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

美国Scripps海洋学研究所（加州大学圣地亚哥分校）和德克萨斯a&m大学获得了这项主要研究仪器合作奖，为SOLOPC的开发提供了资金。SOLOPC是一种自主分析浮子，将现有的SOLO浮子剖面仪技术与激光光学浮游生物计数器（LOPC）相结合，提供了一种评估海洋浮游动物分布以及海洋物理特性和环流的方法。最初的目标是研制一种仪器，在长达一年的时间内产生50-100个剖面，在此期间，它将在地面通过卫星传送位置和剖面数据，并最终被回收。较长期的目标是发展相对便宜、可消耗的仪器，适合于海洋盆地尺度的研究。开发工作建立在几代分析浮标的基础上，包括ALACE和SOLO，它们通过卫星分析、漂移和传输物理海洋学和位置数据，以自主分析洋流和海洋的物理特性。通过LOPC获得的关于浮游动物大小的额外数据，还将使用荧光计来测量叶绿素a。实地评价和测试以几种方式纳入了三年的开发工作。浮子参数的初步评估将在斯克里普斯研究所的小船上进行海上测试。更完整的测试将包括20天的UNOLS船舶时间（Sproul, New Horizon），验证SOLOPC数据与船上收集的水样和网拖曳数据，最终测试将包括CALCOFI在南加州巡航期间的部署，浮标将与研究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。斯克里普斯海洋学研究所从非联邦基金中提供费用分摊支持

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.***