Collaborative Research: Development of a Polar Remote Interactive Marine Observatory (PRIMO) Near Palmer Station on the Western Antarctic Peninsula

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The proposed project would develop a remote underwater observatory, Polar Remote Interactive Marine Observatory (PRIMO), consisting of an instrument package tethered to a seafloor platform in 50 to 100 meters of water several kilometers offshore from Palmer Station, Antarctica. The package will consist of a vertical profiler with temperature, salinity, and depth sensors, a current meter, hydrophone, sensors for chlorophyll and dissolved organic matter fluorescence, oxygen, nitrate, a bio-optical package, a video plankton recorder and an under-ice video observation surveillance system. The profiler would rise to the surface and take samples multiple times per day. While PRIMO is proposed as a stand-alone system that would complement ongoing oceanographic work in the region, the system would also serve as a proof of concept and test bed for the implementation of a similar observatory to be located on the continental shelf at a depth of 300 to400 meters. The instrumentation requested in the proposal will benefit numerous collaborative projects in the field and in the laboratory, and will lead to significant educational and information contributions at several levels. The instrumentation will provide increased opportunities for training with state of the art equipment at the undergraduate, graduate and post doctoral level, and educational opportunities for younger students. Information from the research will be made publicly available through several outlets, including websites generated by the PIs and their collaborators.