Fisheries-Based Oceanographic Monitoring

Definition of the requirement Objective: The main objective of this contract is to enable the collection, storage, and management of oceanographic data using temperature/depth wireless data loggers installed on fishing vessels and gear, with the overall purpose of expanding Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) ocean observation capabilities to address key challenges stemming from changing ocean conditions in Canadian waters. The contract will also contribute to global initiatives as part of Canada’s commitment to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021 – 2030) to make ocean science more accessible, predictable, and engaging for all, by sharing Canadian data. This contract will also support the goals of the international Fishing Vessel Ocean Observing Network (FVON; www.fvon.org) as an emerging network within the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS; www.goosocean.org). Background: The impacts of climate change, such as sea-level rise, ocean acidification, and warming temperatures pose significant threats to coastal infrastructure and marine ecosystems. The imperative for sustainable resource management, particularly in fisheries, demands accurate and timely data related to fish stocks and ecosystem health. Our ability to better understand and adapt to changing ocean conditions depends on the availability of high-quality and timely ocean data, which underpins informed decision-making and effective policy implementation. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and many organizations worldwide are gathering oceanographic data to better understand and predict the changing conditions of our oceans. Currently, satellites provide information on sea surface temperature and the International Argo network provides information on open ocean environments. DFO collects subsurface temperature on the continental shelves during dedicated ocean monitoring missions (e.g., Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program) and aboard fisheries research vessels. However, our knowledge of essential oceanographic parameters such as subsurface temperature could be improved by leveraging the commercial fisheries fleets that operate at times and in locations where DFO vessels are not present. DFO is conducting a pilot project to test and evaluate the effectiveness and applicability of wireless data loggers in collecting temperature/depth data in collaboration with the fishing industry by installing loggers directly on vessel fishing vessels and gear. If successful, gathering oceanographic data from vessels of opportunity, such as fishing vessels, would expand DFO ocean observation capabilities and address key challenges steaming from changing ocean conditions in Canadian waters. DFO is seeking a Contractor with the experience, expertise and ability to supply and provide technical support to install and maintain wireless data logger systems on selected vessels in order to collect temperature/depth profile data in Canada’s coastal zones during regular fishing activities. This pilot project will equip up to 50 vessels operating in the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans with a wireless data logger system, and provide data storage and management, as well as linking the collected data to international ocean observing networks and systems, for an initial two-year period. The total pilot project length is expected to take up to two years (with up to 2 optional additional years). Depending on the success of the first two years of the project and level of interest amongst the fishing industry, optional years for this project may include additional and/or shifts in industry collaborators, which could affect the nature and number of vessels to be equipped as well as a potential increase in clients and volume of data for data management and storage services. See the Advance Contract Award Notice for further details.