Canada’s Ocean Supercluster continues to press ahead during the coronavirus pandemic, The Chronicle Herald reported.

The public-private group formed in 2018 and is based in Atlantic Canada, with the goal of increasing Canada’s ocean economy by $14 billion and 3,000 new jobs over the next 10 years.

CEO Kendra MacDonald said the goal is to build ocean enterprises to 3 percent of GDP; the average for marine industries in other countries.

Kraken Robotics is one of the companies under the Supercluster. In 2019, it received $5.9 million in federal funding for an $18 million project. 

The project will provide data as a service to the fishing industry, using underwater robots to collect data. Partners for that component are Ocean Choice International and Nunavut Fisheries.

Kraken will provide analytics from the data to help companies create efficiencies in their fishing operations.

Kraken is also working on the creation of an AUV, Thunderfish XL, that will solve a problem for companies operating offshore oil rigs. It can sit on the ocean floor at depths of up to 6,000 m, in a battery-charging docking station, to be available when needed for underwater inspections and surveys. The vehicle is still the planning stage.