In the first phase of the Oceans Protection Plan, the University of Victoria implemented the initial phase of a forecasting algorithm for oceanographic radar data and installed Smart Ocean buoys in Placentia Bay in Newfoundland and Burrard Inlet in British Columbia.
Through the next phase of the Oceans Protection Plan, the University of Victoria will continue work done through the first phase, building on the existing network of oceanographic radar technologies in the Salish Sea, as well as ocean buoys on the west and east coasts. These instruments provide real-time information on wind, wave, and surface currents, supporting underwater noise monitoring and the development of high-resolution ocean models.
The data collected from this initiative will:
- provide near real-time data on oceans conditions, which also inform ocean models;
- inform safer navigation in unpredictable ocean environments; and
- increase understanding on the behaviour of oil in different ocean conditions.