WATCH: The two-month trip will allow scientists to collect data across a wide range of ocean environment.
The ocean can be a mysterious place, difficult to understand.
“The ocean impacts our climate, our recreation, it impacts food,” said Adrian Round, Operations Director with Ocean Networks Canada.
But Tuesday, research ships from Ocean Networks Canada will set sail on a two-month expedition.
“Our whole genesis is to be in the ocean all the time,” said Round.
First they want to repair a research node, then lay new extension cables to reach more dangerous sites like the Juan de Fuca volcanic ridge.
“These cable systems give us power and communications and allows us to take precise measurement and understand how the ocean is changing. ”
With the help of several robots, they’ll also be able to do some science experiments like sampling of critical habitats and mapping the sea floor.
But there’s another experiment that will have huge implications.
For the first time, Ocean Network Canada will be installing ground-shaking sensors under the sea floor that will allow them to have a 30 to 60 seconds warning that an earthquake is coming.
“And that allows you to do things like slow down the Skytrain, get elevators down on the ground floor, put a data system in recovery mode, lift fire hall doors so if a quake hits you can get the fire trucks out.”
It’s not just scientists and engineers on board this ship.
Educators like high school teacher Timothy Dwyer are here to help spread the knowledge back to their students.
“I want to give them that entry way into some of the data and instrumentation and science happening in their backyard,” he said.
Science enthusiasts can also follow along on the live stream.
Their hope is this expedition will lead them to a better understanding of some of the ocean’s deep mysteries.
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