Fisheries and Oceans Canada ocean science program: The arctic and the future

The Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) oceanography program provides advice and support to a diverse set of clients within and outside the department. As climate change is increasing its impact on the arctic, DFO's ocean science program requires basic ocean information to produce forecasts needed for integrated management (ecosystem linked), sustained and secure navigation (current, water levels, ice formation, etc), search and rescue operations (oil dispersal, current previsions, etc.), industrial development, human health (harmful algal blooms, storm surges) and monitoring the health of the ecosystem (invasive species, species at risk, etc). At this session of the Ocean Conference, DFO will discuss its reliance on sustained ocean observations (such as Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks) by using remote sensing and autonomous instrumentations of opportunity and by addressing some of the large sea-ice and oceanographic initiatives currently underway. DFO is continuing to face the challenges of linking biological and physical paradigms into an ecosystem-science based approach, which has resulted in renewed and emerging issues that require adjustments in ocean science monitoring and research strategies. Coupled with the high and rapidly growing costs of doing ocean research, the department cannot neglect the need for data synthesis and integration especially across the federal system. Ultimately, DFO understands the need to establish and implement a sound ocean science monitoring, research and modeling program to understand and predict ocean trends and change. This change can be due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions, industrial development, shipping increases, etc. An understanding of the status and trends of ocean systems, including assessing potential impacts of projected ocean changes on fisheries and ecosystems, so as to ensure healthy and productive waters in Canada's three oceans is a "grand challenge" not only for DFO but for the science community at large.