An autonomous underwater vehicle for characterizing remote lakes

要求YSI Ecomapper自主水下航行器配备6波束多普勒测速仪（DVL）。这种小型自主水下航行器（AUV）配备了一个传感器阵列，用于表征关键的湖泊物理和化学参数。所支持的研究方案致力于对亚北极淡水湖的生物地球化学和淡水生态进行合作调查，以更好地了解鱼类汞含量空间变异的控制因素，并评估气候变化的影响。在加拿大北部感兴趣的地区，几乎没有关于影响鱼类汞的基本参数的数据，如水温，pH值，甚至湖泊深度。 这项研究是在偏远地区的湖泊和流域进行的，需要精心的后勤保障（例如浮动飞机）才能进入现场，有时只有一次。这意味着收集关键数据的机会有限（有时只有一次访问），而这些数据是了解影响鱼类中汞含量的物理和化学参数的空间和时间变异性所必需的。这也使得在许多情况下无法获得更深入的数据，如湖泊水深测量（湖深图）。YSI Ecomapper仪器将提供支持这些研究举措的基本数据。它与常规探测器等常规水质传感器包的不同之处在于，它实际上是一种自推进和自导航的微型潜艇，能够对水质参数进行三维绘图。除此之外，它还能够获得详细的测深数据（湖底地形）。这是确定湖泊体积、周转时间、鱼类栖息地和湖泊分层的关键数据;了解鱼类生态和汞生物累积所需的所有关键信息。该仪器可以在不需要船只支持的情况下获取这些数据，如果需要，可以步行运送到湖泊，为获取目前不存在的偏远北方湖泊的信息创造了前所未有的机会。 这一最先进的仪器每年将用于培训大约6名高素质的大学人员，西北地区的政府合作科学家也将有机会使用。每年与申请人一起工作的三到四名第一民族现场助理和技术人员将获得下一代环境监测方法的宝贵经验，第一民族青年将每年接触到这种令人兴奋的技术，作为申请人在西北地区Deh cho地区贡献的夏季科学推广计划的一部分。

A YSI Ecomapper autonomous underwater vehicle equipped with a 6-beam Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) is requested. This small autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is equipped with a sensor array for characterizing key lake physical and chemical parameters. The research programs supported are dedicated to the collaborative investigation of the biogeochemistry and freshwater ecology of subarctic freshwater lakes to better understand the controls on the spatial variability in mercury levels in fish, and to evaluate the impact of climate change. In the regions of interest in Canada's north, there is little to no data about fundamental parameters that affect fish mercury, such as water temperature, pH, or even lake depth. This research is conducted in lakes and watersheds in remote locations, requiring elaborate logistics (e.g. float planes) to access sites, sometimes only once. This means that there are limited opportunities (sometimes only one visit) to collect critical data needed to understand the spatial and temporal variability of physical and chemical parameters that affect mercury in fish. It also makes the acquisition of more intensive data such as lake bathymetry (a map of lake depth) impossible in many cases. The YSI Ecomapper instrument will provide essential data in support of these research initiatives. What differentiates it from a conventional water quality sensor package such as that in a conventional sonde is that it is effectively a self-propelled and self-guided mini-submarine, capable of three-dimensional mapping of water quality parameters. In addition to this, it is able to acquire detailed bathymetry data (lake bottom topography). which is critical data to determine lake volumes, turnover times, fish habitat, and lake stratification; all critical information needed for understanding fish ecology and mercury bioaccumulation. This instrument can acquire this data without the need for boat support, and can be delivered to lakes on foot, if needed, creating unprecedented opportunities to acquire information about remote northern lakes that currently do not exist. This state-of-the-science instrument will be used to train an estimated six highly qualified university personnel per year, and collaborating government scientists in the Northwest Territories will also have access. Three to four First Nations field assistants and technicians who work every year with the applicants will gain valuable experience with next-generation environmental monitoring approaches, and First Nations youth will be exposed to this exciting technology annually as part of a summer science outreach program that the applicants contribute to in the Deh cho region of the Northwest Territories.