Progress report for
Building the knowledge base for global ocean resource management
Achievement at a glance
Aquatic animals support global food security, contribute billions of dollars in socioeconomic benefits and ecosystem services, and have great cultural significance. However, the ocean is changing significantly due to unprecedented anthropogenic stressors and climate change, and aquatic animals are adapting to shifting conditions by altering their movement patterns. The Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) is a global research, technology, data management and partnership platform committed to advancing scientific knowledge for the conservation and sustainable management of the world's ecologically, culturally, and commercially important aquatic species.Enhanced global research and management partnerships are required across sectors and geopolitical boundaries for successful aquatic stewardship and management. OTN is committed to providing the technology, data infrastructure and logistical support to use electronic telemetry to document the movements, survival, intra- and interspecific interactions, and habitat use (including occupancy of marine protected areas) of migratory aquatic species.
OTNs work is done in tandem with a growing number of international collaborators, making the work cost effective and ensuring that local knowledge needs are addressed. OTN also operates a fleet of marine autonomous vehicles to sample oceanographic conditions in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, contributing the data to researchers working on animal tracking, climate change, weather and storm forecasting, and oceanography. OTNs technical capabilities expanded in 2020 with the addition of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and side scan sonar systems.
Access to the OTN Data Centre's warehousing and analytical tools are provided free of charge to registered collaborators. Knowledge generated through OTN collaborations is used provincially, federally and internationally to help guide the management of valued aquatic species and the sustainable use of ocean and freshwater resources.
Beneficiaries
Researchers, government policy and decision makers, environmental groups, Indigenous organizations, coastal communities, industry associations.
Actions
Develop and design investigations, lend and tailor OTN infrastructure to address pressing research questions.Extend acoustic receiver coverage to new areas.
Expand the marine autonomous vehicle fleet and provide additional monitoring capabilities.
Maintain leadership in electronic telemetry data management, quality control, accessibility and visualizations.
Continue building on and supporting fully compatible data nodes in the Americas and Europe, and exploring opportunities to support emerging telemetry research networks in Asia and the South Pacific.