Great Moment: ONC Observatory

From tremor to “the big idea” in ocean science

Many Victoria residents remember Feb. 28, 2001 for the magnitude 6.8 earthquake that rattled nerves in the region. But as the ground shook, dozens of earth and ocean scientists were assembled in Saanich to discuss the vision of an around-the-clock cabled, internet-accessible ocean observatory. Galvanized by the tremor, marine scientists—minus the geophysicists who had raced for their seismic data—sketched out a wish list of real-time ocean technologies required to support interactive experiments by researchers across Canada. Meanwhile, the astrophysicists pondered the design of a web-based marine data “warehouse.” Within a few months, UVic participants had submitted funding proposals to the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the BC Knowledge Development Fund, and the Victoria Experimental Network Under the Sea (VENUS) coastal network was born. It and the subsequent NEPTUNE Canada regional ocean network—which together make up world-leading Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) Observatory—have made UVic a world leader in ocean observation science and engineering. Using innovative engineering, data communication and sensor technologies, the observatory allows all of us—researchers, educators, policy-makers and armchair ocean explorers, no matter where we live—to enter the Pacific Ocean at the click of a mouse.

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