Who: Noreen Kelly

What: Cumulative impact analysis of multiple human activities in coastal ecosystems of the Maritimes Region

Effective management and mitigation of multiple human impacts on marine ecosystems requires accurate knowledge of the overlap of human activities with vulnerable habitats. Cumulative impact analysis is a standardized, quantitative methodology that can combine this information with expert judgement into a single comparable estimate of cumulative human impact. In this talk, I will discuss our ongoing efforts to map cumulative impacts in the coastal marine environment for the Maritimes region, through the combination of existing spatial data sets that focus on 12 different ecosystem types (distributed across intertidal, subtidal, and coastal shelf zones), and 32 land- and ocean-based human activities (i.e., climate change, vessel traffic, invasive species, recreation and tourism, pollution, fishing, aquaculture, nutrient loading, and industrial development and coastal engineering). This presentation will highlight preliminary results, future plans for model validation, and its potential application to marine spatial planning processes.

When: Friday, March 29, 2019

Where: 10am, George Needler Boardroom, Room VS-427, van Steenburgh Building, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Who: Don Gordon

What: A Retrospective Look at BIO

BIO is a unique federal institution. This talk, targeted at new BIO staff, will review some of the rich history of BIO. It will explore the creation of BIO and how its leaders, organization, programs and facilities have evolved over the first 50 years (1962-2012). It is important that BIO staff understand the past when addressing future issues.

When: Friday, March 15, 2019

Where: 10am, George Needler Boardroom, Room VS-427, van Steenburgh Building, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Who: Doug Wallace

What: Towards Coordinated International Research in the Labrador Sea, including establishment of a Labrador Sea Observatory

The Labrador Sea is a region of major importance in the Earth System where the deep ocean exchanges massive amounts of heat, oxygen and CO2 directly with the atmosphere. The region plays a key role for the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and climate. Transport out of the Labrador Sea oxygenates subsurface layers and drives ocean acidification along Canada's eastern continental margin. Changes in stratification and ice-cover redistributes nutrients, impacting productivity of the waters of eastern Canada and the US as far south as Cape Hatteras. Southward freshwater transport responds to changes in the hydrological cycle of vast Northern regions and may strongly impact climate-related processes in the sub-polar gyre. At the same time, the new government of Nunatsiavut is developing its capacity to manage its inshore waters, as well as potentially co-manage, with the Federal government, waters extending to 200 miles.

The Labrador Sea offers a unique opportunity to connect research of regional, national and global significance. The presentation will focus on opportunities for Canada to lead a multi-level, international research effort, building on long-standing programs (e.g. AZOMP) and linking new initiatives such as Nunatsiavut's Immapivut, the Ocean Frontier Institute, the Canada Foundation for Innovations' interest in internationally-shared infrastructures, and international programs such as OSNAP and BGC-Argo. The suggestion is that Canadian institutions work cooperatively to: a) establish a Labrador Sea Observatory; b) develop a regional-scale research program linking research needs and capacities of regional, national and international partners as a demonstration project for the UN's International Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

A start has been made through international interest in an informal LabSea2020 initiative, but the presentation will seek to stimulate enthusiasm and new ideas for how to move forward.

When: Friday, March 8, 2019

Where: 10am, George Needler Boardroom, Room VS-427, van Steenburgh Building, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Who: Maricarmen Guerra Paris

What: Mapping turbulent flows for hydrokinetic energy applications

The success of hydrokinetic energy projects requires accurate field mapping of turbulent inflow conditions and of the real impacts that energy extraction causes to the natural environment. However, most field surveys are spatially sparse and of limited duration because hydrokinetic turbines are typically installed in sites with strong currents (i.e. higher available power), where measurements are challenging and expensive. Efficient field methods that can map both the spatial and time structure of these turbulent flows are therefore critical in this growing industry.

This talk will present traditional and novel field observation methods for the spatial characterization of turbulent flows at promising hydrokinetic energy sites. Long-term measurements of tidal currents using acoustic current Doppler profilers (ADCPs) mounted onboard ferries are conducted across Admiralty Inlet (WA, USA). This cost-effective method results in a new map of tidal current harmonics across and through the depth of the inlet, which is useful for estimating the tidal energy resource, validating numerical models, and for estimating residual currents. A new method is developed for detailed flow field mapping prior to and during the operation of a full-scale hydrokinetic turbine. A drifting turbulence-resolving five-beam ADCP is used to evaluate the spatial extent of the turbine's wake and its evolution. This method is successfully applied under steady state flow in the Kvichak river in Alaska. Currently, this approach is tested under unsteady flow in Grand Passage, one of Bay of Fundy's tidal channels, where Sustainable Marine Energy has deployed its floating tidal energy platform. Results from these measurements will inform turbine designers, modelers, and stakeholders about the environmental impacts of hydrokinetic energy extraction under real flow conditions.

When: Friday, March 1, 2019

Where: 10am, George Needler Boardroom, Room VS-427, van Steenburgh Building, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia