Research Portal

Geoscience » Georges Bank Research & Data

Science and Socio-economic Review of the Georges Bank Prohibition Area 2020-2021

June – December 2021

Georges Bank is a large submarine platform located at the edge of the Atlantic continental shelf between Cape Cod and Nova Scotia. The Georges Bank Prohibition Area covers a significant portion of Georges Bank and is located on the Canadian side of the Canada-United States maritime boundary.

The Vectron2 Project: Turbulence Measurements for the In-stream Tidal Energy Industry

March 2019 – November 2021

The Vectron is a new sensor used for measuring turbulence velocity within a tidal turbine’s swept area.  The Vectron has been successfully prototyped, where next steps are to take the technology to the ‘industry-ready’ stage of development and the focus of this project.

Going with the Flow II: Using Drifters to Address Uncertainties in the Spatial Variation of Tidal Flows

October 2017 – June 2018

Drifters are one of the oldest, simplest and most reliable methods for measuring ocean currents. Drifters also provide a simple, low risk platform from which to gather acoustic information along flow streamlines or ‘drift tracks’.

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 » Seismic & Marine Sound

Establishment of Baseline Biological Data on Snow Crab (Chionoecetes opilio) Offshore Cape Breton for Future Assessment of Potential Impacts of Seismic Noise on Snow Crab

April 2012 – February 2015

The study investigates the impact of sound energy generated by acoustic/seismic arrays on snow crabs.

Assessment of Hydrodynamic Impacts throughout the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine due to Tidal Energy Extraction by Tidal Lagoons

January 2010 – December 2011

The researchers extended existing hydrodynamic models of tidal flows in the Bay of Fundy to simulate the presence and operation of a tidal lagoon project located in the Minas Basin.

Geoscience » Seismic & Marine Sound

Physics of the Interaction between a Crab and a Seismic Test Pulse – Development of a Mathematical Model and Testing of Model via Simulation

June 2009 – September 2011

Experimental attempts to establish whether seismic testing has any impact on crabs and the crab fishery have been hampered by a lack of theoretical work on the subject.

Assessment of the Potential of Tidal Power from Minas Passage and Minas Basin

October 2009 – September 2011

This project estimated the power potential of the tides and tidal currents in the Minas Basin and Minas Channel regions of the Bay of Fundy.

Geoscience » Seismic & Marine Sound

Feasibility of a Marine Vibroseis System to Minimize Potential Impacts of Seismic Surveying on Commercial Marine Invertebrates

May 2010 – May 2011

Marine vibroseis (a sound generating system that uses a large oscillating mass to emit a range of frequencies) offers an alternative to air-gun seismic sources and may have fewer environmental effects on marine biota.