The Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR) and the Pacific Marine Science Alliance Society (PMSA) have announced a three-year collaboration for ocean research expansion along Canada‘s Pacific and Western Arctic coasts.
The $300,000 initiative brings together national and regional expertise to address globally significant research challenges, including climate resilience, marine hazard prediction, and sustainable resource use. The collaboration will also support Indigenous-led stewardship, student mobility, and new international research partnerships.
Guided by the stewardship priorities of Indigenous and coastal communities, the project will:
- Build stronger national connections between Canada’s Pacific research institutions and MEOPAR’s national network.
- Expand training and mobility opportunities for students and researchers across the country.
- Develop international research partnerships with Chile, France, and beyond.
- Increase access to ocean research infrastructure across the eastern Pacific Rim and Western Arctic, and data to support informed decision-making.
- Advance climate resilience and coastal community adaptation through new monitoring, prediction, and knowledge mobilization tools
PMSA has committed $150,000 to this initiative, with MEOPAR matching funding for a total project budget of $300,000. Funds will support research coordination, Indigenous consultations, workshops, mobility programs, public engagement initiatives, and the Bamfield Marine Science Centre campus plan.
“Global ocean ecosystems, and the people who depend on them, face grave threats, including rising temperatures, acidification, deoxygenation and biodiversity loss,” said Philippe Tortell, Professor, Dept. of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, PMSA Board Member. “This new partnership will enable researchers at the five PMSA-member universities to work together with colleagues across Canada and internationally, developing new approaches to understanding our changing oceans, and innovative solutions to the marine sustainability challenges of today and into the future.”
