Panel Sessions-Thursday, September 26

Where: Halifax Convention Centre, Argyle A2-A3

When: Thursday, September 26, 2024, 8:30 – 10:00 (ADT)

Leaders from international ocean, climate, and technology organizations will speak to the trends, programs, and innovation ecosystems being developed to rapidly advance research and technology to market solutions. Researchers and commercial innovators will provide short speed presentations on novel science and technology in ocean-based carbon removal and carbon reduction in ocean-based industries.

Moderator:
Justin Manley, Senior Advisor, Oceankind
Speakers:
Anya Waite, CEO and Scientific Director, Ocean Frontier Institute
David Koweek, Chief Scientist, Ocean Visions

Where: Halifax Convention Centre, Room 202

When: Thursday, September 26, 2024, 8:30 – 10:00 (ADT)

As AI rapidly gains traction in the blue economy, this panel will examine its transformative potential for the sector. Focusing on recent advances and adoption trends, panelists will discuss how AI enhances decision-making, resource management, and sustainability. With perspectives from startups, established companies, and academic researchers, we will explore the challenges of fragmented data and the misconception that AI can be easily repurposed. The discussion will address the need for industry-specific AI solutions tailored to the blue economy's unique demands. We will also highlight what is required to unlock AI's full potential, including collaboration and a deeper understanding of AI integration into diverse maritime applications.

Moderator:
Jennifer LaPlante, Chief Growth & Investment Officer, Canada's Ocean Supercluster
Speakers:
Patrick Bradley, Senior Director Software Development, Teledyne Geospatial

Joyeeta Das, CEO & Cofounder, SamudraOceans Limited

Sophie LeDrew, Senior Advisor, MILA

Ian Wilms, Co-founder and CEO, Seafarer AI

Where: Halifax Convention Centre, Argyle A1

When: Thursday, September 26, 2024, 8:30 – 10:00 (ADT)

Conserving marine species is time consuming and costly, but innovative technologies can help address both of these issues. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) launched the Advanced Sampling and Technology for Extinction Risk Reduction and Recovery (ASTER3) program to accelerate transformational technological advancements that help conserve at-risk marine species and their habitats. The ASTER3 program has six strategic themes: Uncrewed systems; Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning; Acoustics; Advanced sampling and Omics; Advanced statistical methods; and Imagery. In line with the focus of the ASTER3, NMFS is using historic funding from the Biden-Harris Administration's Inflation Reduction Act to invest in new and innovative technologies to address the primary threats to North Atlantic right whales: entanglements and vessel strikes. By engaging with partners and collaborating across government, academia, industry, and beyond, we are working to implement on-demand gear that minimizes entanglement risk to whales and near real-time monitoring technologies that can help mariners avoid areas where whales are present, and thus, reduce vessel strikes.

This town hall will feature a panel to explore ideas surrounding advanced sampling and technology for protected species risk reduction and recovery using right whales as an example. The proposed panel will discuss innovative technology development and implementation, including how to navigate the policy landscape, and promote opportunities to strengthen and build partnerships.

Moderator:
Jay Lustig, Maritime Domain Business Operations Lead, MITRE Labs
Speakers:

Dr. Caroline Good, Large Whale Ecologist, Office of Protected Resources, Cetacean and Pinniped Conservation, NOAA Fisheries

Dr. Sean Hayes, Director, Protected Species, NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center

Lindsey Stadler, North Atlantic Right Whale Inflation Reduction Act Coordinator, ASTER^3 Coordinator, NOAA Fisheries

Nick Rotker, Chief BlueTech Strategist, MITRE Labs

Where: Halifax Convention Centre, Argyle A2-A3

When: Thursday, 26 September 2024, 10:30 – 12:00 (ADT) 

This panel will explore the research and innovations of ocean-based marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR)
that are delivering new pathways, efficiencies, and scaleup opportunities to possibly achieve carbon removal at gigaton scale.
Measurement, reporting and verification
(MRV) innovations in sensors, models/AI, and measurement platforms will be discussed that are delivering important credibility in carbon credit purchases and ecosystem health.

Moderators:
Nikhil Neelakantan, Senior Program Officer, Ocean Visions
AND Anna Madlener, MRV Manager, Carbon to Sea Initiative
Speaker:
Anna Madlener, MRV Manager, Carbon to Sea Initiative

Where: Halifax Convention Centre, Argyle A1

When: Thursday, 26 September 2024, 10:30 – 12:00 (ADT)

This panel will explore research and innovations in carbon reduction technology for the renewable ocean energy and efficienet marine transportation sectors.
Innovations in hardware, installation, and operations are enabling the rapid scaleup of offshore wind, tide, and wave energy projects.
Innovations in coatings, routing, data, and fuels are creating promising opportunities to optimize and decarbonize a major supply chain sector.

Moderators:

Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada's Ocean Supercluster
AND Millicent Pitts, CEO and Executive Director, Ocean Exchange

Speakers:
Millicent Pitts, CEO and Executive Director, Ocean Exchange
Anne-Marie Belliveau, Owner, Projectable Consulting

Where: Halifax Convention Centre, Room 202

When: Thursday, September 26, 2024, 10:30 – 12:00 (ADT)

The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) is an initiative of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, that aims to improve the management of ocean and coastal resources through the coordination of programs in research, observing systems, capacity building, marine spatial planning and marine risk reduction. The vision of the decade is "The science we need for the ocean we want."
Consultation within the decade has resulted in the identification of ten challenges, many of which build upon science and engineering and the synergy between the two. This session will gather international participants, who have taken an active part in the Decade's activities in their respective domains and regions, to discuss several themes related to the decade and the ten challenges:

1. Initial assessment of the condition of the oceans by measuring physical, chemical and biological parameters. This will use carbon ocean observation as an example.
2. Emergence of a global sustained system from the decade. A gap analysis of ocean observations, data, and implementation systems is needed, and ocean-based solutions to climate change must be considered.
3. Where does the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society (OES) stand with the goals of the UN Ocean Decade? What gaps have been identified, and how do we propose that OES ODI help to promote or drive activities to address the gaps?
4. The contribution of IEEE OES in supporting the use of newer cost-effective sensors and platforms. What gaps have been identified at the mid-way?
5. Engineering interventions, such as setting up ocean energy platforms with limited CAPEX, with a focus on past and future contributions of IEEE OES.
6. Contributions of IEEE OES on novel methods to prevent plastics from entering the oceans, and to clean up rivers discharging plastics and other wastes into the ocean. Identifying alternate biodegradable materials to substitute plastics will also be discussed.
The expected outcome is a compilation of perceived technological gaps and priorities in the global ocean observing system that the IEEE Ocean Engineering Society could use to focus international discussion.

Moderators:
M.A. Atmanand, Former Director, National Institute of Ocean Technology / Visiting Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India / Former Member, Executive Planning Group for Preparation of UN Decade
AND Laura Meyer, Chair ODI, IEEE OES
Speakers:
Rene Garello, Professor Emeritus, Institut Mines-Telecom Atlantique Bretagne-Pays de la Loire / President, IEEE France / Life Fellow, IEEE / Past President, IEEE OES
Brian Sellar, Reader (Associate Professor), University of Edinburgh
Malcolm Heron, Life Fellow, IEEE / Member, IEEE OES AdCom / CEO, Portmap Remote Ocean Sensing Pty
Venugopalan Pallayil, VP, OCEANS, IEEE OES / Principal Research Fellow & Deputy Head, NUS, Singapore
Anya Waite, CEO and Scientific Director, Ocean Frontier Institute / Co-Chair 2020-2024, Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) / Co-Lead, GOOS Carbon Exemplar
Ronnie Noonan-Birch, Science and Policy Manager, Ocean Frontier Institute

Where: Halifax Convention Centre, Room 201

When: Thursday, 26 September 2024, 10:30 – 12:00 (ADT)

You are part of the Ocean Enterprise—help us shape the Ocean Enterprise Initiative. Launched at last year's OCEANS Conference, this initiative is a global effort that spearheads innovation, thought leadership, and economic development within the Ocean Enterprise. Observing the ocean and disseminating data, information, and knowledge to address critical societal and environmental issues—such as climate change mitigation and ocean health restoration—requires a robust and sustained infrastructure. Simultaneously, as we seek to harness the ocean's potential for economic growth and food security, we recognize the indispensable role of ocean data in informing and supporting investments. This data empowers communities, cities, regions, and nations to adapt and thrive in the face of climate change challenges. At the heart of this endeavor lies the 'Ocean Enterprise.' Comprising public, private, non-profit, research, and academic sectors, the Ocean Enterprise generates essential knowledge to tackle pressing societal challenges. Notably, the growing marine technology and service sector is pivotal in the Enterprise. Despite its critical importance, the Ocean Enterprise remains fragmented, underfunded, and undervalued across the ocean information value chain. Join us as we explain the initiative, discuss the action pathways of the Dialogues with Industry Roadmap, the way ahead, an initial input from our external advisory board, and activities planned for the remainder of 2024. This initiative will only be successful if we all engage together. We want to leverage your insights and experience on how this effort can make a difference for the Ocean Enterprise. This effort is not about starting something new but working with existing efforts. We want to establish collaborative relationships; tell us what you are doing and how you can join the Ocean Enterprise Initiative. Together, we can elevate the Ocean Enterprise Sector and change the perception of ocean information from ancillary to essential. The Ocean Enterprise Initiative's core partners are the Marine Technology Society (MTS), the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Kongsberg Discovery, and L3Harris. MTS efforts are mainly funded by the Department of Commerce NOAA grant, supporting the Resilient Coastal Communities and Economies Strategy Priority.

Moderator:

Hans VanSumeren, Senior Director of the Ocean Enterprise Initiative, Marine Technology Society

Speakers:

Caisey Hoffman, Manager, Ocean Enterprise Initiative

Donna Kocak, Strategic Initiative Lead L3Harris Fellow

Where: Halifax Convention Centre, Argyle A1

When: Thursday, 26 September 2024, 1:30 – 3:00 (ADT) 

Researchers and engineers have developed sophisticated technologies in microelectronics, energy, transportation, medicine, and myriads of other fields, to address grand challenges and improve life on Earth for decades. Knowledge of science is necessary but far from sufficient for such achievements. A disciplined and unified approach to invention and technology development is required to build the credibility necessary for the broad and safe adoption of emerging industries.

Speakers:

William Tonti, Senior Director, IEEE Future Directions

Carole D. Graas, Program Director, IEEE Future Directions

Maike Luiken, Co-Chair, IEEE SusTech Initiative

Wei-Jen Lee, Wei-Jen Lee, IEEE SusTech Initiative

Where: Halifax Convention Centre, Argyle A2-A3

When: Thursday, 26 September 2024, 1:30 – 3:00 (ADT) 

Across the U.S. government, Uncrewed Marine Systems (UMS) systems are being employed as ocean-based observing system assets to support a variety of applications including weather forecasts, ocean exploration, fisheries management, climate monitoring, marine commerce, and national security. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) develops, tests, and operates UMS to collect environmental data to better understand the natural world with the goal of protecting people and the environment. This is done through extensive collaboration with experts and innovators across sectors. While UMS advances and investments have been promoted by federal law and policy, the UMS regulatory landscape is still very much evolving, and is a space NOAA regularly engages in. This town hall will feature a panel to explore ideas surrounding UMS– from technology development and applications to navigating the evolving UMS policy landscape. This town hall brings together experts across the UMS enterprise within NOAA to discuss UMS research, development and operations, and the evolving policy and regulatory landscape surrounding UMS. Through it, the panel aims to engage with the OCEANS enterprise to encourage dialogue, collaboration, and innovation around UMS.

Moderator:

Hans Van Sumeren, Senior Director of the Ocean Enterprise Initiative, Marine Technology Society

Speakers:

Captain Bill Mowitt, Director of Uncrewed Systems, NOAA

Katharine Weathers, Uncrewed Systems Data Coordinator, NOAA

Heather Tabisola, Research Coordinator, NOAA

Philip Hoffman, NOAA

Where: Halifax Convention Centre, Room 202

When: Thursday, 25 September 2024, 1:30 – 3:00 (ADT) 

Advancements in digital methods are transforming natural and engineering sciences, including the ocean and maritime sectors. Artificial intelligence, simulations and digital twins are improving the way our disciplines operate – they can improve the speed and accuracy of many aspects of our work, but also bring in new challenges like the need for a systematic approach to their development, interoperability or the evaluation of their outputs. Example projects that use either AI or DTs or both range from Ocean Monitoring Systems to Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) to Smart Port/Harbor Management to the planning of offshore wind farms.

The IEEE Ocean Engineering Society (OES) together with the IEEE Marine Technology Society (MTS) as driving entities in the field of ocean technology are collaborating to build a roadmap for the development of standards in both mentioned fields and beyond. These standards will allow for an increased interoperability and understanding between AI models, Digital Twins and other upcoming technologies, as well as the engineering processes and validation of results.

The planned Townhall Session will bring together experts who will explain these topics in more detail, with a focus on their experience for the need and use of standards in their work. The experts will share from their involvement in developing AI models, methods and Digital Twins on ocean related subjects, recognizing that there can be a substantial overlap and cross-usage between those two topics.

The objectives of this event are:
* To engage individuals interested in these areas and potentially create new standards or contribute to their development.
* To identify immediate application fields for these methods and develop prioritization recommendations.
* To initiate follow-up steps involving all relevant stakeholders.

Moderator:

Christoph Waldmann, Chair, OES Standards Committee, IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society

Speakers:

Tom Thompson, Program Manager, IEEE Standards Association

Monique Kuglitsch, Innovation Manager, Fraunhofer HHI

Where: Halifax Convention Centre, Room 201

When: Thursday, 25 September 2024, 1:30 – 3:00 (ADT) 

COVE is driving innovation in marine technology by fostering collaboration among industry, academia, and government. The panel will explore the Digital Harbour and Seasonal Vessel Tracking (SVT) programs, which are at the forefront of utilizing real-time data to push forward marine technologies and enhance ocean ecosystem research across Atlantic Canada. This discussion will highlight how these collaborative efforts and strategic initiatives are shaping the future of marine technology and ocean research, and its implications for industry. Key topics will include:

• Innovative Data Use: How real-time and historical data, through partnerships with organizations such as DeepSense, is being used to generate actionable insights for marine technology.
• Strategic Collaborations: The role of partnerships, including the Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) Seasonal Vessel Tracking (SVT) program, in creating and de-risking innovative solutions via funded research challenges.
• Infrastructure and Support: COVE's role in providing project management, technical infrastructure, and facilities to support these initiatives.
• Data Management: The process of data collection, compliance with Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) Challenge conditions, and the creation of a public database to facilitate access for challenge participants.

Moderator:

Michael Lechmann, VP of Growth, COVE

Speakers:

Levi Morrison, Director of Innovation, COVE

Stephane Blouin, Senior Scientist, Defence Research and Development Canada

Where: Halifax Convention Centre, Argyle A1

When: Thursday, 26 September 2024, 3:30 – 5:00 (ADT) 

Abstract: The Atlantic Northeast corridor of the United States and Canada has a deep history of shipbuilding, fishing, and ocean observing, research and science. This corridor has presented unique opportunities to develop economic growth, advance sustainability goals, and address environmental challenges on ocean observing. From national security to global affairs, environmental protection and free trade, Canada, and the U.S. work closely together. The bilateral trade totals nearly $2 billion USD every day in goods and services ranging from different sectors including quite heavily the maritime sector.

As we look to the future, the question will be how renewable energy initiatives shape the blue economy. A spotlight has been put on sustainability and renewable energy projects, including sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, to help bolster the Blue Economy. This was recently highlighted from a joint statement by U.S. President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau who shared the urgent need to renew the Roadmap for a U.S.-Canada Partnership. The backbone of the roadmap highlights energy transformation, clean energy, fighting climate change, building net-zero economies, conserving biodiversity, and protecting fragile ecosystems. The conclusion is that there is support to build a strong Blue Economy across borders, but where does the advancement of marine technology come into play?

Moderator:

Jake Sobin, Business Development Manager, Kongsberg

Speakers:

Melanie Nadeau, CEO, Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE)

Scott Carr, CEO, JASCO Applied Sciences

Gerhard Kuska, Executive Director, MARACOOS/NOAA

Shelly Petten, Executive Director, Oceans Advance

Richard Mils, CCO, Cellula Robotics

Where: Halifax Convention Centre, Room 202

When: Thursday, 26 September 2024, 3:30 – 5:00 (ADT) 

IEEE is a global community of scientists and technologists who share knowledge and collaborate to foster technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. Its members have accumulated a broad set of skills and experience in the design, qualification, and standardization of novel technologies from computer systems to satellites, renewable energies, and information technologies, to name a few. In particular, the SusTech Initiative was created to support emerging technologies for the mitigation of climate change and other sustainability challenges.

Moderator:

Zack Johnson, Developer Relations Lead, Bristlemouth

Speakers:

Justin Manley, Founder, Just Innovation, Inc.

Christoph Waldmann, Chair, OES Standards Committee, IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society

Evan Shapiro, Co-founder and CTO, Sofar Ocean Technologies

Danny Nevellie, Co-founder and Managing Director, Spatialnetics

Where: Halifax Convention Centre, Argyle A2-A3

When: Thursday, 26 September 2024, 3:30 – 5:00 (ADT) 

This panel, featuring the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) and Dalhousie's Ocean and Space Research Hub, will highlight the use of ocean-going robots—namely marine autonomous vehicles (gliders) and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs)—and their applications in the field of aquatic animal telemetry.
Since 2008, OTN has been deploying telemetry infrastructure and marine gliders in key freshwater and marine locations around the world. OTN's technical capabilities have since expanded with the addition of ROVs and side scan sonar systems. OTN also now has more than 2,000 acoustic telemetry stations deployed across the globe to monitor the movements of migratory species in the context of changing aquatic environments.

Working in incredibly dynamic marine environments presents many challenges and can result in the loss of infrastructure, and subsequently of valuable tracking data. OTN's fleet of ROVs—principally its Falcon-DR ROV, with its depth rating of 1000m—extends the potential for maintenance and recovery of lost tracking equipment, lends itself to oceanographic and biological surveying, and expands opportunities for OTN's research into deep-water habitats. The Falcon-DR can be deployed alongside OTN's Blue Robotics ROVs to help locate stranded stations that have shifted from their coordinates, saving the loss of costly equipment and irreplaceable tracking data. Complementary to its ROVs, OTN also operates an Edgetech 4205 side scan sonar to survey the seabed, locate telemetry equipment or discarded/lost fishing gear, and to assess the impact of various industries on the ecosystem.

Through several field seasons, OTN has become increasingly successful with these field operations and has trialed and developed methodologies and strategies tailored to specific vessel configurations and mooring designs. OTN field staff will share some examples of best practices and lessons learned through numerous at-sea trials and many successful ROV missions.

OTN also operates a fleet of fourteen marine gliders—the largest academic fleet in Canada. Across the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, these gliders detect animals via acoustic telemetry tags and from passive acoustic recordings of baleen whale species. Since 2011, OTN's gliders have been deployed on more than 180 missions, travelling more than 170,000 km while listening for acoustically tagged marine animals—a distance equivalent to more than four times around the earth!

Staff from OTN's glider team will share techniques used to mount acoustic receivers and hydrophones to gliders, highlight survey strategies, and discuss how gliders have been used in Transport Canada's dynamic management of vessel traffic in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to help mitigate ships strikes of the endangered North Atlantic right whale.
The Ocean and Space Research Hub at Dalhousie University—led by Mae Seto—develops autonomous underwater technology to passively detect, localize and track marine mammals. Robot autonomy makes decisions based on the robot's sensor measurements on how best to detect, classify, localize and track missions for marine mammals. The autonomy then implements the decision, evaluates the merit of its decisions and adapts as necessary to the environment.

Moderator:

Maggie Sutherland