CASTNet (Canadian Arctic Shipping and Transportation Network) website

Over the past two Cycles of MEOPAR, we have had two projects funded in the area of Arctic shipping. The first project, the Arctic Marine Activities Integration & Synthesis (AMAIS) project, was initially aimed at a small number of communities, but the final reach tripled and eventually quadrupled the number of communities impacted. This was possible because of how closely our lab works with vulnerable communities and aligns with partner needs and expectations. The second project is co-funded by MEOPAR and Clear Seas Centre for Responsible Marine Shipping in Canada. This is the Mapping and Managing Shipping Risks to Protected Marine Areas in Canada’s Northwest Passage project.

Our proposal goes beyond simply expanding the reach of the work from these two projects alone and builds off of their development and impact. Dr. Dawson has gathered a community of experts related to the various disciplines associated with Arctic shipping now and into the future. The goal with this new initiative is to create a network focused on Canadian Arctic shipping, and for this network to become the go-to source for expertise required for evidence-based decision-making in both the public and private sectors over the coming decades.

The first step in our process is to create a professional website, highlighting the existence and expertise of our team, and over time evolving the website as a useful tool. Initially, it will be to display information about the network, but will evolve to have interactive components. Our audience, therefore, will be the decision-makers in the public and private sectors.