Collaborative Research: Development of Autonomous Underwater Instruments to Sense Zooplankton and Their Environment Using a Laser Optical Plankton Counter

0321167 Checkley 0320739 Jackson这项合作的重大研究仪器奖授予斯克里普斯海洋研究所(加州大学圣地亚哥分校)和德克萨斯农工大学，为SOLOPC的开发提供资金，SOLOPC是一种自主剖面浮标，它将现有的单独浮标剖面仪技术与激光光学浮游生物计数器相结合，提供了一种除了评估海洋物理特性和循环之外，还可以评估海洋浮游动物分布的手段。最初的目标是开发一种仪器，它将在长达一年的时间内产生50-100条剖面，在此期间，它将通过卫星传输在地面上的位置和剖面数据，并最终被恢复。更长期的目标是开发相对便宜的消耗性仪器，适合大洋盆地规模的研究。开发工作建立在几代剖面浮标的基础上，包括ALACE和SOLO，它们剖面、漂移并通过卫星传输物理海洋和位置数据，以自主地剖面洋流和海洋的物理特性。LOPC的浮游动物大小的额外数据也将通过测量叶绿素a的荧光计得到增强。实地评估和测试以几种方式纳入了为期三年的开发工作。浮标参数的初步评估将由斯克里普斯研究所在海上用小船进行测试。更完整的测试将包括20天的联合国海洋观测系统船只时间(Sproul，New Horizon)，对照通过水样和净拖船收集的船上数据验证SOLOPC数据，最后的测试将包括在南加州附近的CalCOFI巡航期间部署，浮标与科考船同时通过南加州站的标准网格。该仪器奖由美国国家科学基金会海洋科学部资助。斯克里普斯海洋研究所由非联邦基金提供成本分担支持。

0321167 Checkley0320739 JacksonThis collaborative Major Research Instrumentation award to Scripps Institution of Oceanography (University of California at San Diego) and Texas A&M University provides funds for development of the SOLOPC, an autonomous profiling float that combines existing SOLO float profiler technology with a laser optic plankton counter (LOPC) to provide a means of assessing oceanic zooplankton distribution in addition to physical ocean properties and circulation. The initial objective is to develop an instrument that will produce 50-100 profiles over a period up to one year, during which it will transmit position and profile data via satellite when at the surface, and ultimately be recovered. The longer-term objective is to develop relatively inexpensive, expendable instruments, suitable for ocean basin-scale studies. The development effort builds on several generations of profiling floats, including ALACE and SOLO, which profile, drift and transmit physical oceanographic and position data via satellites to autonomously profile currents and physical properties of the ocean. The additional data here on zooplankton size with the LOPC will be augmented with a fluorometer for measuring chlorophyll a as well. Field evaluation and testing is incorporated in the three-year development effort in several ways. Initial evaluation of float parameters will be tested offshore from Scripps Institution in small boats. More complete testing will involve 20 days of UNOLS vessel time (Sproul, New Horizon), validating SOLOPC data against shipboard data collected with water samples and net tows, and the final testing will include deployment during a CALCOFI cruise off Southern California, with the floats transiting the standard grid of Southern California stations simultaneously with the research vessel. This instrumentation award is supported by the Division of Ocean Sciences at NSF. Scripps Institution of Oceanography provides cost sharing support from non-federal funds.***