Exploring the VENUS and NEPTUNE Canada Websites
Because the ONC network websites are used by people with various backgrounds, finding the material that meets your needs can be a little difficult at first. For anyone with a casual interest in ocean sciences, here are some suggestions to help you navigate the VENUS and NEPTUNE Canada websites.
Becoming Familiar with the Arrays
Let’s start out with the NEPTUNE Canada website. If you are looking to become more familiar with the locations that comprise this array, the instruments deployed there and the kind of research that is being conducted, clicking the map on the NEPTUNE Canada homepage is a good place to start. Click on any of the locations (ODP 889, ODP 1027, Folger Passage, Endeavour or Barkley Canyon) to view a status page that presents a summary of all the relevant information. You can also change location by selecting a different name on the drop-down menu that exists on the left side of the screen. These status pages provide bathymetric maps of the location, the positions of instruments currently deployed, the current readings on all instruments and even a brief summary of the research being conducted at each location. I found these pages quite helpful when trying to familiarize myself with the NEPTUNE array.
Similar information can be found on the VENUS website but presented in a different manner. A good place to start might be to select sections under the Discover VENUS heading, located near the top of the homepage. The Why VENUS section in the drop-down menu provides a lot of background information regarding the behaviour of the study area. Further down this page is a list of research topics that will be served by the VENUS network. Bathymetric maps and a list of currently deployed instruments at each location are accessed through the Notice to Mariners and Instruments links located on the left side of this page.
Tip#1: Try clicking on any image or link on NEPTUNE or VENUS that sparks your interest. It will often take you to something interesting.
VENUS Image of the Week and Current State of Ocean
A lot of cool stuff can be learned directly from the VENUS homepage by accessing the Image of the Week or scrolling down and looking at the Live Data section. The image of the week refers to a graph or image that presents especially interesting findings. Clicking on the image will take you to a page containing not only its explanation, but also previous highlights from past weeks. Scrolling to the bottom of the homepage provides a look at the current state of the ocean. If you click on any of the graphs or on Live Hydrophone Audio, you can look up plots of any water property at any location. Don’t hesitate to explore the live data section. Under the heading Data, choose Data Plots and observe daily, weekly, monthly and annual trends of the data gathered.
Accessing Data (available with valid login credentials)
If you are interested in accessing real data and making your own plots, you must log in to the appropriate website. For NEPTUNE Canada, data is accessed under Data and Tools. From there you can access Data Search to find and download data, Plotting Utility to plot variables or SeaTube to look at actual remotely-operated vehicle video footage. Before using the plotting utility, check out Data Search beforehand to see if data is available.
Under the heading Data, select Download Data from the drop-down menu. Once there, you can perform your own query search for video footage or sensor data based on desired criteria. The sensor data can be downloaded as graphs or raw data.
Enjoy your tour!
Tip#2: If you get lost, scroll to the top of your screen and click the VENUS or NEPTUNE logo to return to the home page.
Written by Devin Cowan, ONCCEE Education Development Assistant
