center, World Data Center for Oceanography, and the NOAA Central Library which are integrated to provide access to the world's most comprehensive sources of marine environmental data and information. 

Reefbase

ReefBase gathers available knowledge about coral reefs into one information repository. It is intended to facilitate analyses and monitoring of coral reef health and the quality of life of reef-dependent people, and to support informed decisions about coral reef use and management. ReefBase is the official database of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), as well as the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN). The ReefBase Project is housed at the World Fish Center in Penang, Malaysia, with funding through ICRAN from the United Nations Foundation (UNF).

Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences

The Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences is the most current, authoritative, and comprehensive resource on the science of the oceans. This ambitious work includes contributions from leading scientists around the world on the physical processes that drive the oceans and the chemical, biological, and geological disciplines. The Encyclopedia also covers ancillary topics such as ocean technology, law of the oceans, global programs, marine policy, the use of the oceans for food and energy, and the impact of pollution and climate changes.

Submarine cables and the oceans: connecting the world

There is a common misconception that nowadays most international communications are routed via satellites, when in fact well over 95 per cent of this traffic is actually routed via submarine fibre-optic cables. Data and voice transfer via these cables is not only cheaper, but also much quicker than via satellite.

In recognition of its importance as the backbone of the internet, governments now view the submarine tele-communications cable network as critical infrastructure that deserves a high level of protection. This report provides a summary of submarine cables in terms of their history, design, routes, laws environmental impacts and risks from natural hazards.