Smart Ocean / Smart Industries for Canada – Workshop Registration and Program
Ocean News
International Workshop on Ocean Industry Data Collection in Canada (Montreal, 27-29 May, 2014)
The World Ocean Council (WOC) and Canada’s Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response (MEOPAR) Network are organizing an international workshop to advance ocean industry data collecting and sharing in Canada.
The event will set the stage for an initial Canadian Atlantic pilot project on ocean observations by industry, in support of Canada’s commitment to trans-Atlantic research under the “Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation,” with potential for future expansion to the Pacific and Arctic Oceans.
The workshop will bring together representatives from: a) Shipping, oil and gas, fisheries, aquaculture, mining, and other sectors b) Marine technology, instrumentation, IT/communications c) Universities d) International and national oceanographic/metrological organizations e) Existing voluntary ocean observation programs
The workshop objectives are to: 1. Develop a common understanding between and across business and the scientific community on the scope, scale and intent of existing voluntary observation programs, especially those in Canada. 2. Understand the key barriers to scaling up these programs, e.g. human capacity, resource needs, installation requirements, organizational structures, legal issues, etc. 3. Develop the structure and process for advancing voluntary observations in Canada. 4. Develop a strategic plan for the processing and sharing of the data. 5. Develop the roadmap and work plan for a pilot project in the Canadian Atlantic.
People interested in giving a presentation relevant to the workshop objectives and draft program, or those interested in chairing a workshop session are encouraged to contact the workshop organizers. We are particularly interested in companies that have been involved in data collection speak about their experience in order to help inform and engage other companies in voluntary observations. Please contact Paul Holthus at: paul.holthus@oceancouncil.org
The draft workshop program is available on the MEOPAR website: http://meopar.ca/register-now-for-meopar-woc-smart-oceansmart-industry-workshop/
The workshop advances the WOC “Smart Ocean/Smart Industries” program - a major international initiative to facilitate, coordinate and ramp up efficient, cost-effective ocean and atmospheric information collection by a growing number and range of vessels and platforms.
The WOC CEO, Paul Holthus, will be reporting on the “Smart Ocean-Smart Industry Canada” developments at Green Tech 2014 (June 11-12, Saint John, New Brunswick). http://www.green-marine.org/annual-conference This is the annual conference of Green Marine, a voluntary environmental program for the Canadian and American marine industry. http://www.green-marine.org
The Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response (MEOPAR) Network is a team of outstanding Canadian natural and social scientists. Through research and observation, MEOPAR is working to help reduce Canada’s vulnerability and exposure to hazards in the marine environment and improve response strategies.
