Nova Scotia’s ocean tracking network expands autonomous underwater systems to safeguard marine life

The world’s oceans remain one of the least understood environments on Earth. Beneath the waves, countless species migrate, feed, reproduce, and respond to changing environmental conditions in ways that scientists are only beginning to understand. In Canada, a major effort to unlock these mysteries is being driven from Nova Scotia through the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN), a globally recognized marine research initiative headquartered at Dalhousie University in Halifax. As OTN expands its use of autonomous underwater and surface vehicles, researchers are gaining unprecedented insights into marine ecosystems while strengthening efforts to conserve valuable ocean resources.

The increasing deployment of advanced autonomous systems represents an important evolution in how marine science is conducted. These technologies are enabling continuous monitoring across vast ocean regions that would otherwise be inaccessible or prohibitively expensive to study using traditional research vessels.

Founded in 2008, the Ocean Tracking Network has developed into one of the world’s largest aquatic animal tracking and monitoring initiatives. The organization’s mission is to support the sustainable management of aquatic resources by improving understanding of animal movements, habitat use, and survival in rapidly changing marine environments. Today, OTN supports research involving hundreds of species and thousands of projects across the globe. The system relies on electronic telemetry technology. Scientists attach or implant acoustic tags into fish, sharks, seals, and other marine organisms. These tags emit unique acoustic signals that are detected by underwater receiver arrays positioned across strategic locations in oceans, coastal waters, and freshwater environments. The resulting data allows researchers to answer critical questions: Where do animals migrate? Which habitats are most important? How do environmental changes affect behaviour? And what measures are required to protect vulnerable species?

The rise of autonomous underwater vehicles

A major component of OTN’s expanding capabilities is its use of autonomous marine vehicles, particularly underwater gliders. Unlike conventional research vessels, autonomous vehicles can remain at sea for extended periods while collecting continuous environmental and biological data. OTN operates fleets of Slocum autonomous underwater gliders as well as Wave Gliders, which use wave and solar energy to travel long distances while collecting oceanographic information. These systems gather data on temperature, salinity, currents, biological conditions, and acoustic detections from tagged marine species. According to OTN, its glider fleet has already covered more than 138,000 kilometres, creating one of the most extensive autonomous ocean observation datasets available. Autonomous systems operate continuously, are more affordable than research vessels, and can function in challenging weather conditions. They also minimize the environmental footprint associated with traditional ship-based surveys. [navigator….ovation.ca], [oceantrack…etwork.org]

The information generated through OTN has significant implications for conservation and fisheries management. Many commercially important species travel across national boundaries and move through habitats affected by climate change, industrial development, fishing pressure, and pollution. Without detailed knowledge of migration routes and habitat use, management decisions often rely on incomplete information.

Tracking data has been used to support the design of marine protected areas, improve fisheries management strategies, and evaluate conservation policies. Researchers have also used the network to study endangered species and understand the impacts of environmental change on aquatic ecosystems. In Atlantic Canada, where fisheries remain a cornerstone of many coastal economies, the ability to understand species’ movements provides an important advantage. Better data can improve sustainability while helping protect the long-term viability of valuable marine resources.

Climate change and ocean monitoring

Climate change has increased the urgency of ocean monitoring. Warming waters, changing currents, ocean acidification, and shifting food webs are altering marine ecosystems worldwide. Species distributions are changing as animals move in response to environmental pressures, creating new challenges for conservation agencies and fisheries managers. Autonomous vehicles provide an effective means of collecting long-term environmental data needed to understand these changes. Because the vehicles can repeatedly survey remote regions and gather measurements throughout the year, scientists are developing a clearer picture of how environmental variability influences marine life.

This combination of animal tracking data and environmental monitoring represents one of the network’s greatest strengths. Rather than simply knowing where an animal travels, researchers can increasingly understand why it moves and what environmental conditions influence its behaviour.

Although based in Halifax, OTN’s influence extends far beyond Atlantic Canada. The network supports a global community of researchers and maintains infrastructure deployed across oceans and freshwater systems worldwide. More than 2,500 researchers have participated in projects supported by OTN, with thousands of acoustic receivers deployed across key aquatic environments.

The organization collaborates extensively with government agencies, universities, industry partners, and conservation groups. These partnerships have enabled the creation of an international data-sharing framework that allows scientists to follow tagged animals across vast geographic ranges. bRecent collaborations, including participation in international ocean-monitoring initiatives, demonstrate how Canada’s expertise in aquatic telemetry and autonomous monitoring is contributing to global marine science efforts.

One of the most important developments is the integration of multiple monitoring technologies into a single observational ecosystem. Since 2020, OTN has expanded its technical capabilities through the addition of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), side-scan sonar systems, autonomous gliders, and advanced oceanographic sensors. Together, these platforms provide a richer view of marine ecosystems than would be possible through animal tagging alone.

The result is a shift toward data-driven marine stewardship. Policymakers increasingly require robust scientific evidence to guide decisions regarding protected areas, fisheries quotas, offshore development, and biodiversity conservation. OTN’s growing autonomous vehicle capability helps provide that evidence.

Looking ahead

As pressures on marine ecosystems continue to increase, technologies capable of monitoring ocean health in real time will become increasingly important. Nova Scotia’s Ocean Tracking Network is demonstrating how autonomous systems, advanced telemetry, and international collaboration can be combined to improve understanding of aquatic environments while supporting the sustainable management of marine resources. The expansion of autonomous underwater vehicle systems is more than a technological achievement. It represents a new model for marine conservation, one in which continuous data collection and advanced analytics provide the knowledge required to protect species, manage fisheries, and better understand a changing ocean.