Funding and Exploring Innovative Solutions to Complex Ocean Problems Through Communities of Practice

Author: Laura-Maria Martinez

Since 2017, the Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR) has supported communities of practice (CoPs) across multiple ocean-related disciplines. Effective for disseminating findings and enriching collaborative research through interactions among diverse individuals and groups, CoPs are a powerful tool for funding and exploring innovative solutions to complex ocean problems. In the 2024-2025 year, MEOPAR allocated $294,000 to support six established ocean-related communities of practice:

1. Canadian Ocean Mapping Research & Education Network (COMREN)
2. Coast and Ocean Risk Communication (CORC)
3. Canadian Marine Shipping Risk Forum (CMSRF)
4. Ocean Acidification Community of Practice (OA)
5. Canadian Nemo Ocean Modelling Forum (NEMO)
6. Network on Coastal, Oceans and Lakes Optics Remote Sensing (NetColor)

The Canadian Ocean Mapping Research & Education Network: Support for Students in Ocean Mapping

With the help of MEOPAR funding, the Canadian Ocean Mapping Research and Education Network (COMREN) CoP, has been finding innovative methods to spark youth interest in ocean mapping. COMREN …allocates a portion of its funding to sending post-secondary students to mapping events that feature a robust industry presence.

“What I’m most proud of is the way that we’ve put a big focus on education. We have a huge problem right now in North America. There are way more jobs in ocean mapping than there are people to fill them. Our community of practice is trying to focus on how to get people into ocean mapping as a career,” said Dr. Ian Church, leader of COMREN and associate Professor in Geomatics Engineering at the University of New Brunswick.

“Almost all the students who attended conferences are now in our field, either doing graduate studies or working with industries. It’s been hugely beneficial to keep students in our world.”

In addition to funding students to attend mapping events, COMREN used MEOPAR CoP funding to engage students in the 2024 Speed Mapping Challenge.

Using free software and open data, international teams of two to four students had three weeks to create a harbor navigation map. In the 2025 Speed Mapping Challenge students will have more time to complete the challenge, which will focus on hard-to-map regions like the Arctic, where access to navigation data is limited.

Alongside the speed mapping challenge, COMREN will launch its first technology mapping challenge, with the objective of designing and deploying small autonomous robotic survey vessels while adhering to a limited budget.

The Value of Community of Practice Coordinators

The Coast and Ocean Risk Communication (CORC) CoP, another recipient of MEOPAR funding, emphasizes the important role coordinators play in successful CoPs.

When remembering pre-Covid in person-events, CORC co-lead and associate professor with the Department of Geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Dr. Joel Finnis, recalled: “For every academic, there were three or four [non-academics such as] climate services providers, NGO workers, private consultants, or people working within municipalities.

Today, most CORC events are held online, yet the community has continued to grow. Having reached over 400 members, CORC attributes much of its success to CoP Coordinator, Cindy Marven.

“I’ve been part of so many wonderful initiatives that start off really strong and then budgets get trimmed,” said Dr. Amber Silver, CORC co-lead and associate professor at the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security from the University at Albany, New York.

“When the Cindys [coordinators] are lost, it’s an inevitable unraveling from there. I really cannot overstate, ardently and passionately, how important that role is.”

Dr. Church echoed Dr. Silver’s sentiments, explaining that securing funding for administrative support has been a challenge for COMREN. He emphasized that long-term funding would ease the process of hiring a part-time coordinator on a permanent basis. Staff salaries will be covered among the eligible expenses in MEOPAR’s upcoming CoP call for proposals.

MEOPAR funding will allow for several years of initiatives, supporting CoPs through incremental knowledge mobilization and technology transfer costs, including staff salaries, costs related to students, and highly qualified personnel, policy development, tool development and evaluation, intellectual property protection, market studies, and prototype development.

Keep up with MEOPAR to stay tuned for more CoP funding updates this spring.