Canada’s CARE 2025 Expedition Delivers Open Antarctic Ocean Data
Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is releasing data from the first all-Canadian-led scientific expedition to the Antarctic, signaling a major milestone for Canadian ocean science and climate research. The Canadian Antarctic Research Expedition (CARE 2025) took place in February and March aboard the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Margaret Brooke, bringing together a team of 15 scientists to investigate how climate change is reshaping one of the planet’s most rapidly changing regions.
As a University of Victoria initiative, ONC played a central role in managing and processing the expedition’s oceanographic data. The research covered temperature, salinity, and depth measurements from 22 locations across the Drake Passage near the Antarctic Peninsula. The resulting dataset will be publicly accessible in the coming months through ONC’s Oceans 3.0 data portal and the Canadian Integrated Ocean Observing System (CIOOS), enabling researchers worldwide to analyze how melting glaciers, shifting ocean chemistry, and changing sea ice impact global ocean dynamics.
A Century-Scale View with a 21st-Century Pipeline
ONC’s data specialists are transforming raw voyage measurements into an open-access resource that supports long-term climate analysis. The project extends ONC’s tradition of building and maintaining ocean observatories that provide continuous, real-time data. Kate Moran, ONC’s president and CEO, underscored the strategic importance of the organization’s work in Victoria and beyond.
“Ocean Networks Canada operates large ocean infrastructure and observatories, almost all of them in Canada,” Moran stated. “Two years ago, we installed a coastal observatory in Antarctica in partnership with Spain.” The South Shetland Islands coastal observatory now provides ongoing data on ocean and sea-ice conditions, contributing to a continuous stream of observations from a region that is among the most climate-sensitive on Earth.
From Field to Open Data
During CARE 2025, researchers collected data using a mix of conventional oceanographic tools and new infrastructure. Morgan, a representative from ONC, explained how the team mapped sampling sites with conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) rosette instruments. The white dot on the map represents ONC’s coastal observatory, a cabled system delivering real-time information about water conditions and sea ice in this critical zone.
With the voyage completed, ONC data specialists are now processing, quality-checking, and formatting the information for public access. The open dataset is expected to accelerate international collaborations and help scientists examine how Antarctic freshwater input, heat uptake, and changing ocean dynamics contribute to global sea-level rise and climate feedback mechanisms.
Why This Matters for Climate Research
Dr. Ben Biffard, ONC’s director of observatory digital operations, emphasized that sustained, 24/7 observations in Antarctica are rare. The new Antarctic observatory and data pipeline create a long-term time series essential for tracking climate trends over decades. Early signs already point to significant changes, including freshwater input from melting glaciers and warming seawater in the region. These signals are critical for understanding how the Southern Ocean influences global climate systems.
As Moran notes, the CARE 2025 collaboration spans government, the Navy, and universities. This partnership aligns with Canada’s broader goals under the United Nations Antarctic Treaty, strengthening the country’s scientific presence and influence in Antarctic governance while advancing climate science at home.
Looking Ahead
The CARE 2025 dataset will be released on ONC’s Oceans 3.0 platform and CIOOS in the coming months. The data will enable researchers to investigate long-term questions about how melting glaciers, changing ocean chemistry, and shifting currents in Antarctica affect global ocean dynamics, climate projections, and sea-level rise. By making the data openly accessible, Canada is inviting global scientific participation in one of the world’s most important frontiers for climate research.
