Thursday May 1st, 2:00PM at Goward House – 2495 Arbutus Rd

Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), an initiative of the University of Victoria, operates a unique and
extensive array of ocean observing systems. Starting with VENUS in the Salish Sea, installed in
2006, NEPTUNE in the northeast Pacific in 2009, the Cambridge Bay Observatory in the Arctic in
2012, and Livingston Island off the Antarctic coast in 2024, ONC has been involved at the cutting edge in the design, operations, and innovation associated with advanced research ocean observatory systems. The presentation provides a broad overview of the observatories and the science they support.

Dwight Owens has over 30 years’ experience in science education and communications. Since
joining Ocean Networks Canada in 2008, Dwight has served a variety of roles, including web
content management, outreach, user engagement, learning and community engagement, and most recently as the Impact and Capacity Development manager.

He holds a B.A. in Chinese Language and Literature and an M.A. in Educational Technology, both from the University of Colorado. Dwight has 30+ years of experience in design and development of computer- and web-based rich media and interactive educational materials. Much of this work has been science-related, including a diversity of topics such as radar meteorology, the aurora borealis, hurricane safety, fire weather, watershed protection and the physics of shallow-water waves.

Although he was born and raised in places far-removed from the coast, Dwight has long been fascinated by oceans. This connection drew him to take up residence in coastal areas like Taiwan, Hawaii, western Oregon and most recently Vancouver Island. He’s thrilled to be working with Ocean Networks Canada during this exciting time of growth and innovation.