Project details
Research Outcomes
About the research project
OFI Large Research Module O
Next generation unmanned marine platforms will have significantly improved on-board intelligence and autonomy, enabling better system diagnostics, sensor health and data interpretation for supervised real-time decision making with less operator intervention. The increased availability of different underwater communication modalities, such as acoustic and optical communication systems, paired with an increasing number of operational platforms — stationary and mobile — will allow the exploitation of coordinated heterogeneous multi-platform concepts for ocean observations and tracking on multiple length and time scales. It will also enable development of cross-platform, in-situ sensor calibration.
Sensor calibration and on-board data quality assurance and data quality management are key aspects for long-endurance missions where platforms are equipped with arrays of sensors and analyzers to allow an unprecedented view of the ocean environment.
Funding support exceeds $13 million - Using new technology will make it easier — and safer — to conduct research in the remote areas of the North Atlantic. But creating and testing high-tech tools is expensive, requiring a multi-institutional, collaborative approach. The Development of Autonomous Marine Observation Systems (DAMOS) project, which includes the participation of OFI researchers, has raised more than $13 million in financial support from various partners including $4.8 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation. This investment allows researchers to apply new technology to observe the ocean and collect data.
Principal investigator:
- Brad deYoung, Physics and Physical Oceanography, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Research team:
- Ralf Bachmayer, Memorial University of Newfoundland
- David Barclay, Oceanography, Dalhousie University
- Sara Iverson, Oceanography, Dalhousie University
- Lorenzo Moro, Engineering, Memorial University of Newfoundland
- Uta Passow, Memorial University of Newfoundland
- Mae Seto, Engineering, Dalhousie University
- Paul Snelgrove, Ocean Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland
- Doug Wallace, Oceanography, Dalhousie University
- Fred Whoriskey, Ocean Tracking Network, Dalhousie University
- Len Zedel, Physics and Physical Oceanography, Memorial University of Newfoundland
The changing sea
After an extensive multi-year study, researchers have some surprising insight into the critical role the Atlantic Ocean plays in regulating the Earth’s climate. OFI researcher, Brad DeYoung, is the only Memorial scientist part of the international study that includes researchers from seven countries.
