Vanguard Magazine

EXPEDITION DEPARTS FOR THE ANTARCTIC FIRST OF ITS KIND COLLABORATIVE SCIENTIFIC Reprinted with permission, Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR) https://meopar.ca 18 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2025 www.vanguardcanada.com E M E R G I N G T E C H I t's a cold day in the Halifax harbour. Rain mixes with light snow as it falls, making the naturally humid East Coast climate even more damp. Jan- uary 10th seems to be nothing more than an average winter day along the wa- terfront. In the harbour, a Royal Canadian Naval vessel prepares for departure and, to local passers-by, this too is nothing out of the ordinary, but the departure of HMCS Margaret Brooke is far from routine. The ship launches on an inaugural voy- age to Antarctica – the first of its kind. While transporting cutting-edge research equipment and scientific experts from across the country, the Margaret Brooke will enable Canadian ocean scientific re- search in Antarctica, which has never be- fore been done by a Royal Canadian Naval vessel. Scientific research in Antarctica is essen- tial to understanding climate change, but completing such research requires equip- ment and expertise that is not easy to come by. It takes extensive coordination and collaboration to achieve such a feat, which the Marine Environmental Obser- vation Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR) is designed to help facilitate. Jamie Snook the Executive Director of MEOPAR stated, "We are honoured to be able to support a strategic collaboration of this scale." Collective Collaboration An initiative like this takes many moving parts and the scale of collaboration wit- nessed here is exemplary, from multiple government agencies working together – the Royal Canadian Navy | Marine royale canadienne (RCN), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), the Fisheries and Oceans Canada / Pêches et Océans Canada(DFO) and Environment and Climate Change Canada(ECCC) – to the contribution pro- vided by the Marine Environmental Obser- vation, Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR), to support the academic del- egation of the research team. University of Calgary Dalhousie University Université du Québec à Rimouski Université de Sher- brooke University of New Brunswick Uni- versity of Victoria Ocean Networks Canada University of Ottawa The scientific team aboard the ves- sel is led by chief scientist Tom James of NRCAN, working alongside Dr. Brent Else, Associate Professor at University of Calgary and Co-scientific Director of MEOPAR, as co-chief scientist. The en- tire scientific team is comprised of experts from coast to coast, hailing from universi- ties and government departments. "This expedition is being made pos- sible from strategic investments that were made by industry and the Government of Canada. We are looking forward to seeing how this initiative will shape the future of ocean research both in Canada and global- ly when the ideas of industry, government, and the academy converge." Supporting Science Carrying out research like this is essential to furthering our understanding of the global ocean. It allows scientists to gather pertinent information and data related to climate change and, one of the Royal Ca- nadian Navy's key objectives for this mis- sion, is to support global environmental protection.

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