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Subsea camera enables remote real-time and long-term monitoring of seafloor as part of ocean observatory initiative

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  • New ocean observatory being used to gather information about Newfoundland’s aquatic environment

  • The observatory has the potential to help educate marine scientists, ocean technology partners, and the public alike

For the longest time in Newfoundland and Labrador, much of our ocean research has been conducted using surface buoys and sea-going vessels. Over the last 5-6 years, there has been a large amount of investment put into Holyrood for a new ocean observatory that will change all of that.

In February 2021, the University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada and Memorial University’s Fisheries and Marine Institute partnered to install an ocean observatory to enable real-time monitoring of oceanographic conditions and marine life in the Conception Bay area. Their goal is to be on the front lines of detecting changing ocean conditions, gathering new information about Newfoundland’s aquatic environments, and perhaps giving guidance on how to improve the sustainable development of ocean resources. Located four kilometres north of the marine base in Holyrood, this car-sized structure is located at a depth of 85 meters and sends data to the marine base via a fibre optic cable. 

Real-time Data Collection

The observatory is equipped with an array of sensors that monitor currents, waves, water temperature, salinity, chlorophyll, and underwater sounds, all while sharing this data in real time. But that’s not all. Connected to this monstrous cable is SubC’s high-resolution subsea camera. The Rayfin is equipped to document marine fauna by collecting continuous, high-definition video footage from the seafloor.

Uncovering Subsea Mysteries

According to Paul Brett, Former Head of the School of Ocean Technology, now Associate Vice-President (Research and Strategic Partnerships) at the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University, part of the excitement of this new project and this kind of science in general involves the magnitude of how many mysteries there are to discover in the subsea. Some of the species that have been caught on camera so far are flounder or flat fish (Pleuronectiformes), North Atlantic capelin (Mallotus villosus), Harbour Seal (Phoca vitulina), and Ocean Pout (Macrozoarces americanus).

 “The [Rayfin] camera is set up to record five minutes of data every hour, and that’s available for the public to view,” said Brett. “I was watching last night and there were some great brittle stars there, and there's snow crab, and toad crab, and lots of small phytoplankton that you can see drifting in and out of the scene.” 

 “We have some researchers looking at that, trying to understand what that whole habitat looks like and any changes that happen are part of their research... Newfoundland and Labrador has a special connection to the ocean, and understanding the ocean is important to be able to benefit from living here.”

Viewing Footage Remotely - Game Changer!

Marine Institute’s Dr. Katleen Robert, Assistant Professor, Canada Research Chair in Ocean Mapping, says the ability to view marine life remotely has greatly impacted her research life. “Right now, I’m getting a picture, a little video clip, of what’s sitting on the seafloor every hour, which is a rate that I would never be able to get if I had to physically be present there. Even going [in a boat] four times a year is a lot.” She goes on to explain that from January to March they were not able to go out. “There were problems with the gear, or the winds were too high. We had some ice. We were never able to see what was happening in winter, and that’s pretty common in northern climates like we have here.” 

This ocean observatory has the potential to help educate marine scientists, ocean technology partners and the public alike. “Be it fisheries, oil and gas, marine renewable energy, marine tourism, the blue economy -- which we’ll hear a lot about in the next 10 years for sure -- is really what Newfoundland and Labrador is about.” Brett says. “Understanding the ocean as an enabler of that economy is really what not only Newfoundland, but globally, this next decade is about. 2021 to 2030 has been designated as the UN Decade of the Ocean.”

Data and video from the Holyrood observatory is publicly available on SmartAtlantic and Ocean Networks Canada’s Ocean 2.0 online data portal: https://www.smartatlantic.ca/mi_observatory.html?id=mi_hso https://data.oceannetworks.ca/DataSearch

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