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Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announces $10.5M project expanding hydropower

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) has announced a HydroAware Project to expand hydropower and safeguard habitats using AI-powered fish monitoring.

The project—led by Innovasea in Bedford, Nova Scotia— aims to advance fish monitoring technology by enhancing reliable fish tracking in harsh marine environments and increasing the availability of fish tracking insights from remote locations.

“AI (artificial intelligence) in ocean has the potential to help transform the way we do ocean business. Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announce the C$10.5 million-dollar (US$7.7 million) HydroAware Project, bringing together partners across different ocean sectors to advance AI in fish tracking technology, manage the movement of fish around hydropower infrastructure, support the sustainable growth of an industry and create economic benefits and jobs in the process,” said Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster.

OSC is contributing C$5 million (US$3.6 million) to the project through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS) program and the balance of funding coming from project partners, Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE), BigMoon Power, Nova Scotia Power Inc., New Brunswick Power Corporation, and DeepSense.

“Incorporating artificial intelligence capabilities to our existing fish tracking technology will help ensure that hydropower producers in Canada and beyond are able to meet their green power goals in a manner that safeguards habitats and minimizes impacts to marine life. AI will enable us to monitor fish activity in environments that were previously too remote or inhospitable, ultimately serving as a catalyst for the next generation of hydro and tidal power facilities,” said Mark Jollymore, Innovasea president.