Funding Partners
Largest federal government university research grant in Atlantic Canada History
This research is enabled by the largest federal government university research award in Dalhousie — and Atlantic Canadian — history: a $35 million investment by CFI, supplemented by an additional $10 million from NSERC, and $327,500 from SSHRC. As of 2017, OTN is supported by $11.4 million under the CFI-Major Science Initiative fun, as well as a $3.6 million match from the Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Trust. This investment will leverage in excess of $100 million of in-kind and financial contributions from our OTN partners worldwide.
Over 400 international researchers from 20 countries are currently participating in the global network, and new researchers are being regularly added. International Deployment Collaborators engage in the project by providing operation and maintenance support of international receiver lines (also referred to as arrays) deployed in their jurisdictions, as well as tagging and releasing marine animals to study their movements.
Industry Partners
| Partner | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Baker Blue Ocean | Vessel operations |
| Catalina Sea Ranch Inc. | Deployment collaborator (platform of opportunity) |
| Dominion Diving | Vessel operations/ROVs |
| Edgetech | Equipment supplier |
| Emera | Environmental Impact Assessment collaborator |
| Encana | Deployment collaborator (platform of opportunity) (funding for 2013-14 blue shark study) |
| ExxonMobil | Deployment collaborator (platform of opportunity) |
| Kintama Research Services | Equipment supplier |
| Land & Sea Outfitting Inc. | Logistical support |
| Liquid Robotics | Technology development (Wave Glider) |
| Lotek | Data storage tag supplier |
| Maritime bioLoggers | Accelerometer tags |
| Microwave Telemetry | Satellite tags |
| Nalcor | Deployment collaborator |
| NASA (Kennedy Space Center Ecological Group) | Platform of opportunity |
| Nautilus Marine Services GmbH (GER) | Equipment supplier |
| Open Seas Instrumentation | Equipment supplier |
| Rainbow Net and Rigging | Equipment supplier |
| ROMOR | Equipment supplier |
| Satlantic | Equipment supplier |
| Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU Instrumentation; UK) | Satellite tag/ technology development |
| Sigma Eight Inc. | Radio tags |
| SmartBay Ireland | Deployment collaborator (SmartBuoy) |
| Star-Oddi | Data storage tags |
| StatOil | Deployment collaborator |
| Teledyne Technologies Inc. | Slocum glider/equipment supplier |
| VEMCO | Acoustic tag and receiver supplier/technology development collaborators |
| Verizon | Technology development – remote communication |
| Wildlife Computers | Satellite tag supplier |
Canadian Institutions and Principal Investigators
The team of lead PIs for the OTN Canada Network represents a diverse group of 29 internationally renowned researchers. Most are leaders in their field, both nationally and internationally, and many have pioneered interdisciplinary and experimental approaches in conducting scientific research in the areas of ocean sciences, marine animal ecology, physiology, and conservation. Although OTN is headquartered at Dalhousie University, the PIs represent 16 academic and government institutions across Canada. In addition, all PIs have extensive collaborations between these and other national and international academic and government institutions, as well as with conservation organizations.
In addition to the extensive expertise of the Network PIs, OTN Canada draws upon the expertise and experience of an impressive group of researchers who will also be direct collaborators on OTN projects: over 30 investigators from additional institutions. These researchers will bring an extraordinary amount of added value to the entire Network program.
International Institutions and Principal Investigators
Australia
Principal Investigators
Dr. Jayson Semmens (IMOS)
Dr. Rory McAuley (WA Fisheries)
HQP
Micahel Drew (PhD) – Flinders University / SARDI
Nicolas Payne (PhD – Awarded) U of Adelaide and UTAS
Chris Dudgeon (PhD – Awarded) The University of Queensland and UTAS
Nathalie Verlinden (Honours Awarded) – The University of Queensland
Peggy Newman (3rd Year undergrad project complete) – The University of Queensland
Kate Lee (MPhill in Environmental Science) – Macquarie University
Alex Schnell (PhD in Environmental Science) – Macquarie University
Gwenael Cadiou (PhD) – University of Technology, Sydney / UNSW
Conrad Speed (PhD) – Charles Darwin University / Australian Institute of Marine Science
Fabrice Jaine (PhD) – The University of Queensland
Lydie Courturier (PhD) – The University of Queensland
Danielle Knip (PhD) – James Cook University
Andrew Chin (PhD) – James Cook University
Jimmy White (PhD) – James Cook University
Kenneth Frazer McGregor (PhD) – Murdoch University
Owen R. O’Shea (PhD) – Murdoch University / Australian Institute of Marine Science
Florencia Cerutti (PhD) – Carles Darwin university / Australian Institute of Marine Science
Gabriel Vianna (PhD) – University of Western Australia / Australian Institute of Marine Science
Killian Stehfest (PhD) – UTAS / CSIRO
Adam Barnett (PhD) – UTAS / CSIRO
Candace McBride (PhD under examination) – Macquarie University / UTAS / Museum Victoria
Jaime McAllister (PhD) – UTAS
Jeff Whitty (MPhill by research) – Murdoch University
Alexander Prusche (PhD) – UNSW
Ruan Gannon (PhD Candidate) – UNSW / NSW I&I
Dylan van der Muelan (PhD Candidate) – UNSW / NSW I&I
Jerom Stocks (PhD Candidate) – UNSW / NSW I&I
Jason How (PhD) – Edith Cowan University
Jaimie Cleeland (Honours) – UTAS
Technical / Professional Personnel
Dr. Andreaa Steckenreuter (AATAMS)
Edward Forbes (IMAS)
David (Irish) Faloon (IMAS)
Phil McDowall (AATAMS)
Sarah-Jane Pyke (IMAS)
Azores, Portugal
HQP
Pedro Afonso (PhD)
Jorge Fontes (PhD)
Gonçalo Graça (MSc)
Technical / Professional Personnel
Sergio Gomes
Norway
Principal Investigators
Dr. Jan Grimsrud Davidsen
Research scientist Jo Vegar Arnekleiv
HQP
Sindre Eldøy (Masters)
Technical / Professional Personnel
Lars Rønning (Technician)
Aslak Sjursen (Technician)
Oahu, Hawaii
HQP
Melanie Hutchinson (PhD)
Prince William Sound, Alaska
Principal Investigators
Mary Anne Bishop, Ph.D., Research Ecologist (Prince William Sound Science Center)
Technical / Professional Personnel
Megan McKinzie (Prince William Sound Science Center)
Brad Reynolds (Prince William Sound Science Center)
Ian Beveridge (OTN)
South Africa
HQP
Alison Kock (PhD)
Enrico Gennari (PhD)
Matt Dicken (PDF)
Amber Childs (PhD)
Rhett Bennett (PhD)
Taryn Murray (PhD)
Ryan Daly (PhD)
Technical / Professional Personnel
Carrie Pretorius (Lwandle Technologies)
Juan Greef (East Cape Parks & Tourism Agency)
Willy Kokose (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity)
Strait of Gibraltar, Spain
Principal Investigators
Antoni Calafat Frau (UB, Barcelona)
Miquel Canals Artigas (UB, Barcelona)
Francisco J. Abascal Crespo (IEO, Madrid)
Carlos Farias Rapallo (IEO, Madrid)
HQP
Anna Sanchez Vidal (Postdoc Researcher)
Aitor Rumin Caparrós (PhD Student)
Technical / Professional Personnel
Xavi Rayo Sarrias (UB, Barcelona)
Jesús Rivera Martínex (IEO, Madrid)
Angel Merino Jiménez (IEO, Santander)
Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP)
HQP are OTN’s research associates, Postdoctoral Fellows, PhDs, Masters, and Bachelors students. If you would like to be part of the network, look for student and postdoc positions under Opportunities.
information is available about HQP Travel Funds.
| Mike Donaldson (PDF) Adult salmon capture/release and stress studies |
| Erica Eliason (PDF) Adult salmon thermal tolerance and survival |
| Ken Jeffries (PDF) Genomics and migration success in Pacific salmon |
| Arthur Bass (PhD) Effects of handling and temperature on salmon disease and survival using telemetry studies |
| Nolan Bett (PhD) Factors affecting olfaction and homing success in adult salmon |
| Andre Bezanson (PhD) Design and fabrication of high frequency phased array for imaging the inner ear |
| Franziska Broell (PhD) Accelerometry; the key to monitoring temperature-dependent fish growth and activity |
| Katrina Cook (PhD) Adult salmon capture/release marine studies |
| Mathieu Dever (PhD) Characterization of Nova Scotian Current and its variability along the Halifax Line |
| Matt Drenner (PhD) Relationships between oceanographic condition and adult salmon migration timing and survival |
| Nathan Furey (PhD) Modelling survival and behaviour of outmigrating salmon smolts |
| Vivian Nguyen (PhD) Social science perspectives on telemetry and fisheries capture/release |
| Graham Raby (PhD) Effects of capture/release fisheries on salmon migration behaviour, physiology, and RAMP |
| Natalie Sopinka (PhD) Effects of stress on survival and fitness of adult salmon |
| Amy Teffer (PhD) Effects of handling and temperature on salmon disease and survival using laboratory experiments |
| Matthew Beck (MSc) A multiparameter approach for estimating chlorophyll a from ocean gliders |
| Nich Burnett (MSc) Comparison of accelerometer loggers and transmitter in assessing migration behaviour of adult salmon |
| Jacqueline Chapman (MSc) Adult salmon capture/release studies in marine areas |
| Matthew Langford (MSc) ADCP assessment of river hydraulics |
| Collin Middleton (MSc) Effects of water chemistry and flows on passage of adult salmon |
| Kendra Robinson (MSc) Assisted ventilation as a recovery approach for salmon following capture/release |
| Sam Wilson (MSc) Using accelerometer transmitters to assess migration energetics in adult salmon |
| Adam Comeau (RA) Ecosystem monitoring on the Scotian Shelf |
| Eduardo Martins (RA) |
| Montana McLean (PhD) |