Canada Awards Contract for Oceanographic Buoys
The new buoys will increase Canada's ability to monitor the marine environment in real time; they will be deployed in spring 2017 in the estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence and in the Atlantic Ocean at sampling stations for Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program.
Canada's Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans has awarded a $1.65 million contract to the Quebec company Multi-Électronique to design and develop four automated oceanographic buoys. Rémi Massé, a member of Parliament, announced the award on behalf of Dominic LeBlanc, minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.
The buoys will collect temperature and salinity profiles and make oceanographic surface observations and meteorological observations. The contract includes an option for two additional buoys that could be produced for the Pacific Region.
The new buoys will increase Canada's ability to monitor the marine environment in real time; they will be deployed in spring 2017 in the estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence and in the Atlantic Ocean at sampling stations for Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program, which has been operating since 1998. "Our government is committed to intensifying scientific research and marine environment monitoring activities, in order to ensure sound management of the St. Lawrence ecosystem, with a view to conserving resources and protecting the marine environment. We are taking concrete action to honor our commitment," said LeBlanc.
"Today's announcement demonstrates our government's commitment to investing in the health and safety of our marine environments. The automated oceanographic buoys will help collect important data that will support the Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program and will provide insight into the regions' marine ecosystem for years to come," added Judy M. Foote, minister of Public Services and Procurement.
The funding comes from a $197.1 million investment in ocean and freshwater sciences that was announced in May 2016.