Surfacing Secrets - Episode 6 - Scientific Discovery

In this episode of Surfacing Secrets, Balad’EAU explores what scientific discovery actually looks like — not as a single “aha” moment, but as a long-term process built on curiosity, observation, and a willingness to pay attention when things get weird.

Hosted by Lyne Morissette, Scientific Discoveries takes you inside Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) to uncover how discoveries emerge when scientists stop chasing answers — and start watching continuously. From marine heatwaves and unexpected ecosystem insights to solar storms interfering with ocean instruments, this episode reveals how long-term data turns surprises into understanding.

You’ll hear from three voices at the heart of ONC’s story:

• Richard Dewey, former Science Director at ONC, oceanographer

• Kohen Bauer, who works at the intersection of ocean data, tools, and models at ONC

• Gwyn Lintern, an early ONC collaborator now with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), whose work bridges science, risk, and real-world decision-making

Together, they share how ONC evolved from answering scientific questions to generating vast, open datasets that researchers — and government departments — now rely on to understand ocean processes, ecosystem health, and environmental risk.

This episode dives into:

• How continuous observation transforms raw data into scientific discovery

• Why looking for the weird is often the starting point of real breakthroughs

• What marine heatwaves like the Blob revealed about changing ocean conditions

• How solar flares were detected deep in the ocean — without anyone looking for them

• Why understanding when ecosystems are functioning well matters in an age of eco-anxiety

• How ONC’s data supports science, policy, and public safety

You’ll also hear sounds captured directly from the ocean — including underwater acoustics recorded by ONC’s observatories — reminding us that sometimes, discovery isn’t something you see, but something you hear.

Listen closely — the ocean is always telling a story.

Learn more & explore further

• Ocean Networks Canada: https://www.oceannetworks.ca

• ONC data & real-time observatories (Ocean 3.0): https://data.oceannetworks.ca

• ONC YouTube channel (including underwater sounds and observatory footage): https://www.youtube.com/@OceanNetworksCanada

• Richard Dewey’s YouTube channel (sailing the Salish sea): https://www.youtube.com/@o0Splunge0o/videos 

• Listen to the full interview with Andrew Lewin on the How to Protect The Ocean Podcast: https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/speak-up-for-the-ocean-blue/podcast-55/

Episode produced by: Balad’EAU
With the generous support of: Ocean Networks Canada

Ocean Networks Canada is one of Canada’s Major Research Facilities and an initiative of the University of Victoria. It is primarily funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Editing and producation: Tommy Goupil

🎙️ This episode is part of the Surfacing Secrets: Explore the Ocean. Know the Planet. series.

📅 Launch date: February 4th 2026
🌐 More info: https://www.oceannetworks.ca