Project team
The MARS project is funded for 3.5 years (15/10/2020 – 31/03/2024) and is carried out by a team from ISMER, IMAR, OpDAQ, and MTE:
- ISMER is responsible for the research related to the underwater radiated noise signatures of ships and the measurement of signatures according to the ANSI/ASA S12/64-2009 standard.
- IMAR is responsible for the research related to the vibratory state of ships and the production of diagnostics for partner shipowners.
- OpDAQ and MTE are in charge of the design and operation of the measurement platform.
- ISMER and IMAR work jointly to analyze links between vibratory and acoustic signatures to identify the causes of radiated noise and propose methods for its reduction.
Directors
Guillaume St-Onge
ISMER
Sylvain Lafrance
IMAR
Scientific coordination
Cédric Gervaise
CHORUS - ISMER
Activity 01
URNS Platform
- Charles Massicotte
Activity 02
URN signatures
- Pierre Cauchy
- Cédric Gervaise
- Yvan Simard
- Pierre Mercure-Boissonnault
- Jeanne Mérindol
- Cécile Perrier de la Bathie
- Faniry Fitiavana Rabetoandro
- Hugo Catineau
- Christian Boutot
Activity 03 & 04
Onboard measurements
- Jean-Christophe Gauthier-Marquis
- Kamal Kesour
- Marie-Laurence Bazinet
- Paul Camerin
- Olivier Robin
Activity 05
Methods to reduce ship noise
- Jean-Christophe Gauthier-Marquis
- Kamal Kesour
- Olivier Robin
- Pierre Cauchy
- Cédric Gervaise
- Yvan Simard
ISMER
As the largest francophone academic research institute of marine sciences in Canada, the Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski (ISMER) brings together a large number of researchers and students from a variety of disciplines dedicated to the discovery and advancement of knowledge on marine and coastal environments in the context of climate change and sustainable development. ISMER was officially established in March 1999 with the primary mission of discovering and advancing fundamental and applied knowledge of coastal and marine environments in order to assess the impacts of human activity on resources and to develop the scientific and technical tools essential for the management of coastal and marine environments. Today, ISMER has 23 professors and 45 associate professors. Research is carried out by more than 100 graduate students in oceanography with the support of more than 25 research professionals and administrative staff (https://ismer.ca/a-propos-de-l-ismer/l-institut).
IMAR
Active since 2001, IMAR is an applied research centre within the Maritime Institute of Quebec (IMQ). IMAR provides services related to research and development, technical assistance, and information dissemination to multiple companies and organizations in the maritime field. IMAR is a not-for-profit organization led by a board of directors comprising representatives from the marine and research industries. IMAR's overall mission is to support development of the maritime industry through innovation. Its strategic plan is reviewed every five years. The 2020–2025 strategic plan focuses on environmental technologies aimed at reducing the impact of ships operating on the St. Lawrence. IMAR relies on a team of about 30 people to carry out its projects. Its five areas of intervention are marine engineering, environmental technologies, marine intelligence, ship/transportation, and professional diving.
MTE
Founded in Rimouski in 1982, MTE is an electronics company. While the company's initial activities were primarily focused on repairing and maintaining electronic equipment, the company stood out by also offering custom equipment design and manufacturing services. Over the years, the company's geographical location has meant that projects have been primarily focused on oceanographic research projects from ISMER and the Maurice-Lamontagne Institute (IML). Although other clients such as Telus and Hydro-Québec have also benefited from the company's services, MTE has gradually shifted its scope of expertise by increasingly specializing in the field of oceanography. The creation of the AURAL underwater acoustic recorder provides the company with a product for which there is a wider demand. The product, now mature but still constantly perfected, generates a keen interest in the scientific community for which it is intended. It is the first underwater acoustics recorder to be assembled in series and marketed internationally.
OpDAQ
OpDAQ's mission is to develop quality products and services to measure the energy performance of ships and industrial machinery using state-of-the-art tools and innovative and rigorous methods to enable customers to optimize their practices while meeting established standards.

Guillaume St-Onge
Profile
Director of the Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski (ISMER).
Tier I Canada Research Chair in Marine Geology.
President of Reformar, the organization that manages the research vessels Coriolis II, Lampsilis, and Louis-Edmond-Hamelin for the Canadian scientific community.
Member of the board of directors of several Quebec and Canadian organizations involved in marine sciences or research.
First director (2016–2019) of the Réseau-Québec maritime (RQM), its flagship research program Odyssée Saint-Laurent, and the Institut France-Québec pour la coopération scientifique en appui au secteur maritime (IFQM).
Role in MARS
Co-director of the MARS project; support for implementing the ISMER component.

Sylvain Lafrance
Profile
Executive Director of IMAR since 2013.
Researcher and manager of organizations involved in research and development in the maritime sector (30 years of experience).
Strong experience in managing multi-partner projects in partnership with private companies.
Role in MARS
Co-director of the project; support for implementing the IMAR component.

Cédric Gervaise
Profile
Underwater acoustic researcher with 20 years of experience (anthropic sources, marine fauna).
Director of the CHORUS Research Institute and President of SENSEAFR SAS.
Associate Professor at ISMER: 15 years of collaboration with ISMER including one sabbatical leave in 2009; 20 co-authored publications.
PIAQUO European Life Project: Goal 4 lead.
Role in MARS
Scientific coordinator.
Researcher on the ISMER team for "Measurements and Operations of URN Signatures."

Charles Massicotte
Profile
Electrical engineer and physics technologist. Twenty years of experience in developing data acquisition systems, including 15 years in the maritime and oceanographic fields.
Co-founder of OpDAQ Systems in 2008; co-owner of MTE for three years.
Leads a team of seven engineers and nine technicians.
Role in MARS
Instrumentation project manager for the URNS platform.
Design and assembly of the station.
Deployment/recovery method.

Pierre Cauchy
Profile
Ten years of experience in scientific data processing (signal processing, acoustics, oceanography).
PhD in underwater soundscape analysis.
Role in MARS
Responsible for "Measurements and Operations of URN Signatures" for ISMER.

Jean-Christophe G. Marquis
Profile
Physicist, MSc. Experience in physical oceanography (fragmentation and deformation of sea ice). Involvement in many scientific projects at Innovation maritime and college teacher.
Role in MARS
Manager of the MARS project at Innovation maritime. Research professional, measurements / analysis / writing.

Kamal Kesour
Profile
Role in MARS
Specialist in acoustics and vibrations at Innovation maritime.

Marie-Laurence Bazinet
Profile
Candidate to the engineering profession (CEP) - Mechanical engineering, specialization in robotics and programming.
Role in MARS
Work on the development of on-board instrumentation at Innovation maritime.

Paul Camerin
Profile
Physicist, Msc. Experience in acoustic/vibration data processing and analysis.
Role in MARS
Specialist in acoustics and vibrations at Innovation maritime.

Olivier Robin
Profile
PhD, researcher in vibroacoustics (acoustic radiation, acoustic transport; 40 publications), 20 years of experience in acoustics/vibrations.
Role in MARS
Acoustics specialist attached to IMAR, development of methodologies.

Pierre Mercure-Boissonnault
Profile
Role in MARS
Research agent at ISMER to produce the URN signatures and to manage the databases.

Jeanne Mérindol
Profile
MSc. Student in Oceanography at UQAR.
Role in MARS
Research project: Variations of the underwater soundscape recorded at URNS station.

Cécile Perrier de la Bathie
Profile
MSc. Student in Oceanography at UQAR.
Role in MARS
Research project: Analysis of the variability of measured signatures depending on hydrophone configuration.

Faniry Fitiavana Rabetoandro
Profile
MSc. Student in Oceanography at UQAR.
Role in MARS
Research project: Study of radiated noise in relation to the ship's caracteristics and operating conditions.

Hugo Catineau
Profile
Role in MARS
Research project: Analysis of the multisource aspects of ship underwater radiated noise.

Christian Boutot
Profile
Role in MARS
Bring his expertise and experience for the planification, the preparation and the execution of the deployment operations and moorings recuperation at sea onboard the research vessel Coriolis II.