Call for Proposals Process Now Open

Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) launched its new Ocean Climate Solutions Program Call for Proposals. This Call for Proposals is a dedicated initiative aimed at identifying, supporting, and amplifying ocean projects that present tangible and scalable commercial solutions to address the multifaceted challenges of climate change.

The undeniable impacts of climate change have underscored the urgency of finding innovative and impactful solutions that will have an impact on the planet, people, and economy. To help navigate this, the OSC has launched its Ocean Climate Solutions Program to utilize the power of collective action and the potential for groundbreaking ideas to shape the trajectory of our planet.

The Ocean Climate Solutions Call is a deadline driven, competitive opportunity for collaborative project consortiums that wish to co-invest with the OSC. These ocean solutions will not only help protect our planet and create sustainable economy, but they will also help industry access and acquire the capability Canadian companies need now to become and stay globally competitive.

Applications that fall under one of the following program themes are welcomed:

• Solutions for ocean-based carbon capture and sequestration
• Ocean bioresource development
• Global ocean observation capabilities
• Innovative finance, insurance, marketplaces, or computational modelling products and services
• Additional commercial concepts welcomed including human adaptation, coastal resiliency, and marine decarbonization

The deadline for submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Ocean Climate Solutions Program Call for Proposals is December 6, 2023, at 8:00PM Atlantic | 7:00PM Eastern | 4:00pmPM Pacific. Full program guidelines can be found here.

The OSC will offer a public virtual information session for this program on Monday October 23rd at 1pm Atlantic/ 12 pm Eastern/ 9am Pacific to review the details of the program and respond to questions. If you would like to attend, please register here. The session will be recorded and posted on the Ocean Climate Solutions Call program webpage for those who cannot attend.

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC)

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster accelerates the development and commercialization of made-in-Canada ocean solutions in energy transition, food security, future of transport, and climate change while also growing more companies, creating more jobs, and attracting ocean talent. As Canada’s national ocean cluster, the OSC is a convenor of members, partners, and networks and a catalyst for transformative growth that helps build the robust ecosystem needed to help realize Ambition 2035 – a 5X growth potential in ocean in Canada by 2035. To date, the OSC has approved more than 90 projects with a total value of more than $400 million which will deliver more than 200 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca

Media Contact:

Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca

Quotes:

“Today we are launching Canada’s Ocean Supercluster’s new program called the Ocean Climate Solutions Program. Through this call for proposals program, we will continue to take action and accelerate the development and commercialization of solutions that help grow more companies, expand market potential, and contribute to the health of our planet. Together with industry, we will co-invest in ocean projects that offer tangible and scalable commercial approaches to address the multifaceted aspects of climate change and support Canada’s climate targets.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

(Montreal, Quebec) Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced the HydroAware Project to expand hydropower and safeguard habitats using AI-powered fish monitoring. This project will help the advancement of fish monitoring technology by enhancing reliable fish tracking in harsh marine environments and increasing the availability of fish tracking insights from remote locations.

Led by Innovasea in Bedford, NS, the HydroAware Project shows promising advantages for the renewable energy community as the proposed AI advancements in fish tracking technology aim to address prevailing challenges by increasing approval rates for tidal stream and hydropower projects, reducing regulatory delays, and unlocking increased revenue potential. This solution has the potential to play a pivotal role in harnessing Canada’s untapped tidal stream and hydroelectric resource potential, aligning with the nation’s clean energy objectives and fostering substantial market opportunities within the ocean sector.

Together with partners Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE), BigMoon Power, Nova Scotia Power Inc., New Brunswick Power Corporation, and DeepSense, this project has a total value of almost $10.5 million where Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is contributing $5 million under its allocation through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS) Program and the balance of funding coming from project partners.

Hydropower companies, aiming to maximize energy production while complying with legislation like the Fisheries Act and Species at Risk Act face the challenge of safeguarding fish populations from harm by their infrastructure. They use fish tracking solutions to monitor fish behaviour in and around their infrastructure to minimize impacts and ensure safe fish passage. The HydroAware Project will enhance fish tracking technology with AI, providing hydropower companies with the ability to collect evidence of safe fish passage, expediting regulatory approvals, and promoting renewable hydropower generation in Canada.

Quotes:

“Through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the government is pleased to support Canada’s Ocean Cluster as it drive AI solutions for Canadian ocean companies. This fish-tracking technology project, one of nine projects announced today by OSC, could play a key role in contributing to Canada’s clean energy goals while also creating substantial market opportunities in the ocean sector.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“AI in ocean has the potential to help transform the way we do ocean business. Today Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announce the $10.5 million dollar HydroAware Project, bringing together partners across different ocean sectors to advance AI in fish tracking technology, manage the movement of fish around hydropower infrastructure, support the sustainable growth of an industry and create economic benefits and jobs in the process.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“Incorporating artificial intelligence capabilities to our existing fish tracking technology will help ensure that hydropower producers in Canada and beyond are able to meet their green power goals in a manner that safeguards habitats and minimizes impacts to marine life. AI will enable us to monitor fish activity in environments that were previously too remote or inhospitable, ultimately serving as a catalyst for the next generation of hydro and tidal power facilities.” – Mark Jollymore, President of Innovasea

“The HydroAware project is going to build upon the significant advancements Innovasea has made with tagless fish detection technology over the last few years while working with many of the same partners. That technology is giving hydropower producers better, real-time data on fish activity in and around their infrastructure today to help meet the dual mandate of protecting wildlife and improving operations.” – Mark Jollymore, President of Innovasea

“Tidal energy can help us meet our clean energy targets, contribute to our economy, and reduce reliance on imported energy. HydroAware will help us unlock that potential by improving our understanding of how fish and tidal devices interact with each other, and ensuring the safeguarding of our marine ecosystems.” – FORCE

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster accelerates the development and commercialization of made-in-Canada ocean solutions in energy transition, food security, future of transport, and climate change while also growing more companies, creating more jobs, and attracting ocean talent. As Canada’s national ocean cluster, the OSC is a convenor of members, partners, and networks and a catalyst for transformative growth that helps build the robust ecosystem needed to help realize Ambition 2035 – a 5X growth potential in ocean in Canada by 2035. To date, the OSC has approved more than 85 projects with a total value of more than $400 million which will deliver more than 200 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca

Media Contacts:
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca

(Montreal, Quebec) Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced the AI for Scalable Fisheries Monitoring Project. This project will modernize fisheries monitoring with Artificial Intelligence to make electronic monitoring (EM) more affordable for fishers and more effective for fisheries management. Through collaboration, the project will create the necessary AI infrastructure for monitoring programs to seamlessly integrate AI into their workflow. This project will enable monitoring programs to scale their operations without incurring high costs for video review, data processing, and storage. By addressing bottlenecks in data collection and processing, AI-enabled EM can be scaled up to provide key decision-making capabilities for fishers and fisheries management.

The project will drive commercialization through product development to bolster AI capabilities and through strong partnerships with commercial fisheries, Indigenous fisheries, regulators, NGOs, and EM providers. Together with partners like TeemFish, OnDeck Fisheries AI will be establishing technology integrations and validating pricing models for broader market accessibility.

The AI for Scalable Fisheries Management Project is led by Vancouver based OnDeck Fisheries AI, with project partners and collaborators: Teem Fish Monitoring Inc., Ha’oom Fisheries Society, Snap Information Technologies. Ltd., The Canadian Groundfish Research and Conservation Society, Ocean Wise, Goodfish Seafood Co., and J.O. Thomas & Associates LTD. Through its allotted funding under the Pan Canadian AI Strategy (PCAIS) Program, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is providing $1.5 million in project funding with the balance of funding coming from project partners.

An estimated $80 billion is lost every year due to illegal and mismanaged fisheries, according to The World Bank & FAO. Climate change and growing fishing effort continue to put further pressure on fish stocks. At the same time, global supply chains, consumers, and regulators are requiring greater levels of transparency. Fisheries monitoring is key to ensuring compliance and informing fisheries management. However, current monitoring strategies rely heavily on manual video review, and thus cannot be scaled up to meet this surging demand. The industry projects a 10-12x increase in vessels needing video review for electronic monitoring (EM) in the next decade. In close collaboration with project partners, OnDeck is bridging this critical gap, ensuring scalable and affordable access to EM technology.

Quotes:

“Through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the Government of Canada is pleased to support Canada’s Ocean Cluster as it drives AI solutions for Canadian ocean companies. This scalable fisheries project, one of nine projects announced today by OSC, will help combat global overfishing and contribute to sustainable development goals.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“AI in ocean has the potential to help transform the way we do ocean business. Today Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced the AI for Scaleable Fisheries Monitoring Project advancing electronic monitoring capabilities that make it more cost effective and efficient to manage the fishery. This project will help users to integrate AI into their workflow and enable a more efficient way of data review and storage.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster accelerates the development and commercialization of made-in-Canada ocean solutions in energy transition, food security, future of transport, and climate change while also growing more companies, creating more jobs, and attracting ocean talent. As Canada’s national ocean cluster, the OSC is a convenor of members, partners, and networks and a catalyst for transformative growth that helps build the robust ecosystem needed to help realize Ambition 2035 – a 5X growth potential in ocean in Canada by 2035. To date, the OSC has approved more than 85 projects with a total value of more than $400 million which will deliver more than 200 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca

Media Contacts:
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca

(Montreal, Quebec) Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced the Enhancing Environmental DNA Through Artificial Intelligence Project led by eDNAtec Inc. The project is based on the enormous amount of DNA data that the lead organization has collected from environmental samples—equivalent to more than 3000 human genomes. This extensive dataset presented significant opportunities for training AI models.

St. John’s, NL-based eDNAtec along with collaborator Toronto-based ESRI Canada will work together to exploit the technology of environmental DNA to facilitate the measurement of biodiversity through this project. This is a key measurement to industries that are trying to demonstrate good environmental stewardship as well as to regulators that are establishing conservation programs for Marine Protected Areas or that are implementing ecosystem-based approaches for fisheries management.

Based on the analysis of eDNA, large amounts of precise, comprehensive, and powerful data can be obtained involving the detection of hundreds or thousands of species within each sample. The analysis of new datasets through the lens of conventional biodiversity management is extremely limiting. Hence the goals include creating products that demonstrate the true power of eDNA data as a means of performing customer education. The project is believed to increase demand for AI-driven data solutions and for eDNA services themselves.

Through its funding allocated through the Pan Canadian AI Strategy (PCAIS) Program, the OSC’s is providing $75,000 in funding for this almost $352,000 project with the balance of funding coming from project partners.

Quotes:

“Through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the Government of Canada is pleased to support Canada’s Ocean Cluster as it drives AI solutions for Canadian ocean companies. This environmental DNA project, one of nine projects announced today by OSC, will help industries understand their impact on ocean ecosystems and contribute to conservation programs for marine protected areas.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“AI in ocean has the potential to help transform the way we do ocean business. Today Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced the Enhancing Environmental DNA Through Artificial Intelligence Project which will provide important information to ocean industries and regulators to support environmental stewardship and management. The advancement of eDNA and AI in ocean provides a greater ability to collect the data needed to support these activities critical to both our ocean environment and the sustainable development of it.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster accelerates the development and commercialization of made-in-Canada ocean solutions in energy transition, food security, future of transport, and climate change while also growing more companies, creating more jobs, and attracting ocean talent. As Canada’s national ocean cluster, the OSC is a convenor of members, partners, and networks and a catalyst for transformative growth that helps build the robust ecosystem needed to help realize Ambition 2035 – a 5X growth potential in ocean in Canada by 2035. To date, the OSC has approved more than 85 projects with a total value of more than $400 million which will deliver more than 200 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca

Media Contacts:
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca

Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced the AI-Driven Sensors for Seaweed Measurement Project. This project is a collaboration between ocean monitoring company Coastal Carbon, Kitchener, Ontario, and the seaweed farming company, HoldFast, St. John’s, NL, to develop a small, non-intrusive, AI-enabled sensor for online remote biomass monitoring of seaweed growth. This project will have significant benefits for the greater seaweed farming community in Canada.

This project will directly support the Canadian seaweed aquaculture at large. The sensors designed by this project will form the foundation for further leveraging AI for ocean biomass measurement. Beyond the project consortium, access to high quality inexpensive biomass monitoring has the potential to positively impact all Canadian seaweed farmers. Farmers in remote or small communities with limited measurement ability and resource constraints are positioned to see the most economic benefit. Many of these farmers and communities are Indigenous, and this low-cost, minimally intrusive monitoring offers a pathway for Indigenous-led knowledge and understanding of their own seaweed sites.

As part of the funding allocated to the OSC through the Pan Canadian AI Strategy (PCAIS) Program, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster has committed $485,000 to the almost $1.6 million AI-Driven Sensor for Seaweed Measurement Project, with the balance of funding coming from project partners.

Both project participants, Coastal Carbon and HoldFast NL, are dynamic startups at the forefront of innovation in Canada’s ocean sector. Coastal Carbon is dedicated to the remote monitoring and measurement of ocean biomass, facilitating regenerative seaweed farming, ocean restoration, and the scaling of blue carbon initiatives. In parallel, HoldFast NL is committed to revitalizing Canada’s east coast through regenerative seaweed farming. As this project reaches its conclusion, it will not only yield crucial strategic and technological advancements for these participants but also position them favorably to secure private investment, thereby fostering growth and innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the ocean industry.

Quotes:

“Through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the Government of Canada is pleased to support Canada’s Ocean Cluster as it drives AI solutions for Canadian ocean companies. Through this biomass monitoring project, one of nine projects announced today by OSC, seaweed farmers will be able to optimize their capital deployment, enhance harvest planning, and ultimately scale their operations more effectively.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“AI in ocean has the potential to help transform the way we do ocean business. Today Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced the AI-Driven Sensors for Seaweed Measurement Project which will use sensors and AI to advance biomass measure measurement in a way that provides an inexpensive solution for seaweed farmers in Canada.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster accelerates the development and commercialization of made-in-Canada ocean solutions in energy transition, food security, future of transport, and climate change while also growing more companies, creating more jobs, and attracting ocean talent. As Canada’s national ocean cluster, the OSC is a convenor of members, partners, and networks and a catalyst for transformative growth that helps build the robust ecosystem needed to help realize Ambition 2035 – a 5X growth potential in ocean in Canada by 2035. To date, the OSC has approved more than 85 projects with a total value of more than $400 million which will deliver more than 200 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca

Media Contacts:
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca

(Montreal, Quebec) Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced the Maximizing Oyster Production through AI-Enabled Monitoring Project. The project will demonstrate the capacity to cultivate oyster spat while effectively mitigating challenges such as parasites, disease, change effect, and increasing commercial yield for oyster farmers.

The Maximizing Oyster Production through AI-Enabled Monitoring Project will employ AI for Clean Valley CIC’s Neptune’s Hatchery, a system using algae and oysters for water filtration of aquaculture, where algae nourish the oysters. IntegraSEE Research Inc., will develop AI technology to optimize and oversee oyster well-being, including decisions on environmental factors like water temperature, ammonia levels, and pH through oyster monitoring. This scalable technology extends to oyster spat in Clean Valley CIC’s Neptune Hatchery, with the potential to produce over 18 million spat annually.

Led by Clean Valley CIC, and partner IntegraSEE Research Inc., with collaborators Aqua Production Systems, Sober Island Oyster Farmers, SEAentia and Eco Canada, the project has a total value of $1,054,307 where Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is investing almost $415,000 with the rest of funding coming from project partners.

Clean Valley and IntegraSEE aspire to expand their market reach with the knowledge generated from this project that will provide significant market differentiation and alignment with ocean industry demands. The project’s resulting AI SaaS system will also enable the optimization and predictive analytics of the global oyster industry, providing better insight into oyster husbandry. The implementation of AI technology to this system would provide real time data as well as optimize production performance. This AI will create a competitive edge in the market for operators and producers of oysters who adopt this technology providing higher yields, quality and reliability through the data produced.

Quotes:

“Through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the Government of Canada is pleased to support Canada’s Ocean Cluster as it drives AI solutions for Canadian ocean companies. Poseidon’s Biofilter is one of nine projects announced today by OSC, and it will allow oyster farm operators to control operating conditions and reduce climate change–related impacts.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“AI in ocean has the potential to help transform the way we do ocean business. Today Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced the Maximizing Oyster Production through AI-Enabled Monitoring Project which will increase the industry’s ability to measure and help ensure the health and best growth conditions for oyster production. In a changing climate, the role of Artificial Intelligence and advancing technologies is critical to how we adapt.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“The shellfish industry of Canada has been quietly innovating in the Ocean for best practices, quality, and sustainability. We are honoured to contribute to this industry, to listen to its many leaders from it’s East, to West to the Northern Ocean coastlines, and bring them solutions that increase their triple bottom line. We build technology the Canadian way, proactively looking forward, to last the harshest climate conditions, and it’s no wonder the global Ocean community is looking with great interest for what we bring to the world stage.” – Nicholas LaValle, Lead consortium team member, Clean Valley CIC’s Founding CEO

“It is essential we prepare our industry now for long term effects of climate change and the disruption of global supply chains.”-Trevor Munroe, President of Sober Island Oyster Farmers

“Proud to be part of a Made in Canada technology solution, using AI to contribute to the oyster’s habitat health and optimal growing performance.” –Lawrence Taylor, CEO, IntegraSEE

“These hatcheries play a crucial role in the sustainability and conservation of oyster populations, as they allow for the controlled reproduction and selective breeding of oysters to enhance their genetic diversity and resilience. Oyster hatcheries aid in the restocking efforts of oyster farms and natural habitats, ensuring a steady supply of oysters and maintaining the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. By providing an ideal environment for oyster larvae to grow and develop, hatcheries contribute to preserving this valuable seafood resource for future generations.”- Wayne Carter, CEO, Aqua Production Systems

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster accelerates the development and commercialization of made-in-Canada ocean solutions in energy transition, food security, future of transport, and climate change while also growing more companies, creating more jobs, and attracting ocean talent. As Canada’s national ocean cluster, the OSC is a convenor of members, partners, and networks and a catalyst for transformative growth that helps build the robust ecosystem needed to help realize Ambition 2035 – a 5X growth potential in ocean in Canada by 2035. To date, the OSC has approved more than 85 projects with a total value of more than $400 million which will deliver more than 200 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca

Media Contacts:
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca

(Montreal, Quebec) – Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced the Fishvue AI Platform Project led by Archipelago Marine Research in Victoria, BC. The project is designed to create efficiencies and reduce costs for fishery regulators and industry members by introducing AI tools to the data review workflow. For fisheries that utilize Electronic Monitoring (EM) on-board vessels, FishVue AI will reduce data review time when compared to existing human review methods while still providing industry and fisheries regulators with high-quality data to inform their decisions. The reduction of time and costs for data review will encourage wider adoption of Electronic Monitoring (EM) in Canada and globally.

The FishVue AI Platform Project will be an important step forward in providing more effective fisheries management in Canada, leading to sustainable harvesting practices, optimized quotas, and better resource allocation. This will contribute to preserving fish stocks, support the livelihoods of fishers, and ensure the long-term viability of the fishing industry.

This project will be led by Archipelago in collaboration with Barnacle Systems Inc, the Canadian Groundfish Research and Conservation Society, the Canadian Sablefish Association, the Pacific Halibut Management Association, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the University of Victoria. With a total project value of $581,500, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is investing $148,500 to the project from its allocation under the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS) Program with the balance of funding coming from project partners.

The project is also positioned to stimulate growth and foster innovation in Canada’s ocean economy through EM expansion. By deploying cutting-edge technologies, attracting investment, and supporting research and development activities, the project can drive the emergence of new business, and new job opportunities.

Quotes:

“Through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the government is pleased to support Canada’s Ocean Cluster as it drives AI solutions for Canadian ocean companies. The FishVue AI platform project, one of nine projects announced today by OSC, will help preserve fish stocks, support the livelihoods of fishers and ensure the long-term viability of the Canadian fishing industry.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“AI in ocean has the potential to help transform the way we do ocean business. Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced the Fishvue AI Platform Project today, focused on advancing the technology and tools available to the fishery and regulators in data review. This supports more cost effective and efficient monitoring and decision-making in an industry that is part of the fabric of the economies of many Canadian communities and workers.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“The required effort and cost for EM data review has been a challenge since the inception of EM. The longer the fishing trip and the more cameras carried by the vessel, the more hours of footage that require human review. This can mean higher costs for our clients. Large scale introduction of AI tools into the data review process is a big step forward to reduce those costs and increase the use of EM in Canada and around the world.” – Archipelago President and CEO, Gord Snell

“Archipelago has been a trusted global leader in EM data collection, data stewardship, and data analysis in fisheries for more than 20 years and we are thrilled to have the support of the OSC and our project partners to move forward with this development. Taking AI-assisted data review from a trial and testing mentality to commercial implementation across hundreds of vessels represents a huge shift in the use of AI in fisheries monitoring.” – Archipelago President and CEO, Gord Snell

About Archipelago Marine Research
Archipelago pioneered EM in the late 1990’s and have continued to be a global leader in the advancement of the technology for more than 20 years. They currently support 600+ vessels carrying their EM products. Through their data review software, FishVue Interpret (formerly EM Interpret), clients review more EM fisheries data each year than any other software tool in the world.

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster accelerates the development and commercialization of made-in-Canada ocean solutions in energy transition, food security, future of transport, and climate change while also growing more companies, creating more jobs, and attracting ocean talent. As Canada’s national ocean cluster, the OSC is a convenor of members, partners, and networks and a catalyst for transformative growth that helps build the robust ecosystem needed to help realize Ambition 2035 – a 5X growth potential in ocean in Canada by 2035. To date, the OSC has approved more than 85 projects with a total value of more than $400 million which will deliver more than 200 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca

Media Contacts:
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca

(Montreal, Quebec) Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced the Lithoscope Project. The project brings the latest advancements in non-destructive imaging technologies to tackle the under-characterization of seafloor sediment samples, which hold crucial information about the subsurface environment, including its suitability for offshore infrastructure like wind turbines.

By employing Artificial Intelligence and hyperspectral imaging (HSI), Scient Analytics is leading the commercialization of the next generation of data collection and analysis methods for these samples.

The project aims to develop a scalable and robust approach for analyzing field surveys which is a growing and sustainable sector of the blue economy and will provide a solution that meets industry needs in a fast, non-destructive, and objective manner, and to predict the key physical properties of the seafloor. This project significantly benefits Canada’s ocean economy, supporting sustainable seafloor studies, renewable energy generation, and pollution monitoring.

The project is led by Scient Analytics Inc together with project partners National Research Council Canada, University of Montreal and DeepSense. With a total project value of $451,000, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is contributing $149,000 through its allocation through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS) Program and where the balance of funding is coming from project partners.

Quotes:

“Through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the Government of Canada is pleased to support Canada’s Ocean Cluster as it drives AI solutions for Canadian ocean companies. This project, one of nine projects announced today by OSC, will positively impact Canada’s ocean economy by supporting sustainable seafloor studies, renewable energy generation and pollution monitoring.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“AI in ocean has the potential to help transform the way we do ocean business. Today Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced the Lithoscope Project which uses AI and advancing technologies to characterize the seafloor, collect important information about the environment, and support decision making around industrial activity including the installment of wind turbines, for example.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“This project brings the leading-edge technologies in natural resources exploration to the ocean space. The solution developed through this project can address the growing need for scalable analysis of the subsea environment with orders of magnitude finer resolution compared to the status quo. Sediments can reveal economic potentials in offshore environments, from the geomechanical suitability of the seabed for offshore infrastructure, such as wind turbines, to energy resources lying underneath.” – Dr. Masoud Aali, the CEO and Founder of Scient Analytics

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster accelerates the development and commercialization of made-in-Canada ocean solutions in energy transition, food security, future of transport, and climate change while also growing more companies, creating more jobs, and attracting ocean talent. As Canada’s national ocean cluster, the OSC is a convenor of members, partners, and networks and a catalyst for transformative growth that helps build the robust ecosystem needed to help realize Ambition 2035 – a 5X growth potential in ocean in Canada by 2035. To date, the OSC has approved more than 85 projects with a total value of more than $400 million which will deliver more than 200 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca

Media Contacts:
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca

(Montreal, Quebec) Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) today announced the $2 million Autonomous Robotic Capabilities for Aquaculture Project (ARCAP). This project aims to create a complete autonomous system for the aquaculture industry, using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) to provide valuable data pertaining to fish health, quantity, size, infrastructure, and water quality.

ARCAP will advance automation in aquaculture, providing enhanced introspection of net pens, more efficient stock health detection, and increased operational data. This will boost seafood yields and quality in sustainable seafood. Improved observability will enhance sustainable practices, waste reduction, and early environmental impact detection. This project is also expected to yield valuable AI techniques and methodologies with broader applications, contributing to AI advancement in general.

The project is led by Independent Robotics with partner Innovobot both based in Montreal, Quebec, along with their collaborators including Cooke Aquaculture, Fleming College Centre for Innovative Aquaculture Production (CIAP), Fleming College Centre for Advancement in Mechatronics and Industrial Internet of Things (CAMIIT), and SINTEF Ocean AS. The project has a total value of $2 million, with $1 million in funding from Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, under its allocation through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS) Program. The balance of funding will come from project partners.

Quotes:

“Through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the Government of Canada is pleased to support Canada’s Ocean Cluster as it drives AI solutions for Canadian ocean companies. This autonomous robotics project, one of nine projects announced today by OSC, will improve the capability of aquaculture producers to operate sustainably by reducing waste and detecting environmental impacts more promptly.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“AI in ocean has the potential to help transform the way we do ocean business. Today Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced the Autonomous Robotic Capabilities for Aquaculture Project which will use Artificial Intelligence and advancing technologies in an autonomous system to provide important data about the fish and their environment, and thereby helping optimize operations, inform decisions, and contribute to sustainability.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“The team at Independent Robotics is proud and excited to be part of such a worthwhile project that is so critical to the aquaculture industry”, says Pedro Gregorio, CEO of Independent Robotics. “Aquaculture is a billion-dollar business in Canada that plays a vital role in offering a sustainable complement to the traditional fishing industry. Some 70% of all finfish consumed come from the aquaculture sector. We thank Canada’s Ocean Supercluster for selecting us and we look forward to working alongside our project partners to help make aquaculture more sustainable and productive”.

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster accelerates the development and commercialization of made-in-Canada ocean solutions in energy transition, food security, future of transport, and climate change while also growing more companies, creating more jobs, and attracting ocean talent. As Canada’s national ocean cluster, the OSC is a convenor of members, partners, and networks and a catalyst for transformative growth that helps build the robust ecosystem needed to help realize Ambition 2035 – a 5X growth potential in ocean in Canada by 2035. To date, the OSC has approved more than 85 projects with a total value of more than $400 million which will deliver more than 200 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca

Media Contacts:
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca

(Montreal, Quebec) Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) today announced the launch of the Visual Assessment of Aquaculture Pens Project. This project will develop visual assessment capabilities for Independent Robotic’s (IR) Aqua2 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) which enables autonomous observation of aquaculture net pens, supporting aquaculture production processes.

The project’s scope includes the development of algorithms for visually assessing fish health by counting, performing mass estimation, and evaluating cage infrastructure, as well as detecting population mortality levels, expressed as “mort” in the industry. Independent Robotics is leading this endeavor to address the challenges of assessing fish health in open-water aquaculture pens, detecting and removing mort in a timely manner, and identifying and repairing damage to cage infrastructure. To execute these tasks, IR will be deploying its updated Aqua2 Mk3, autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV).

The project’s immediate goals focus on visual assessments for fish, mort, and infrastructure. It also lays the foundation for this broader vision by providing valuable insights to aquaculture operators in the short term, while aligning with long-term objectives.

Independent Robotics will be working alongside collaborators Cooke Aquaculture, Fleming College Centre for Innovative Aquaculture Production (CIAP), and Fleming College Centre for Advancement in Mechatronics and Industrial Internet of Things (CAMIIT). This project has a total value of $300,000. Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is investing $150,000 with the balance of funding coming from project partners.

Quotes:

“Through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the Government of Canada is pleased to support Canada’s Ocean Cluster as it drives AI solutions for Canadian ocean companies. This project, one of nine projects announced today by OSC, will make aquaculture production processes more efficient by equipping autonomous vehicles with the capacity to inspect open-net pens.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“AI in ocean has the potential to help transform the way we do ocean business. Today Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced the Visual Assessment of Aquaculture Pens Project which leverages the power of AI and advancing technologies to monitor and assess aquaculture pens as the industry continues to grow in response to global demand for protein.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“The Aqua2 is the ideal technology for such a project. Its unique fin propulsion system, quieter than traditional propellers, is more easily accepted by marine fauna, making close-in observations feasible. Its AI-enabled operating software incorporates machine learning and deep learning for real-time data capture and analysis that will drive efficient decision-making. We cannot wait to get started.” – Independent Robotics CEO, Pedro Gregorio.

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster accelerates the development and commercialization of made-in-Canada ocean solutions in energy transition, food security, future of transport, and climate change while also growing more companies, creating more jobs, and attracting ocean talent. As Canada’s national ocean cluster, the OSC is a convenor of members, partners, and networks and a catalyst for transformative growth that helps build the robust ecosystem needed to help realize Ambition 2035 – a 5X growth potential in ocean in Canada by 2035. To date, the OSC has approved more than 85 projects with a total value of more than $400 million which will deliver more than 200 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca

Media Contacts:
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca