Research Portal

FORCE Site Marine Operations – Lessons Learned

November 2017 – April 2018

In recent years, marine operators have completed dozens of operations in the Minas Passage, from research surveys to instrument deployment, to the installation of electrical infrastructure to turbine deployment.

Nova Scotia Small Tidal Test Centre: Gap Analysis and Business Case

November 2017 – March 2018

As the tidal energy industry develops, there is increasing interest in the prospects for small-scale tidal energy development. Building small-scale tidal energy installations has promise given the number of locations where they can be used.

In Situ Turbulence Replication and Measurement (InSTREAM)

October 2015 – January 2018

The In Situ Turbulence Replication and Measurement (InSTREAM) project was conceived to address some fundamental questions about the turbulence physics in tidal energy sites and laboratory tanks used to simulate these sites.

Measuring the Acoustic Detection Range of Large Whales from an Ocean Glider to Improve an Acoustic Whale Alert System for use by the Offshore Marine Industry in Atlantic Canada

April 2017 – January 2018

Researchers investigated a novel and in-development passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) system for use as a marine mammal detection technique. The work builds on a current research initiative between Dalhousie University and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI).

Turbulent Scale and Wake Modeling on a Horizontal Axis Turbine

January – April 2015

This project aimed to accurately simulate turbulent flow over a scaled horizontal axis tidal turbine to resolve turbulence in the near and far field regions.

Turbulence and Bottom Stress in Minas Passage and Grand Passage

September 2011 – February 2015

This project aimed to investigate turbulence and bottom stress at two sites being targeted for in-stream tidal power development in Nova Scotia: Minas Passage in the Upper Bay of Fundy and Grand Passage, located between Brier and Long Island in the lower Bay of Fundy.

Geoscience » Play Fairway Analyses Atlases 2010–Present

SW Nova Scotia Expansion Atlas (2015)

January 2015

This project is an expansion of the 2011 Play Fairway Analysis to the western border of the Nova Scotia marine shelf. This expansion corresponds to the Georges Bank zone and surrounding area extending from the Yarmouth Arch to the Shelburne Sub-basin.

Acoustic Tracking of Fish Movements in the Minas Passage and FORCE Crown Lease Area: Pre-Turbine Baseline Studies

June 2011 – July 2013

This project used animal tracking technology developed by VEMCO, a division of AMIRIX Systems of Halifax, NS. The technology allows researchers to track animal movements and behaviour over a scale of kilometers.

Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Cetacean Activity Patterns and Movements Pre- and Post-deployment of TISEC devices in Minas Passage

June 2011 – July 2013

This project aimed to conduct pre- and post- in-stream tidal energy device deployment assessments of marine mammal activity and to assess the potential risk for interaction with turbine infrastructure.

Community and Business Toolkit for Tidal Energy Development

November 2011 – March 2013

This toolkit covers the science, technology, business and community aspects of tidal energy development in Nova Scotia, effectively integrating the applied, natural and social sciences. It can serve as a model for future applied interdisciplinary work on tidal energy and marine renewables.