Engaging ONC Science With Pearson College

Do you find science fun? Could science in the classroom be more engaging?

On December 14th and 15th, ONC gave Pearson College’s (www.pearsoncollege.ca) Marine Sciences classes a presentation and a tour of the Marine Technology Centre (MTC) where equipment is stored for NEPTUNE Canada and VENUS. Fourteen students from all over the world filed into the boardroom chattering wildly about the marine ecosystem and its many processes. Although the students had an existing understanding of natural ocean processes and current threats, the idea of an undersea cabled observatory was intriguing.

Discovering the Pacific Ocean through the use of Real-Time Data

Before long the students were engrossed in real images of the deep sea hydrothermal vents, video clips of Wally, a remotely operated crawler, and hydrophone clips of the southern resident orca whales. The class was stunned by not only the quantity of the data the networks collect – ocean property measurements, video footage, hydrophone clips, chemical measurements and the detection of natural hazards, but by the quality of the data, the depth of the nodes (from 20m to 2660m) and the engineering feats behind the technology.

Reinforcing the idea that a cabled network allows for 24/7 viewing was necessary. In the past, marine science was solely conducted through the use of ships, with substantial operating costs (up to $100,000 per day!) Having cabled networks allows the ocean to become the laboratory and gives scientists the opportunity to monitoring minute changes over long time periods sitting in front of their computers. Despite living on the coast and studying the ocean daily, the students had a unique peek into our oceans: from the inside out.

Behind the Scenes with NEPTUNE

After the presentation, the class had the opportunity to see firsthand the technology used on the NEPTUNE Canada (NC) network. Reece, the Scientific Instrument Manager for NC, introduced the Observatory’s deep sea technology and the trial and errors that have occurred regarding instrument corrosion. The students were fascinated by the weight of the network nodes (12,000 lbs on land becomes 200 lbs under the water), the variety of materials (everything from plastic to metal to nail polish!) used to develop each instrument and how Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) are used to deploy the technology at depth. The innovative technology coming out of the observatory is an amazing feat as ONC is the first in the world to attempt cabled networks at depth.

At ONCCEE we believe that encouraging students to understand our influence on the ocean and the ocean’s influence on them is crucial. Exploring the Pacific Ocean in an engaging, hands-on and experiential way, not only increases students’ interest in the marine ecosystem, but also deepens their overall appreciation of science.

If you’d like to learn more about the Ocean Networks Canada Observatory, marine science and innovative ways to bring the deep-sea into your classroom, please explore the websites and/or contact the EPE team!

NEPTUNE Canada 
     Hydrothermal vents video
     Hydrophones
VENUS
ONCCEE Education  

Natasha Ewing, K-12 Education Developer for ONCCEE
oceaned@uvic.ca