MEOPAR’s Ocean Partnerships Aim to Bridge the Gap Between Academia and Commercial Application

In 2014, MEOPAR convened Canada’s ocean community to imagine an open, integrated system for the country’s ocean data. That vision became the Canadian Integrated Ocean Observing System (CIOOS) — Canada’s national open-access platform for ocean data. Established in 2019 and built from the ground up by three Regional Associations and their partners, CIOOS makes ocean data discoverable, interoperable, and freely available to all. Since 2025, MEOPAR has hosted the CIOOS National Coordination Office and provides funding to each Regional Association, sustaining shared tools, common data standards, and national coordination.

Carbon to Sea Initiative, MEOPAR, and Planetary Technologies collaborated on a Joint Learning Opportunity (JLO) to advance ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) research in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Building on the success of Carbon to Sea’s 2024 JLO in Halifax, this partnership reflects a shared commitment to deepening investment in Halifax as a growing hub for marine-climate science. This funding round focuses on closing knowledge gaps in OAE science, advancing innovative sensing and monitoring methods, and supporting social scientists evaluating public understanding of OAE as a method for climate change mitigation.

Through its partnership with JPI Oceans, MEOPAR is advancing international collaboration on the world’s most pressing ocean and climate challenges. MEOPAR supported Canadian leadership in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) assessment by funding a Research Associate and engaging six Canadian experts. MEOPAR also committed $1.2 million to a multinational Blue Carbon Joint Learning Opportunity involving eight partner nations, advancing climate solutions and the sustainable management of blue carbon ecosystems.

MEOPAR and the Pacific Marine Science Alliance Society (PMSA) have founded a three-year collaboration to expand ocean research capacity along Canada’s Pacific and Western Arctic coasts. The $300,000 initiative brings together national and regional expertise to address globally significant research challenges, including climate resilience, marine hazard prediction, and sustainable resource use. It will also support Indigenous-led stewardship, student mobility, and new international research opportunities.

MEOPAR’s partnership with the Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition (COLC) is a three-year collaboration focused on advancing knowledge mobilization through the establishment of Living Labs and the evaluation of MEOPAR’s Communities of Practice and Community-led Research initiatives. Through this partnership, MEOPAR is strengthening the reach, effectiveness, and long-term impact of collaborative ocean knowledge mobilization across Canada.