Canada’s Ocean Supercluster Announces $6.5M Dual-Use WhisperLoop Project

Press Release

December 4, 2025

(HALIFAX, NS) – Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced five new ocean innovation projects valued at $34.5 million, including the $6.5 million WhisperLoop Project led by Sensor Technology.

WhisperLoop is an AI-powered underwater acoustic monitoring system that combines machine learning with a compact towed hydrophone array, enabling autonomous and uncrewed vessels to detect, classify, and characterize marine acoustic sources in real time.

The project is led by Collingwood, ON-based Sensor Technology in partnership with Turbulent Research in Halifax, NS, Mostar Labs in Victoria, BC, and Opti9 Technologies in Ottawa, ON. With a total project value of $6.5 million, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is investing $2.5 million, with the balance of funding coming from project partners.

This project strengthens academia–industry collaboration in AI innovation, supports ocean conservation, marine mammal protection, and acoustic pollution assessment, and incorporates Indigenous knowledge for sustainable environmental stewardship. The WhisperLoop technology advances Canada’s leadership in ocean AI and bolsters capabilities in marine monitoring and defence systems – especially significant as Canada increases focus on building capacity and made in Canada solutions to support maritime security.

Through Ambition 2035 and together with Canada’s ocean community, we are bold in our ambition to grow Canada’s ocean economy 5X to $220 billion by 2035. Continued investment in the accelerated development and commercialization of globally relevant, made in Canada ocean solutions will help us realize this ambition. Read more about recommendations to help achieve this transformational growth opportunity outlined in Charting the Course to 5X Growth in Canada’s Ocean Economy and the projected benefits to Canada here.

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Media Contacts
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca

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