Canada's Extended Continental Shelf Program - Video

Transcript

Bordering on three oceans, Canada has the longest coastline in the world.

Extending from our coastlines, lying beneath the sea, is an extension of our country called the continental shelf.

Where exactly does this continental shelf end? The answer to this question is key. Under an international agreement, it determines the new borders of our country.

Knowing where the edge of the continental shelf lies adds millions of square kilometers to our country, and makes the resources on the seafloor and beneath the seabed Canada’s.

The Atlantic and Arctic Oceans are home to Canada’s largest continental shelves. For over a decade, researchers with Natural Resources Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada have been collaborating on a massive project to map this landmass.

Throughout this, Canada has been on the cutting edge of technology, from the use of state of the art autonomous underwater vehicles, to the building of instruments that can be towed through ice-covered waters.

These innovative techniques have allowed scientists to collect data thousands of meters below the sea surface and deep into the seafloor, and even led to the discovery of a new underwater mountain.

This undertaking has brought Canadian researchers together with international colleagues in the journey to extend our frontiers.

With this research, Canada’s Extended Continental Shelf program writes the latest chapter in Canada’s rich history of exploration and innovation.