EAGER: ATMARS, an AuTonomous underwater vehicle with ancillary optics to measure MARine Snow size, concentration, and descent rate.

众所周知，海洋吸收了大约25%的大气二氧化碳，这对调节气候变化至关重要。因此，这促进了加强对海洋中的碳封存和运输的了解的必要性。鉴于海洋固存的重要性和温室效应造成的全球危机，准确评估进入深海的碳通量是当务之急。尽管有这种需求，但我们计算海洋雪运输的能力一直滞后，海洋雪运输是碳储存的主要机制。1988年的一篇经典综述(Aldridge和Silver)从多个角度概述了海洋雪的重要性，包括微生物活动的产生和存在。有趣的是，他们说：“目前对海洋雪研究的最大挑战是开发合适的技术来现场测量集合体的丰度和特征。”这一挑战至今依然存在。其中最有前途的技术是光学方法。然而，需要取得进展，以使成像的海洋雪能够最佳地转化为碳含量和下沉速度。具体地说，需要一种水下机器人来解决困扰海洋降雪率估计的问题，因为它创造了一种既能“随波逐流”，又能测量颗粒垂直下降速度的飞行器。基于这一需求，该项目的目标是开发一种价格合理的碳通量测量设备。为了实现这一目标，将设计并测试一种相对便宜(约10K美元)的自主式水下自压载飞行器，带有机载光学成像系统。实现这一目标的必要开发是设计、制造和测试一种载具，该载具可以在颗粒在整个水柱中下降而不影响其下落速度的情况下，同时“看到”和“跟踪”颗粒。首先，光学成像系统将用从海上不同深度获取的水样进行测试。然后，研究人员将通过测试摄像头和各种照明选项来优化成像系统。考虑到飞行器设计，一个至关重要的方面是提供下沉颗粒的图像，而不影响它们的下落速度。因此，研究人员将在充满适当大小颗粒的深槽中测试几种车辆配置，同时车辆上下移动。一个积极的结果将是观察到未受干扰的粒子。开发周期的另一个重要方面将是创建控制软件，该软件将调整车辆浮力，以跟随粒子下沉，从而将粒子保持在摄像系统的视野中。同样，研究人员将用粒子播种的深槽来测试这一点。在成功的硬件开发和实验室测试之后，研究人员将进行海上测试，以判断车辆跟踪下降颗粒物的能力。随后的数据集将提供给社会。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

It is well known that the ocean sequesters approximately 25% of atmospheric carbon dioxide which is critical to the mediation of climate change. This therefore promotes the need for enhanced understanding of carbon sequestration and transport in the ocean. Given the importance of oceanic sequestration and the global crisis due to the greenhouse effect, an accurate assessment of carbon flux into the deep ocean is imperative. Despite this need, our capability to calculate the transport of marine snow, a major mechanism for carbon storage, has lagged. A now classic review in 1988 (Aldridge and Silver) outlined the importance of marine snow from many points of view, including both the production and the presence of microbial activity. Interestingly, they state “The greatest challenge to the study of marine snow at present is the development of appropriate technology to measure abundances and characteristics of aggregates in situ.” That challenge remains today. Among the most promising techniques are optical methods. However, advances are needed to enable the optimal translation of imaged marine snow into carbon content and sinking velocities. Specifically, an underwater vehicle is needed that will solve the problem that has vexed the estimate of marine snow descent rates by creating a vehicle that is both “going with the flow” and, at the same time, measuring particle vertical descent velocity. Based on this need, the project goal is to develop a reasonably priced device for measuring carbon flux. To achieve this goal, a relatively inexpensive (~$10k) autonomous, underwater, self-ballasting vehicle with an onboard optical imaging system will be designed and tested. Necessary developments to accomplish this goal are the design, fabrication, and test of a vehicle that can both “see” and “track” particles as they descend throughout the water column without affecting their descent rate. First, the optical imaging system will be tested with water samples obtained from different depths at sea. The researchers will then optimize the imaging system by testing cameras and a variety of lighting options. Considering vehicle design, a vital aspect is to provide images of sinking particles without affecting their descent rate. The researchers will therefore test several vehicle configurations in deep tanks that are filled with appropriately sized particles while the vehicle is moved up and down. A positive result will be the observation of undisturbed particles. Another important aspect of the development cycle will be to create control software that will adjust vehicle buoyancy to follow particles as they sink, thereby maintaining the particles in the field of view of the camera system. Again, the researchers will test this with particle seeded deep tanks. Following successful hardware development and lab tests, the researchers will conduct sea tests to judge the vehicle’s capability to track descending particles. The ensuing data set will be made available to the community.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.