Part of an ongoing series of Gazette stories celebrating researchers who received support as part a major investment by the federal government in science and research on June 14.

A Memorial University researcher is mapping the unknown.

Dr. Benjamin Misiuk (PhD’19) and his team are conducting a multi-year project to obtain high-resolution data and map the seafloor of the northwest Atlantic.

Dr. Misiuk is an assistant professor jointly appointed between the Department of Geography, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science.

He recently received two grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada valued at a total of $142,500 over five years for the project, High-resolution Seabed Mapping in Support of Regional Management and Science Priorities.

“This information is currently unavailable yet is necessary to support management decisions related to Canada’s 2030 marine conservation targets,” said Dr. Misiuk. “Effective conservation and management is necessary to ensure the sustainable use of marine resources such as fisheries.

“There is evidence that we are moving into a period of profound environmental change and we are currently unsure of the effects this may have on marine ecosystems,” he added.

The research team will collect seafloor samples using devices such as grab samplers and sediment corers.

The samples will then be analyzed in the lab to determine the properties of the substrate.

We then use statistical modelling to extrapolate these observations over the entire northwest Atlantic region,” said Dr. Misiuk. “In some areas, high-resolution sonar data exists that we can use to augment our models, resulting in more accurate predictions of sediment properties.”

A close-up of the seafloor

Given that Atlantic Canadians rely heavily on the ocean for their livelihoods, recreation and culture, better science will support the sustainability of our ocean resources, he says.

“This project is important because it enables better-informed marine science activities such as determining critical species habitats and modelling ocean currents. It will provide a critical piece of the puzzle for the northwest Atlantic region.”

Dr. Misiuk says researchers and managers often have to use a “pragmatic best guess” about the composition of the seafloor for decision-making, which may not be accurate.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to contribute useful science to such an interesting and beautiful area.”

Learn more about research at Memorial and check out Research Strategy 2023-28 to learn how we’re moving ideas forward.