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Capabilities

As Canada’s leading test center for tidal stream energy technology, the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) has worked to advance marine research in the Bay of Fundy and beyond since 2009.

FORCE collaborates with industry, government, community stakeholders, rights-holders and the scientific community to explore this potential clean energy solution.

Environmental Monitoring



FORCE’s environmental monitoring programs continuously adapt in response to results, regulatory feedback, and stakeholder feedback. They focus on five main areas: fish, marine mammals, lobster, seabirds, and marine noise.


Expertise includes:



  • Instrumentation
    • Study-specific instrument configuration
    • Duty cycle management for multi-instrument deployments
    • Optimized instrument and cable mounting
    • Instrument calibrations, refurbishment and maintenance
  • Mooring and subsea platform deployment and recovery
    • Acoustic release float release mechanisms, surface floats or grappling ground lines, cable deployment
  • Hydroacoustic data post-processing using industry leading approaches*
  • Hydroacoustic data analyses using regulator accepted methods
  • C-POD deployment and recovery
  • Environmental monitoring study design and execution
  • Marine operational planning and risk assessments

*Echofilter Model for post-processing of hydroacoustic data


Echofilter uses machine learning to assist in the identification of non-biological signals contained in acoustic data. Collaboration between FORCE, DeepSense, and the Offshore Energy Research Association, the model increases the efficiency and accuracy of acoustic data-processing.

Applied Research



FORCE works in colllaboration with partners to further environmental research, perform equipment suitability assessments and conduct site characterization in the Bay of Fundy and coastal environments:



  • ADCP deployment, recovery, and date post-processing
  • Flow characterization (current, wave and wake mapping) using RADAR
  • The vectron project: developing a stand-alone instrument to remotely measure turbulence in the mid-water column in high resolution
  • Bay of Fundy-wide encounter rate model development for fish
  • Subsea cabled systems
  • Marine operations in high flow environments

Data capture in high flow environments


FORCE has built unsurpassed expertise in designing successful research studies, marine operations, and sensor platforms for an environment with 14 billion tonnes of average tidal flow moving at peak speeds above 5 m/s.

Ocean Techs working on FAST
Lowering sensing instrument to FORCE seabed

Infrastructure and Permitting



FORCE provides common infrastructure and permits, including:



  • Subsea power cabling: four 34.5kV cables installed, totaling 11km and 64MW capacity
  • Substation: 30MW transformer and turbine control bays
  • Grid connection: 10km of 69kV transmission line, connecting FORCE substation to provincial power grid via existing Parssboro substation
  • Provincial and federal approvals, including Environmental Assessment and Generator Interconnection Agreements
  • FORCE-managed on-site work permitting