Remotely Operable Micro Environmental Observatory for Antarctic Marine Biology Rsearch

在过去二十年的潜水研究中，人们对南极洲麦克默多湾巨型（1毫米）有孔虫的生态重要性有了重要的认识。不幸的是，由于物流的限制，这些单细胞生物的原位行为及其在食物网中的相互作用只能在夏季潜水时的“快照”中观察到，当时藻类产量在24小时光照条件下达到最大值。通过长时间观察有孔虫，研究它们的流动性、对食物的反应和其他定向行为，可以学到很多东西。如果能将观测时间延长到冬季，在没有藻类产生的黑暗条件下研究这些生物，并在原位条件下进行实验操作，观察它们的行为反应，这将是非常有价值的。研究潜水需要昂贵的支持，不能提供对单个生物的长期观察。目前，在南极洲偏远地区进行冬季潜水的后勤要求、成本、复杂性和风险都令人望而却步。然而，为了进行长期的原位观测，不需要载人潜水。技术和通信已经发展到在潜水器外壳中安装视频宏观和微观摄像机是可行和实际的，可以全年通过互联网向远程用户传输实时和连续的延时图像。这样的仪器平台可以用于环境的实验操作。这项提案的目的是开发一个可潜水的、可远程操作的水下观测站，用于研究有孔虫和相关的底栖动物。这个观测站将通过光纤电缆与一个海岸线单元连接，并通过无线电与互联网连接，以便全年访问。该观测站的设计和运行将作为一个技术模板，通过远程科学而不是人员部署来满足其他全年南极研究需求。

Research diving over the last two decades has yielded important insights into the ecological importance of giant (1 mm) Foraminifera in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Unfortunately, due to logistics constraints the in-situ behavior of these single-celled organisms and their interactions within the food web can be observed only in 'snapshots' during summer dives, when algal production is at a maximum in conditions of 24-hour light. Much would be learned by observing Foraminifera over extended periods of time, to study mobility, response to food availability, and other directed behaviors. It would be very valuable to be able to extend observations to the winter months, in order to study these organisms under dark conditions with no algal production, and to experimentally manipulate in situ conditions and observe the behavioral response. Research diving requires costly support and cannot provide extended observation of individual organisms. Currently, logistical requirements, costs, complexities, and risks of winter diving at remote locations in Antarctica are prohibitive. However, manned diving is not required in order to make long-term in-situ observations. Technology and communications have advanced to the point where it is feasible and practical to install video macro- and micro-view cameras in a submersible enclosure, transmitting both live and sequential time-lapse images over the Internet to a remote user throughout the year. Such an instrumentation platform could then be used for experimental manipulation of the environment. The objective of this proposal is to develop a submersible, remotely-operable underwater observatory for the study of Foraminifera and associated benthic fauna. This observatory would be connected to a shoreline unit by fiber-optic cable and linked by radio to the Internet for year-round access. The design and operation of this observatory will function as a technology template to meet other year-round Antarctic research requirements by means of telescience rather than personnel deployment.