Research Portal

Performance validation of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) in a controlled environment

June 2018 – October 2019

In the past few years, the Nova Scotia tidal community has augmented its marine operational capacity, but some unknowns and risks still exist and the cost associated with such operations are high.

Developing Enhanced Marine Operations (DEMO) in High Flow Tidal Environments

October 2017 – October 2019

Conventional subsea remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) perform poorly in currents exceeding 1.5 m/s. This is a key operating limitation in the success and cost of marine operations in the Bay of Fundy, where current speeds reach 5 m/s.

Testing of a New Turbine Blade Design and Blade Materials

July 2018 – May 2019

There’s not yet a standardized, optimal way of extracting power from tidal currents. That’s why many tidal industry technologies are currently being tested around the world.

Optimized Combinations of Tidal, Wind and Solar Electricity Generation with Energy Storage to Meet Nova Scotia’s Electrical Demand

August 2018 – March 2019

Wind, solar and tidal-generated electricity each have different, but potentially complimentary, cyclic times.

STREEM: Sensor Testing Research for Environmental Effects Monitoring

October 2018 – March 2019

The research goal was to enhance understanding on sensor performance and sensor-to-sensor interactions to inform environmental effects monitoring (EEM) protocol for future tidal turbine deployments.

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

Geoscience » Georges Bank Research & Data

Georges Bank Research & Data

January 2019

Georges Bank is a large submarine bank (250km by 150km – 40,000 km2) located at the edge of the Atlantic continental shelf between Cape Cod and Nova Scotia.

Marine Renewable Energy: Background Report To Support a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the Cape Breton Coastal Region, inclusive of the Bras D’Or Lakes

June – December 2012

In 2011 following a competitive request for proposal process, OERA commissioned AECOM’s Halifax office to undertake a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for marine renewable energy in Cape Breton.

Cape Breton Tidal Energy Resource Assessment

November 2011 – October 2012

In support of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the Cape Breton Region, inclusive of the Bras d’Or Lakes, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) units were deployed at Barra Strait, Seal Island Bridge and Carey Point to collect tidal flow information.  Potential sites for tidal e

A Framework for Environmental Risk Assessment and Decision-Making for Tidal Energy Development in Canada

March – May 2012

There is still a high degree of uncertainty regarding the environmental implications of in-stream tidal energy initiatives. This report outlines a science-based environmental risk assessment and decision-making framework for the emergent in-stream tidal energy industry.