Behind every breakthrough in ocean research is a network of people sharing knowledge and resources. Recognising this, the Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR) launched the Community of Practice Fund to connect people across disciplines and regions, creating spaces for knowledge sharing and joint action that move Canadian ocean science forward.
What is a Community of Practice?
Communities of Practice (CoPs) unite people and organisations around shared interests, creating spaces for regular interaction to advance research and action. CoPs are proven tools for knowledge exchange and have become essential for managing and leveraging expertise across sectors. In Canada’s vast ocean landscape, CoPs help bridge geographic and institutional gaps, ensuring that knowledge flows freely and equitably.
Since MEOPAR launched its CoP Program in 2017, these groups have strengthened collaboration across the ocean sector and beyond. They have supported evidence-based decision-making, co-produced innovative projects, and created opportunities for students and early-career professionals to learn. By investing in CoPs, MEOPAR is investing in the future of ocean governance – one that is informed, inclusive, and responsive to community needs.
MEOPAR awarded funding to 13 Communities of Practice for 2025-2028. Here’s a look at the recipients and the diverse ways they’re contributing to MEOPAR’s vision of a coordinated approach to Canadian ocean science:
All in the same canoe – Creating and Restoring Coastal Connections: Resilient Regions through Reconciliation (RRtR) CoP
Led by: Larry Nahanee and Alanna Syliboy
Reflecting the East, West, and North coasts, this Indigenous-led Community of Practice brings together First Nations Rights and Title Holders, First Nations organizations, and aspiring allies to enhance coastal resilience by deepening connections to Indigenous cultures and Indigenous Ocean Knowledges.
The BC/WA mCDR CoEx (Community of Exploration)
Led by: Devin Todd, Kohen Bauer, Sara Nawaz, Meg Chadsey, and Jessica Cross
This community focuses on responsible, inclusive, and evidence-based marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) in British Columbia and Washington State, serving as a forum for research, knowledge sharing, and policy engagement.
Canada Network for Offshore Wind Research (CNOWR) CoP
Led by: Déborah Benkort and Ian Stewart
CNOWR is a newly formed and growing community of researchers from universities, colleges, and research institutes across Canada who want to contribute to the country’s ambitions for sustainable offshore wind development. While it does not yet have the capacity to fund research, it can facilitate the conversations—both within Canada and with international collaborators—that are essential to developing successful interdisciplinary research projects. These projects will need to bring together expertise in biodiversity conservation, engineering, physical and biological systems modelling, societal engagement, information sciences, advances in ocean monitoring technologies, and the design of decision-support tools.
Canadian Marine Plastics Action & Collaboration (CAMPAC) CoP
Led by: Brooke Nodding and Mojtaba Alizadeh
By bringing together researchers, practitioners, industry, policymakers, and communities CAMPAC CoP aims to better to understand the sources, impacts, and solutions to marine plastic pollution across Canada.
Public Policy and Maritimite Affairs CoP
Led by: Gabriel Bourgault-Faucher and Dany Dumont
Established in 2023, the PPM CoP seeks to strengthen the coherence and effectiveness of public policies affecting the St. Lawrence River and the coastal communities of maritime Quebec and Atlantic Canada as they navigate complex socio-ecological transitions. It also aims to foster a culture of maritimity—the relationship between society and the sea—across Quebec, while equipping coastal communities with the knowledge, tools, and partnerships needed to guide their development and enhance their long-term resilience.
Canadian Ocean Mapping Research and Education Network (COMREN) CoP
Led by: Ian Church and Kevin Wilcox
COMREN CoP is a national hub connecting ocean mapping experts, students, and partners from academia, government, industry and coastal communities, with the primary objective of strengthening Canada’s ocean mapping capacity.
Foxe Basin Research and Stewardship Network (FBRSN) CoP
Led by: Chelsi McNeill-Jewer and Simon Aggark
The FBRSN CoP aims to strengthen cross regional Inuit-led stewardship of Foxe Basin’s land and marine ecosystems through sustained collaboration between Inuit communities, Indigenous Guardians, academic researchers, and key regional partners.
National Kelp Ecosystem Learning and Practice Alliance (NKELPA) CoP
Led by: Margot Hessing-Lewis, Hannah Solway, and Aaron Eger
The NKELPA CoP seeks to grow the understanding and care of kelp ecosystems across Canada’s Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic coasts by co-developing regional kelp action plans, grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge, and local priorities.
Canadian NEMO Ocean Modelling Forum CoP
Led by: Paul Myers and Natasha Ridenour
The NEMO CoP enhances coordination between ocean modelling groups across Canada. This includes sharing the latest developments, training the next generation of practitioners, and providing Canadian highly qualified personal (HQP) and early career researchers (ECR) to be more involved in NEMO modeling activities.
The Ocean Acidification Community of Practice (OA) CoP
Led by: Kristina Barclay, Wiley Evans, and Helen Gurney-Smith
The OA CoP aims to share and advance expertise, data, and resources on ocean acidification across all sectors, disciplines, and regions in Canada. It also seeks to identify research and knowledge gaps, guide necessary actions, and foster a collaborative, supportive environment for communities and groups impacted by ocean acidification.
QEN,T IPCA Stewardship Network CoP
Led by: Andrea Reid and Nicole Jung
This CoP aims to support SȾÁUTW̱ First Nation in ongoing work to establish long-term, socio-ecologically informed stewardship plans and actions within their QEN,T Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA), an area of focused effort toward (re)instating SȾÁUTW̱’s primary role in conserving their traditional homelands and waters.
Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence CoP on Eelgrass
Led by: Simon Ryder-Burbidge
The goal of this CoP is to strengthen regional collaboration, knowledge exchange, and capacity for the study, conservation, and restoration of eelgrass meadows on the St. Lawrence.
Sustainable Arctic Shipping Knowledge Exchange (SASKE) CoP
Led by: Jean Holloway and Jackie Dawson
The SASKE CoP creates a space for dialogue on the risks and impacts of increased shipping activity across Inuit Nunangat – homeland of Inuit in Canada. Its purpose is to foster the sharing and application of diverse knowledge systems regarding shipping risks and impacts, supporting collaborative learning and coordinated action across regions.
These new CoPs join a growing network supported by MEOPAR. Together, they are shaping how knowledge is shared and applied, creating pathways for innovation that extend beyond the ocean sector. By connecting people, ideas, and resources, CoPs demonstrate why collaboration remains the cornerstone of progress.
