Stationary and Profiling Moorings

Observational oceanography increasingly relies on lont-term stationary and profiling moorings and buoys. One of the largest cost factors or observational systems is the time and effort involved in recovering and redeploying instruments. WET Labs has worked since 1995 to improve long-term instrument performance under the harsh conditions of in-situ monitoring. Our ECO series of optical instruments, with integrated data storage, power, and anti-biofouling bio-wiper™ technologies now routinely provide high fidelity data for months to a year. Our continuing efforts are now focused on bringing that long-term capability to a broader suite of instruments and platforms.

WET Labs worked with Drs. Percy Donaghay and James Sullivan of University of Rhode Island to develop an autonomous self-contained profiling mooring system. Efforts from this project are toward developing commercial profilers for general coastal applications.

Centimeter-scale vertical resolution profiles of physical and bio-optical data collected by NOPP-supported moored profiling systems from August 8–16 2002 in Monterey Bay, CA, showing a contour time series of density. Note the persistence of a thin vertical layer of high beam attenuation associated with the base of the pycnocline (solid line). The profiler resolved this sub-meter scale thin layer and captured its temporal variability, which may have been missed by other, conventional sampling methods.

Contour plot of the beam attenuation coefficient at 440 nm from the same time frame as above.

Data and photo courtesy Drs. Percy Donaghay and James Sullivan, U. Rhode Island