Remotely Operable Micro Environmental Observatory for Antarctic Marine Biology Rsearch

在过去的二十年里，研究潜水对南极洲麦克默多湾巨型（1毫米）有孔虫的生态重要性产生了重要的见解。不幸的是，由于物流限制，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期间的“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，可以学到很多东西，研究移动性，对食物供应的反应，以及其他定向行为。这将是非常有价值的，能够延长观察到冬季的几个月，以研究这些生物体在黑暗的条件下没有藻类生产，并在实验上操纵原位条件和观察的行为反应。研究潜水需要昂贵的支持，不能提供对单个生物体的长期观察。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，不需要载人潜水进行长期的现场观测。技术和通信已经发展到这样一种程度，即在潜水器外壳内安装视频宏观和微观摄像机是可行和实用的，全年通过互联网向远程用户传送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。这项提议的目的是建立一个可遥控的潜水式水下观测站，用于研究有孔虫和相关的底栖动物。该天文台将通过光纤电缆连接到海岸线单元，并通过无线电连接到互联网，以便全年访问。该观测站的设计和运作将作为一个技术模板，通过科学手段而不是人员部署来满足其他全年南极研究的要求。

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.