Research Plans for a Mid-Depth Cabled Seafloor Observatory in Western Canada

Special Issue-Ocean ObservationsPrimary review, conducted by CFI, was based on the quality of science proposed and the ultimate researcher group.It is, however, only the infrastructure that is funded and an initial operating stage.A major challenge for VENUS is to find subsequent operational funds and to encourage the development of user groups.Thus, to write the proposal we involved the users.Over 30 scientists defined the mandate for VENUS and a subset crafted the proposal that requested funding for cable and seafloor node installations, shore stations and data management development plus some instruments to initiate research activity.The primary objective of VENUS is to support research into seafloor and water column processes at three locations.Data and user policies are in development but our expectation is: i) to provide a 24hour datastream to users; ii) to promote array access for additional instrumentation to funded researchers from any country; and iii) to allow web access to near realtime data from community instruments and as many investigator instruments as possible. Development of the InstallationVENUS is a cabled ocean exploration project.VENUS cables will provide two-way full-time access and interaction to ocean and subsea environmental conditions for twenty years.Three separate cable lines will be laid in Saanich Inlet, Strait of Georgia, and Juan de Fuca Strait (Figure 1) with landfalls in British Columbia.With general sites selected by science groups to address issues of greatest interest; actual routing needs are under examination as science projects are reassessed and site surveys conducted.The first VENUS cable will be laid in Saanich Inlet in early 2004.Strait of Georgia and Juan de Fuca Strait cables will be laid with one cable ship deployment with nodes installed at depths of 300 and 170 m respectively.These second and third cables are planned for 2005.This aggressive schedule will see about 30 km cable laid across the Strait of Georgia from B.C.'s largest delta towards Vancouver Island.The funded Juan de Fuca Strait line will extend from Pedder Bay, B.C. southward to the border.Ongoing discussions with U.S. partners are assessing extension of the line to complete the crossing into Washington State-about another 10 km.