Chartering an oceanographic research vessel and crew, Fall Mission – Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program (AZMP)

The objective of the Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program (AZMP) is to monitor oceanographic conditions in the Atlantic Ocean on an annual basis. For over 25 years, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has been conducting regular monitoring of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence to document variations in physical, chemical and biological properties (e.g., temperature, salinity, primary production). This work is usually carried out aboard Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) vessels. DFO wishes to charter an oceanographic research vessel (other than a CCG vessel) to carry out the AZMP fall survey in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. The survey aims to collect data to better understand, describe and predict the state of the marine ecosystem, as well as to quantify changes in chemical, physical and biological properties.