DRDC monitors for marine mammals in Navy training areas with JASCO ObserverBuoys

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JASCO Applied Sciences supplies passive-acoustic monitoring buoys to DRDC for marine mammal mitigation with near-real-time species detections

HALIFAX, N.S.—Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) has procured two ObserverBuoy 3m systems from Canadian environmental science and engineering company JASCO Applied Sciences.

The first acoustic monitoring buoy was deployed off the west coast of Vancouver Island in early September, fitted with JASCO’s OceanObserver™ electronics suite, and a deep-water mooring system designed for depths of up to 2000 metres. The ObserverBuoy, designed to operate in harsh marine environments, has successfully reported ambient noise levels and marine mammal detections since its deployment in the training areas used by the Royal Canadian Navy. The second ObserverBuoy was delivered to DRDC in mid-November and will be deployed in the MARLANT Operating Areas (MARLOAs) off the east coast on a later date.

OceanObserver™ is an acoustic and oceanographic data acquisition and processing system, capable of on-board signal processing by PAMlab INT, the integrated version of JASCO’s PAMlab acoustic software suite.

JASCO and EOM Systems developed the ObserverBuoy’s for DRDC/DND, which are designed to detect 22 different marine mammal species and report ocean ambient noise levels in near-real-time. The systems will collect data and information that will be delivered to DRDC/DND users and decision-makers via email and by JASCO’s PortListen web portal.

PortListen is an online acoustic data portal for visualizing, navigating, and analyzing underwater sound detections and measurements.

This delivery follows the purchase of JASCO’s OceanObserver suite to outfit DRDC’s autonomous Slocum glider in March 2021. The Observer Slocum glider, and ObserverBuoy 3m systems will both be used for marine mammal mitigation and research purposes by the Government of Canada.


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“We are very pleased that the Canadian Navy will be using our systems to protect marine mammals during their training exercises. The development of these ObserverBuoy 3m systems for DRDC further demonstrates JASCO’s system engineering capabilities that enable the work of our world-renowned scientists to be applied at sea, for real-time marine mammal mitigation.”
— John Moloney, JASCO Engineering and Business Development Manager

Images

High-resolution images are available below and at:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/g3oBdtezmrF6YRyg9

Related

Backgrounder: About the OceanObserver

JASCO’s OceanObserver™, the brains of the ObserverBuoy, is an intelligent, real-time multi-sensor ocean observing system. This high-performance platform acquires huge volumes of acoustic and oceanographic data and processes it in real time to detect species of interest, quantify ambient and anthropogenic noise, and derive other information of interest. The results are then transmitted to shore, allowing for real-time decision making.

OceanObserver can be deployed on buoys, cabled observatories, surface and sub-surface vehicles like the Slocum, and other ocean devices. It can be used for marine mammal detection, identification and localization, ambient and vessel noise quantification, and underwater noise monitoring for oil and gas exploration and wind and tidal energy development. The onboard processing is done by PAMlab INT, the integrated version of JASCO’s PAMlab software suite.

About JASCO Applied Sciences

JASCO Applied Sciences is a world leader in the science of underwater sound and its effects on marine life. JASCO is Canadian company, founded in Victoria in 1981, with subsidiaries in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia. We provide support for all stages of environmental reviews and assessments of underwater sound for the renewable energy, oil and gas, marine construction, shipping, and defence sectors. We design, develop, and manufacture state-of-the-art oceanographic data acquisition systems to meet project demands for quality, endurance, reliability, and performance. We enable our clients to satisfy regulatory requirements by providing scientifically defensible assessments of their projects to government regulators and the public. For more information, visit www.jasco.com.


Learn More

Read more about the ObserverBuoy 3m and the OceanObserver™
Learn more about JASCO Applied Sciences
Check out previous JASCO news coverage

Contact Us

John Moloney
Engineering and Business Development Manager
JASCO Applied Sciences, Halifax, NS
T. +.902.405.3336 x1007
C. +902.405.1368
Email

Megan Constable
Marketing and Business Development
JASCO Applied Sciences, Halifax, NS
T. +1.902.405.3336 x1053
Email

 

Media Relations
JASCO Applied Sciences, Halifax, NS.
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