June 8, 2007

AQUARIUM USES REMOTE OPERATED VEHICLE TO SHOW UNDERWATER MARINE LIFE NEAR THE CONVENTION CENTRE

Vancouver, BC: The Vancouver Aquarium used a state-of-the-art remote operated vehicle (ROV) today to show live video from an underwater survey of the Vancouver Convention Centre construction site.

The Burrard Inlet is a vibrant ecosystem that is surrounded by a busy and heavily populated waterfront. When completed, the Vancouver Convention Centre will be the last piece of a continuous horizontal habitat restoration project stretching from Vancouver Ports to Stanley Park.

Using technology provided by Roper Resources Ltd, the Vancouver Aquarium will use the ROV to conduct yearly surveys of this underwater habitat to measure the re-establishment of marine life in the Burrard Inlet.

“As we continue to see changes to our environment, globally and locally, it’s important to establish the current state of the environment and then monitor the changes on a regular basis,” says Dr. John Nightingale, Aquarium president. “It's the only way that we can truly measure change and respond appropriately.”

Staff, students and volunteers at the Aquarium will be able to review the video data to record species diversity and abundance, as well as make yearly comparisons. This information helps inform scientific research and policy, and also helps us to educate the public about important issues affecting our oceans and consequently, our daily lives. 

This underwater exploration coincided with international Ocean’s Day, a celebration of the world’s oceans and our connection to the sea.

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For further information, please contact:

Brenda Jones

Manager, Public Relations

publicrelations@vanaqua.org