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Canada Funds Innovative Research to Reduce Underwater Vessel Noise

Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra and Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry Francois-Phillippe Champagne, on 18th January 2022, announced that the winners for the Innovative Solutions Canada challenge would help develop new technologies to make ships quieter.

Envision Labs Inc., Robert Allen Ltd., and BPE Technologies Inc., the Innovative Solutions Canada challenge winners, will receive $449,800 to develop a new technology to help reduce ship noise, especially when they pass through critical habitat of whales, including Southern Resident Killer Sharks.

Envision Labs will use the funding to create and test new depth-finder technology that uses light to determine water depth for small and recreational vessels. Rober Allen will implement a quiet propeller and propulsion system in conjunction with an innovative tool to evaluate and predict underwater noise from tugs. While, BPE Technologies will use it to develop a novel retrofit concept that aims to improve water flow around the hull, addressing the inefficiencies in tugboat hull shape and reducing underwater noise.

Human activities impact marine mammals, especially endangered species. To reduce the impact, protect the marine environment, and ensure that Canada’s oceans economy can continue to grow, the government is supporting entrepreneurs and businesses with such innovative ideas.

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