CANADIAN HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICE & OCEANOGRAPHIC SERVICES Presentation to Warming of the North Conference Ottawa, March 2 nd, 2015 Denis Hains, Director General & Hydrographer General of Canada
TIP OF THE ICEBERG HYDROGRAPHY & OCEANOGRAPHY IN CANADA S NORTH 2
CANADIAN HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICE & OCEANOGRAPHIC SERVICES The Canadian Hydrographic Service and Oceanographic Services is part of the Ecosystems and Oceans Science Sector of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Our organization is responsible for charting Canada's 131,650 nautical miles of coastline (the longest of any country in the world), the 739,266 square nautical miles of continental shelf and territorial sea, plus inland lakes and waterways. 3
CANADIAN HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICE: OUR MISSION To provide clients with up-to-date, timely, and accurate hydrographic publications services and data necessary for safe and efficient navigation for navigable waters of Canada in the most cost effective and efficient manner and to represent Canadian hydrographic interests nationally and internationally. 4
MANDATE Charting Canada s navigable waterways in support of: Safety of navigation/protecting life at sea Maritime delimitation Contributing to security and sovereignty Protecting the environment (tide surge etc.) Contributing to economic development Contributing to marine science Several legislations and conventions mandate CHS including Canada Shipping Act 2001 and SOLAS Convention 5
CHANGING DEMAND - INCREASING RISK 6
CHANGING HYDROGRAPHIC TECHNOLOGY & PRODUCTS Leadline Single Beam Multi Beam Pre - 1940 1940-1998 1998 - Present 2,000 soundings per survey 750,000 soundings per survey 100000,000 soundings per survey 7
ARCTIC CHARTING - THE CHALLENGE Motivators: Increased ice-free seasons Economic growth of Northern peoples Increased economic activity (mining etc.) Increased demand for science Increased eco-tourism Arctic Marine Infrastructure: There is a general lack of marine infrastructure in the Arctic, except for areas along the Norwegian coast and northwest Russia, compared with other marine regions of the world with high concentrations of ship traffic. Gaps in hydrographic data exist for significant portions of primary shipping routes important to support safe navigation. In addition, for safe operations in the Arctic there is a need for the same suite of meteorological and oceanographic data, products and services as in other oceans, plus comprehensive information on sea ice and icebergs. Source Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment Report 2009 8
ARCTIC CHARTING HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CHALLENGE Henry Hudson 1610 Roald Amundsen 1903 Martin Frobisher 1576 William Parry 1819 Robert Bylot 1616 9
CHS EARLY ARCTIC SURVEYS SOURCE: Northern Mariner, O.M. Meehan Chrisse C. Thomey 1910 survey ship 10
CHS APPLYING INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY Late 1950 s & early 1960 s Polar Continental Shelf supported hydrographic data collection: Lead line Lucas Sounding Machine Early PCSP Ice-Camp Short range electronic positioning 11
CHS APPLYING INNOVATION &TECHNOLOGY Late 1960 s & 1980 s an era of innovation: Track Vehicle w Ram Transducer Autonomous Remote Controlled System (ARCS) Heli Towed Open Water System Hovercraft Through Ice Bathymetry (TIBS) 12
CHS APPLYING INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY 13
GROWING & CHANGING CLIENT NEEDS 14
GROWING & CHANGING CLIENT NEEDS There is significant potential for mining and oil & gas in the North CESD (OAG Audit Arctic some text here Nordic Orion (Danish Flag) Transport Canada Tanker Safety Expert Panel Arctic review not yet released FedNav (PetroNav?) full transit 2014 see blog and route through Prince Wales St 15
Changing Climate in the Arctic CHANGING CLIMATE IN THE ARCTIC Environment Changes Very likely continued decrease in mean sea-ice thickness (0.25-1.75m). Further decline in multi-year ice area, possibly enabling an ice-free Arctic in late summer. Decrease in summer ice extent (10-80%), Longer open water season: earlier ice breakup and later freeze up. Little change in winter ice conditions. Ecosystem changes Ice-free zones during summer and winter periods Change in access to the marine environment (i.e., ice covered areas vs. open water areas) and an increase in the length of the shoulder seasons Increased length of open water season will potentially increase the extent and frequency of foggy conditions A more severe wave climate is projected in open-water areas Increased incidence of vessel icing and sea spray. Implications Need to manage increase intensity, seasonal duration, and geographical extent of boat traffic Ice routing advice and ice information and escorting service to ships in ice-covered waters may be more challenging in the nearer term Assistance to beset vessels in ice may be more frequent as mariners push navigation into shoulder seasons MARINE NAVIGATION 50 years Arctic Basin 16
COOPERATION AT THE INTERNATIONAL SCALE Arctic Regional Hydrographic Commission (ARHC): Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russian Federation, United States of America ARHC Cooperation with the Arctic Council-Protection Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) watching ARHC pan-arctic hydrographic risk assessment methodology for the North. 17
BOTTOM LINE Risks and Arctic Charting Knowledge of Arctic Ocean Conditions Possible Opportunities Technology Collaboration Federal and Territorial Governments Collaboration Internationally Ships of Opportunity Risk Awareness
CLASSIC CASE OF SUCCESSFUL COLLABORATION Photo Credit: Parks Canada 19
ARCTIC HYDROGRAPHY & OCEANOGRAPHY THANK YOU 20