Canada’s first research vessel dedicated exclusively to historic Hudson Bay – a landmark for scientific research in Canada’s North – will leave port in Summerside, PEI this week to explore some of the most understudied regions of the Arctic.
Canada’s first research vessel dedicated exclusively to historic Hudson Bay – a landmark for scientific research in Canada’s North – will leave port in Summerside, PEI this week to explore some of the most understudied regions of the Arctic. The William Kennedy is operated through an agreement between the Arctic Research Foundation, the same organization that discovered the HMS Terror, and the University of Manitoba under the umbrella of the Churchill Marine Observatory (funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Province of Manitoba and Western Economic Diversification Canada).
Grappling with the effects of rapidly warming climate in the Arctic, scientists are struggling to collect baseline data to measure the impacts of climate change and to inform future predictions. The William Kennedy will bring together researchers and scientists, including oceanographers, geneticists and biologists, and work collaboratively with local communities to help in establishing these baselines.
Converted from an offshore crab fishing vessel, the William Kennedy has been retrofitted to handle extreme Arctic weather and ice conditions. The ship’s shallow draft, measuring just 12 feet, allows for critical research to be done in much shallower and near shore waters than traditional Arctic research vessels. The ship, which measures 66 feet in length, is equipped with both an interior drylab and wetlab and can accommodate up to 14 people beyond the crew.
Continue reading at University of Manitoba.
Image via University of Manitoba.
