Development of a Moored Vertically Profiling Video Plankton Recorder

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9406361 Gallager Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will undertake an ocean sciences instrument development project to design, construct, and test a moored vertically profiling Video Plankton Recorder (VPR) that will determine the taxonomic and size composition of zooplankton, along with several environmental variables, over time scales of hours to months. The system is designed around a buoyant streamlined body containing the VPR and associated electronics plus sensors that will be raised and lowered by a bottom-mounted winch. The winch will allow the VPR to ascent rapidly to the surface and then will pull the system back down slowly while it makes measurements and records data. The goal is to be able to make up to 300 profiles per deployment in depths of up to 100 meters, while recording a video signal from two cameras, plus conductivity, temperature, depth fluorescence, light transmission, and downwellig irradiance. Zooplankton and particles within the size range of 100 microns to 5 centimeters will be reduced digitally and recorded. The use of such a system in open ocean regions represents a cost- effective way of obtaining long-time series data, compared to the cost of obtaining similar data from a research vessel.