Maintaining Deep Ocean Observations: The ALOHA Cabled Observatory

长期海洋监测站点位于夏威夷奥廷加以北100公里处，被称为ALOHA站（长期寡营养生境评估），自20世纪80年代末以来一直是反复观测的地点。最近，在ALOHA站附近建立了一个深海观测站，电缆连接到海岸。ALOHA有线天文台（ACO）于2011年6月部署，支持ALOHA站的创新科学研究。ACO为海洋科学界提供了必要的基础设施，并在ALOHA站进行持续的科学研究，ALOHA站是一个贫营养（沙漠）站点，代表了全球海洋的很大一部分。作为最深的操作电缆站，它使新的海洋观测传感器和技术的科学的开发，测试和操作，从深渊到表面。ALOHA是一个可以从上到下连接海洋的设置，无论是字面上还是比喻上，以提高理解，因此我们可以在所有时间和空间尺度上模拟和预测人类影响地球化学和物理过程。ALOHA有线观测台（ACO）是我们星球上最深的有线海洋观测台。ACO位于4728米水深的ALOHA站海底，为新的、令人兴奋的、全球相关的科学和技术提供基础设施和数据。该观测站补充了准月度夏威夷海洋时间序列（HOT）船基测量和共同位于ALOHA站的伍兹霍尔/HOT（WHOTS）水面系泊。这三个项目共同提供了开阔海洋中高分辨率的全水柱测量。这些数据与来自许多相关过程研究的数据一起形成了以一个位置为中心的独特的、多变量的、长期的海洋状态数据集。随着相对较高的功率（1200 W），数据带宽（100 Mb/s）和精确定时的可用性，一套基本的核心观测，以及一个新的远程操作的车辆（ACO）即将上线，ACO可以支持新的和创新的科学研究，在自己的权利，以及补充HOT和其他站ALOHA科学。科学问题包括：有多少碳被输出到远洋深处、底栖生物和沉积物？是什么控制着营养物注入真光层的事件，以及输出到深海的事件？在整个水柱中混合的生物和物理细节以及影响是什么？深海中的生物和物理能量学是什么？亚重力波模型的性能如何？海洋哺乳动物的数量和行为如何随时间变化？被动声学可以用来推断海洋温度吗？我们能从海底压力中了解海啸和地震事件吗？解决这些具有挑战性的问题将需要技术进步，如分布式海底阵列和水柱剖面系泊。这笔赠款支持ACO继续为科学界运作和维护。堆芯仪器将进行维修、部署和维护，包括基本传感器包（压力、荧光计和温度/盐度）。所有数据，包括真实的时间视频和音频流，是公开的。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

The long-term ocean monitoring site 100 km north of Oahu, Hawaii known as station ALOHA (A Long-term Oligotrophic Habitat Assessment) has been the location of repeated observations since the late 1980's. More recently, a deep-sea observatory, cabled to shore, was established near station ALOHA. The ALOHA Cabled Observatory (ACO) was deployed in June 2011 and supports innovative scientific research at Station ALOHA. The ACO provides the ocean science community with essential infrastructure and access for sustained science at Station ALOHA, an oligotrophic (desert) site representative of a large fraction of the global ocean. As the deepest operational cabled station, it enables the development, testing and operation for science of new ocean observing sensors and technology, from the abyss to the surface. ALOHA is one setting where it will be possible to connect the ocean from top to bottom, both literally and figuratively, to improve understanding so we can model and predict for human impacts biogeochemical and physical processes at all temporal and spatial scales.The ALOHA Cabled Observatory (ACO) is the deepest operating cabled ocean observatory on our planet. Situated on the seafloor at Station ALOHA in 4728 m water depth, the ACO provides infrastructure and data for new and exciting, globally relevant science and technology. The observatory complements the quasi-monthly Hawaii Ocean Timeseries (HOT) ship-based measurements and Woods Hole/HOT (WHOTS) surface mooring co-located at Station ALOHA. Together, these three programs uniquely provide high-resolution, full-water column measurements in the open ocean. These data together with those from many associated process studies form a unique, multivariate, long-term data set of the ocean state centered at one location. With the availability of relatively high power (1200 W), data bandwidth (100 Mb/s) and precise timing, a basic suite of core observations, and a new remotely operated vehicle (ROV) coming on-line, the ACO can support new and innovative science studies, in their own right as well as to complement HOT and other Station ALOHA science. Science questions include: How much carbon is exported to pelagic depths, the benthos and the sediment? What governs nutrient injection events into the euphotic zone, and export events to the deeper sea? What are the coupled biological and physical details and impacts of mixing throughout the water column? What are the biological and physical energetics in the abyssal ocean? How well are infra-gravity wave models performing? How do marine mammal populations and behaviors change over time? Can passive acoustics be used to infer ocean temperature? What can we learn about tsunamis and seismic events from the bottom pressure? Addressing such challenging questions will require technology advances such as distributed bottom arrays and water column profiling moorings. This grant supports continued ACO operations and maintenance for the scientific community. Core instrumentation will be repaired, deployed, and maintained, including a basic sensor package (pressure, fluorometer, and temperature/salinity). All data, including real time video and audio streams, are publicly available.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.