Today, Natural Resources Canada announced $8.2M in funding to support the Ocean Sensor Innovation Platforms (OSIP) project (image below). OSIP will bring together developers, scientists, technologists, Indigenous Knowledge Holders, and regulators to advance environmental sensing solutions for high-flow marine environments.
Led by the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE), OSIP will deploy an autonomous, floating platform for sea-surface environmental monitoring as well as submersible sensor systems deployed on the seafloor. In future tidal turbine deployments, sensors and methods tested by these platforms will capture essential data on fish–turbine interactions, addressing one of tidal energy’s greatest challenges: accurately measuring and monitoring risk to marine species.
Why OSIP matters
Communities, regulators, and developers need trusted evidence to evaluate the effects of tidal energy. OSIP is designed to:
Test and compare new uses for instruments such as optical cameras, imaging sonars, and acoustic receivers in high-flow conditions.
Analyze multiple datasets to create a more complete picture of marine life near turbines.
Trial rapid, wireless sea-to-shore data transfer to improve real-time monitoring.
This work will help reduce uncertainty, inform project authorization decisions, attract investment and support responsible tidal energy growth.
Collaboration at the core
OSIP is built on partnership:
Natural Resources Canada is supporting OSIP through its Energy Innovation Program, which advances clean energy technologies that will help Canada maintain a competitive, reliable, and affordable energy system while transitioning to a low-carbon economy.
Acadia University is the project’s central research partner, providing scientific leadership, experimental design, data analysis, and student training in fish sensing through the Acadia Tidal Energy Institute.
The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq will support OSIP with a Mi’kmaw Ecological Knowledge Study, ensuring Indigenous perspectives inform monitoring priorities.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will advise on study design, sensor configuration and data interpretation
Innovasea will provide support and expertise with fish tracking and monitoring technology.
Orbital Marine Power, reconcept, and Nova Innovation will provide input on study design and technical considerations for monitoring platforms and equipment.
Huntley’s Diving and Marine will provide vessel services enabling deployment, recovery, and maintenance of bottom-mounted platforms
Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) will loan acoustic tracking receivers and offer expert support in designing, deploying, and maintaining receiver arrays. Data collected will be stored in OTN’s system and shared per FAIR principles and OTN’s data policy.
The University of the Highlands and Islands – Environmental Research Institute will contribute expertise in sensor platform design, sensor selection, field deployments and data analysis.
Additional partners, including regulators, researchers and industry suppliers, will engage in field trials and data interpretation, ensuring OSIP findings meet real-world needs.
How it works
The OSIP platforms will allow multiple instruments to be mounted, reconfigured as needed, and tested for monitoring effectiveness. A dedicated vessel will support crew transfers and equipment handling. Wireless connectivity will deliver near real-time data to shore, where it will be processed and shared openly through an online portal.
Timeline
2025: Study design, platform design and fabrication.
Late 2025: Vessel-based and subsea platform testing begins at the FORCE test site.
2026-2027: Floating platform deployment, subsea platform deployments, and continued evaluation of monitoring technologies and approaches.
2027-2028: Expanded trials, reporting, and dissemination of results.
Broader impact
The Bay of Fundy is home to the world’s highest tides, offering an enormous source of clean, predictable energy. Unlocking this potential can help Canada meet climate goals, strengthen local economies, and reduce fossil fuel use. The Bay of Fundy is also a complex ecosystem and a sacred Mi’kmaw watershed. Harnessing this power responsibly requires rigorous science, respectful collaboration, and trust with the people who live, work, and depend on the Bay.
OSIP directly responds to recommendations from the federal Task Force on Sustainable Tidal Energy Development in the Bay of Fundy, led by NRCan and DFO. The Task Force called for better ways to assess environmental risk and to establish Canada as a knowledge hub in marine energy.
OSIP is more than a technical project—it is an innovation hub. It creates a shared lab for scientists, Indigenous Knowledge Holders, communities, and industry to work together. By blending advanced monitoring with Mi’kmaw knowledge, OSIP aims to be guided by the principle of Two-Eyed Seeing, ensuring different ways of knowing strengthen one another. Ultimately, OSIP will help Canada harness clean power from the world’s strongest tides while protecting marine life. It is a step toward a future where tidal energy is not only viable, but environmentally responsible.
Quick facts
The current provincial call for new tidal projects could add up to 13 megawatts of power, enough for about 6,000 homes.
Six tidal stream energy devices have been built in Nova Scotia so far.
Minas Passage witnesses up to 14 billion tonnes of water on every tide cycle, with speeds over 5 meters per second.
Site activity can be viewed from the public visitor centre, open from May to October.
The idea to harness tidal energy in Minas Passage dates back to 1915 at Acadia University.
Links:
NRCan news release: OSIP announcement
OSIP floating platform: concept illustration
Orbital Marine Power: O2 technology video B-ROLL