Grants and Contributions

SMOS and SMAP missions have shown the unprecedented capability of L-Band radiometry to monitor central variables related to the energy, water and carbon cycles. However, despite the unique capacity of L-Band radiometry, no missions are planned to continue L-band observations. A team of twelve scientists, are proposing a new L-band radiometry mission (FRESCH). They propose to improve approaches using L-Band radiometry in Canadian northern regions using drone and ground-based L-Band radiometers. The work will be crucial to the preparison of the FRESCH proposal and will ensure that the Canadian community will be well placed to participate into the scientic studies of FRESCH.

The locations of zooplankton-food for Right Whales can be linked to ocean fronts which can therefore be a predictor for their habitat. The reserachers propose to detect these fronts from sea surface temperature patterns, which can be obtained from satellite observations. Their focus is the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which is recognized as a whale feeding area. Using probability distribution functions of frontal activity and whale sightings, they will develop probability maps for Right Whale aggregation patterns. They will also correlate these results with satellite-derived indices of dominant currents, like the Gaspé Current, which provides the zooplankton-food for the whales.

Following a first-place success in the European Space Agency’s AutoICE Challenge, the Vision and Image Processing Lab (VIP Lab) is continuing to advance state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms towards the automation of operational sea ice mapping using remotely sensed and ancillary data. Manual ice charting is very time consuming and limited in the number of images that can be processed. Automation of this process using artificial intelligence has been an elusive goal for decades. The researchers seek to further their solution to support Canadian operational ice mapping in partnership with the Canadian Ice Service (CIS).

This project aims at discovering new knowledge about the contribution of large-scale ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves to energy, momentum, and mass transfer in near-Earth’s space. This objective will be achieved by utilizing the advanced diagnostic capabilities of Borealis, a digital SuperDARN radar system designed in Canada with world-leading space weather radar engineering, providing unmatched temporal resolution and spatial coverage.

Freshwater ice thickness and snow water equivalent provide a proxy for monitoring climate, however both are difficult to derive from conventional satellite observations. This project utilizes data from the Surface Water Ocean Topography Mission during the Fast Sampling (daily) and Science Data Collection (11 day repeat) phases to retrieve ice thickness and SWE for Kluane (Yukon) and Teshekpuk (Alaska) Lakes. Two sensors are utilized: 1) Ku-band altimeter, which has been shown to retrieve ice thickness from waveforms, and 2) Ka-band interferometric syntheric aperture radar that has demonstrated capability for snow retrievals, but has not been tested for snow on ice.

This project will use a comprehensive data set collected on at scales relevant to SWOT and Sentinel missions to understand ocean mixing and coastal currents in the Northeast Pacific. There is considerable variability in the region that is poorly resolved in older generation altimetry products, and most in situ observations. The reserachers will use high resolution shipboard surveys, underwater glider surveys, mooring measurements, and targeted float releases to groundtruth and enhance the data returned from the new generation of altimeters. The results will be used to test and improve operational and research ocean simulations, with applications to fish stocks and weather prediction.

The purpose of the Indigenous Habitat Participation Program- Grant Funding is to meet the legal obligations to support the participation of Indigenous communities in consultations on Departmental Crown conduct (i.e., decisions, such as arrangements, approvals, authorizations and permits) under the Fisheries Act and/or Species at Risk Act.

To carry out the Government of Canada’s 2018 Nature Legacy for Canada, which includes supporting and leveraging efforts to protect and recover aquatic species at risk; and building Indigenous capacity.

The objectives of the Program are: .• promoting volunteerism among seniors; .• engaging seniors in the community through.mentoring of others; .• expanding awareness of elder abuse, including.financial abuse; .• supporting social participation and inclusion of.seniors; and .• providing capital assistance for new and existing.community projects and/or programs for seniors. .

SPF’s objective will be achieved by functioning as an innovative, partnership-driven complement to the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Strategy (ISETS) that fosters more integrated, harmonized, training-to-employment models or acts as a catalyst for the formation and testing of innovative new partnerships in Indigenous labour market development. SPF activities will emphasize joint stewardship and coordination consistent with the Aboriginal Economic Development Framework. Through access to SPF funding, a wider range of Indigenous organizations will deliver Indigenous labour market programming, serving to embed collaboration and maximize leveraging opportunities with industry, federal-provincial-territorial partners, and Indigenous partners