A multi-use and multi-stakeholder ocean observing platform system

The largest ocean observing platforms and systems in Canada are operated by Ocean Networks Canada (ONC). The physical- and cyber-infrastructure operating on the platforms comprise networks that monitor the west and east coasts of Canada and the Arctic, allowing ONC to continuously gather data in real time for scientific research that helps communities, governments, and industry make informed decisions about the future. The first telecommunication cable-based network, VENUS [Victoria Experimental Network Under the Sea], was installed in 2006 in Saanich Inlet, British Columbia. This was quickly followed by a second VENUS cabled network installed in the southern Salish Sea. These unique networks initiated long-term subsurface ocean monitoring for inshore areas of the British Columbia coast that continue today. Lessons learned from these early installations subsequently informed the design and installation ten years ago of NEPTUNE (North East Pacific Time-series Underwater Networked Experiments), a telecommunication cable-based observatory that spans the southern British Columbia offshore area. These networks were designed to be expanded and to support diverse uses. Here we describe the current status of VENUS and NEPTUNE, and the new networks on mobile systems, citizen science platforms, and fixed systems along the coast and on land in Indigenous community coastal areas in the Arctic and on Canada's west coast, with expansion to the east coast and Hudson's Bay currently in the planning stages.