Rebreather Testing for the United States Antarctic Scientific Diving Program

来自美国的科学家在南极研究的许多领域里，再呼吸技术(与普通的潜水不同，它释放的气泡很少)将是有价值的工具。这些研究包括但不限于行为研究(因为标准潜水器释放的气泡发出的噪音会改变许多海洋生物的行为)，对海冰底部群落的研究(因为气泡在采样时或采样前破坏了群落)，以及对高度分层的湖泊群落的研究(因为气泡会引起混合，因为可以使用较轻的绳索将潜水员拴在水面上，这可能也会减少对水柱的破坏)。在高度分层(不是自然混合)的湖泊中较少混合的后一种科学优势也是再呼吸生物的一个显著的环境优势。然而，出于安全原因，在美国南极计划(USAP)对呼吸器进行测试之前，任何美国科学项目都不会被批准使用呼吸器。该奖项为USAP科学潜水官提供资金，以便与其他在极地潜水方面经验丰富的潜水专业人员一起进行此类测试，特别是在非极地环境中使用呼吸技术。一个由六名科学潜水专业人员组成的团队将评估七种或更多在非极地科学潜水中最常用的商业呼吸器模型。这将通过在南极洲麦克默多站的海冰中钻孔或融化来完成。随后将在麦克默多干谷的分层湖泊中对性能最好的型号进行有限数量的试潜。

There are a number of areas of Antarctic research by scientists from the United States where rebreather technology (which unlike normal SCUBA diving releases few if any air bubbles) would be valuable tools. These include but are not limited to behavioral studies (because noise from bubbles released by standard SCUBA alters the behavior of many marine organisms), studies of communities on the underside of sea ice (because the bubbles disrupt the communities while or before they are sampled), and studies of highly stratified lake communities (because the bubbles cause mixing and because lighter line could be used to tether a diver to the surface which would probably also cause less water column disruption). The latter scientific advantage of less mixing in highly stratified (not naturally mixed) lakes is also a significant environmental advantage of rebreathers. However, for safety reasons, no US science projects will be approved for the use of rebreathers until they are tested by the US Antarctic Program (USAP). This award provides funds for the USAP Scientific Diving Officer to conduct such tests in conjunction with other diving professionals experienced in polar diving in general and specifically with rebreather technology in non-polar environments. A team of six scientific diving professionals will evaluate seven or more commercial rebreather models that are being most commonly used in non-polar scientific diving. This will be done through holes drilled or melted in sea ice at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. A limited number of test dives of the best performing models will subsequently be made in stratified lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys.