Research Portal

Geoscience » Tectonics and Crustal Structure

Paleogeographic Reconstruction and Source Rock De-Risking, Offshore Nova Scotia

February – November 2020

In this project GeoArctic modeled the tectonic evolution of the northern Central Atlantic to re-evaluate the syn-rift and early post-rift geological context of sedimentary basin formation.

Valuation Method for Electric Ancillary Services

May – September 2020

The objective of this project is to define a new, enhanced power purchase agreement (PPA) for use by NSPI or an independent procurement administrator when contracting with Independent (e.g., renewable) Power Producers (IPPs).

Analysis Framework for Long-Term and Cumulative Effects Monitoring

October 2018 – September 2020

This project created a framework for testing in-stream tidal turbine effects on specific marine species populations. The framework provides the basis for future assessment of far-field and cumulative environmental effects.

Modeling of Electric Boats as Energy Storage

July 2018 – September 2020

Electric boats have the potential to act as “energy storage wrapped in a boat”.

Quantifying Fish-Turbine Interactions Using New VEMCO Tagging Technology

October 2017 – December 2019

This project tested innovative acoustic fish tagging technology made by VEMCO, a Nova Scotian engineering technology company. Their acoustic telemetry tags are expected to be more effective in noisy, high-current environments like the Minas Passage.

Integrating Hydro-acoustic Approaches to Predict Fish Interactions with In-Stream Tidal Turbines

October 2017 – December 2019

Understanding exactly how fish interact with tidal turbines is still a critical knowledge gap for the tidal energy sector.

Integrated Active and Passive Acoustic System for Environmental Monitoring (ISEM)

August 2015 – May 2019

The project team will develop a novel environmental monitoring system that integrates data analysis software and active and passive acoustic sensors to provide real-time tracking of fish and marine mammals in high energy sites.

Application of (Low-Cost) Drifters with Suspended Hydrophone Arrays to Assess Harbour Porpoise Use of the Water Column and Spatial Overlap with MRE Devices in the Minas Passage

October 2017 – April 2019

The project investigated the use of a new low-cost drifter technology to monitor the activity and depth distribution of harbour porpoises frequenting the Minas Passage and Minas Channel.

Geoscience » Tectonics and Crustal Structure

Advanced Analyses of the MIRROR-1 OBS Profile from Offshore Morocco

July 2017 – April 2019

This project completes an analysis of the OETR and OCTOPUS seismic lines collected from offshore Nova Scotia and integrates the MIRROR I refraction line from offshore Morocco to allow comparison of the conjugate margins using wide-angle refraction/reflection ocean bottom seismometer profiles.

Innovative Solutions for De-risking Species Detections in Tidal Energy Environmental Effects Monitoring Programs

April 2018 – March 2019

With collaboration from Genome Atlantic, this research project is using a new environmental DNA technology to rapidly identify and determine abundance of different fish species in high-flow marine conditions. Experiments were conducted at Dalhousie University’s Aquatron facility. N