An autonomous underwater vehicle for characterizing remote lakes

要求YSI Ecomapper自主水下航行器配备6波束多普勒速度记录器（DVL）。这个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。所支持的研究项目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，以更好地了解对鱼类体内汞含量空间变异的控制，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，比如水温、pH值，甚至湖泊深度。

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.