The IMAGE project – Image Mapping & Analysis for Governance and Education, funded through Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Ocean Management Contribution Program (OMCP), will bring together industry partners Voyis, Cellula Robotics Ltd. and Shift Environmental Technologies Ltd.

Together, these organizations will conduct AUV-based image mapping and interpretation of Canadian marine protected areas (MPAs) to efficiently monitor, manage and educate in ocean management.

The OMCP provides funding opportunities to eligible applicants to support marine conservation initiatives, with an emphasis on outreach, monitoring and stewardship, as well as capacity building initiatives.

The project has four main goals:

1.  Monitoring Solution Development: Design and integration of Voyis optical sensors into the Solus-LR to build an MPA monitoring and interpretation solution.
2.  Indigenous Training and Mission Planning: Engage and build the Indigenous community’s technical ability to participate in marine environmental monitoring and ocean conservation planning.
3. Survey and Analysis: Execution of survey operations and data analysis following developed mission plans.
4. Governance and Education: Dissemination of collected data to improve education and inform new methodology and site establishment.

Learn more here.