Research Portal

How Does Sound Travel in High Energy Environments? Effectiveness of Acoustic Monitoring Systems and Turbine Audibility Assessment

April 2017 – December 2020

The researchers are designing and implementing a long-term acoustic monitoring program to support tidal energy development in the Bay of Fundy. Specialized acoustic instrumentation was deployed for a two-month period in Grand Passage to advance understanding how turbulence affects the ability to

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).

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”.

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.

Reducing Costs of Tidal Energy through a Comprehensive Characterization of Turbulence in Minas Passage

October 2017 – March 2020

Turbulence is a significant issue at every site being considered for in-stream tidal energy development.

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.

Multi-Scale Turbulence Measurement in the Aquatron Laboratory

July 2018 – July 2019

This project has two primary objectives - to characterize the flow and turbulence in the Aquatron facility pool tank using turbulence sensors calibrated against a traceable standard; and to test technologies for investigating the horizontal variability of turbulence in real-world tidal channels.

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.