Canadian-made North Atlantic right whale detector to be used on DRDC underwater drone
/Halifax-based ocean tech company JASCO Applied Sciences to provide real-time acoustic monitoring and detection system for DRDC’s Slocum glider
HALIFAX, N.S.—To outfit its underwater drone with the ability to detect North Atlantic right whales, Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) purchased an OceanObserver intelligent acoustic monitoring and processing system from Halifax-based environmental science and engineering company JASCO Applied Sciences. DRDC is acquiring the JASCO monitoring system to detect North Atlantic right whales in near-real time, for the Department of National Defence (DND).
With a population of around 366 individuals, the North Atlantic right whale is critically endangered.
The OceanObserver-equipped glider will be used for marine mammal mitigation and research purposes by the Government of Canada. The ability to detect other species, vessels, and submarines and to measure ambient noise can also be added in the future.
DND is the first federal government department to procure this made-in-Canada solution for real-time North Atlantic right whale monitoring from Slocum gliders. The near real-time detections and measurements from the DRDC glider will be delivered to DRDC/DND users and decision-makers via email and online via JASCO’s PortListen data portal.
“It’s exciting to see the Government of Canada procuring systems made in Canada” says JASCO Engineering and Business Development Manager John Moloney, “rather than sending public money to create jobs and build industrial and scientific capacity in other countries. OceanObserver is a great example of world leading ocean technology created in Atlantic Canada, by Atlantic Canadians.”
This contract award follows JASCO’s delivery of 12 OceanObservers to Teledyne Webb Research to be integrated into Slocum gliders in fall 2020. Eight Slocum gliders fitted with OceanObservers were also delivered to an allied E.U. navy in late 2020 to determine sonar sensor performance and assess vessel detection vulnerabilities.
For more information, see the media kit below and JASCO’s press page at www.jasco.com/press.
###
Related
Dalhousie University has one Slocum glider fitted with an OceanObserver acoustic monitoring system. In fall 2018 an OceanObserver was deployed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to detect North Atlantic right whales. See the Press Release.
Marine mammal and anthropogenic sound detectors can be added to OceanObserver as desired within the PAMlab INT software.
The OceanObserver is the brains of the Boundary Pass Underwater Listening Station commissioned by Transport Canada in June 2020 to protect endangered killer whales and quiet ships. See the Press Release.
Quote
“It’s exciting to see the Government of Canada procuring systems made in Canada, rather than sending public money to create jobs and build industrial and scientific capacity in other countries. OceanObserver is a great example of world leading ocean technology created in Atlantic Canada, by Atlantic Canadians.”
Images
High-resolution images are available below and at:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/SkDHL1nS6WZeeUrs5
Backgrounder: About the OceanObserver
JASCO’s OceanObserver™ is an intelligent, real-time multi-sensor ocean observing system. This high-performance platform acquires huge volumes of acoustic and oceanographic data and processes it in real time to detect species of interest, quantify ambient and anthropogenic noise, and derive other information of interest. The results are then transmitted to shore, allowing for real-time decision making.
OceanObserver can be deployed on buoys, cabled observatories, surface and sub-surface vehicles like the Slocum, and other ocean devices. It can be used for marine mammal detection, identification and localization, ambient and vessel noise quantification, and underwater noise monitoring for oil and gas exploration and wind and tidal energy development.
The Slocum glider gathers data as it rises and dives in the water to propel itself forward. Onboard, the OceanObserver records the underwater sounds and detects marine mammal calls or events of interest. Surfacing at specified intervals, the glider sends the detections to shore for analysis. The onboard processing is done by PAMlab INT, the integrated version of JASCO’s PAMlab software suite.
OceanObserver on the Slocum autonomous underwater glider has the capability to monitor in any sea state 24/7. The system can monitor vast areas over long periods of time. It is easily deployed from any size vessel and the onboard processing is customized for the owner’s needs.
About JASCO Applied Sciences
JASCO Applied Sciences is a world leader in the science of underwater sound and its effects on marine life. JASCO is Canadian company, founded in Victoria in 1981, with subsidiaries in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia. We provide support for all stages of environmental reviews and assessments of underwater sound for the renewable energy, oil and gas, marine construction, shipping, and defence sectors. We design, develop, and manufacture state-of-the-art oceanographic data acquisition systems to meet project demands for quality, endurance, reliability, and performance. We enable our clients to satisfy regulatory requirements by providing scientifically defensible assessments of their projects to government regulators and the public. For more information, visit www.jasco.com.
Learn More
Read more about the OceanObserver and the OceanObserver on the Slocum Glider
Learn more about JASCO Applied Sciences
Check out previous JASCO news coverage
Contact Us
John Moloney
Engineering and Business Development Manager
JASCO Applied Sciences, Halifax, NS
T. +.902.405.3336 x1007
C. +902.405.1368
Email
Megan Constable
Marketing and Business Development
JASCO Applied Sciences, Halifax, NS
T. +1.902.405.3336 x1053
Email
