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Investigating marine lifeInvestigating marine life
Tecnology Tecnology -- TransportationTransportation
Scientists must be able to reach all the different marine
habitats.
Due to the great depths of the oceans, scientists themselves
often cannot go to the places they are interested in studying.
In these cases, hi-tech instruments and unmanned vehicles are
used.
Tecnology Tecnology -- TransportationTransportationResearch Vessels (R/Vs)
Technology Technology -- TransportationTransportationResearch Vessels (R/Vs)
Research vessels can be anything from small boats (for near-shore
work)
to very large ships capable of oceanic research lasting several
months at sea.
They provide a mobile platform for marine research and can carry a
wide variety of sampling and surveying equipment. Most research
vessels have laboratory space on board so that researchers can
begin to analyze the material they collect during a cruise.
Technology Technology -- TransportationTransportationResearch Vessels (R/Vs)
Research vessels provide a home and launching base for
manned submersibles such as the NAUTILE, and other deep-diving
vessels.
Technology Technology -- TransportationTransportationResearch Vessels (R/Vs)
The decks of research vessels can become congested with the large
amount of equipment used to study the oceans.
Technology Technology –– TransportationTransportationManned SubmersiblesManned Submersibles
Submersibles allow marine scientists to go down
to great depths for viewing and sampling
organisms in their natural settings.
These vessels are compact and are dependent
on surface support vessels, such as the ALVIN,
the JOHNSON SEALINK, or Russia's MIR.
Technology Technology –– TransportationTransportationManned SubmersiblesManned Submersibles
They can also be military submarines converted
for oceanographic research. Groundbreaking
research, such as the discovery of hydrothermal vents, has been done in submersibles.
They are not capable of reaching the deepest ocean regions, are costly to
operate, and lack the versatility and endurance of Remotely Operated
Vehicles.
Technology Technology –– TransportationTransportationRemotelyRemotely--Operated Vehicles (Operated Vehicles (ROVsROVs))
ROVs are unmanned vessels that give scientists
the opportunity to study and collect organismsfrom greater depths than manned submersibles,
without the risk to human life, and at less expense
and effort.
ROVs are becoming the primary tool for studying
the biodiversity of the deepest oceanic
ecosystems.
They are linked to a surface support R/V that
controls their underwater activity and transports
them to and from the research site.
Technology Technology –– TransportationTransportationRemotelyRemotely--Operated Vehicles (Operated Vehicles (ROVsROVs))
VIDEO
Technology Technology –– TransportationTransportationAutonomous Underwater Vehicles (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVsAUVs))
Like ROVS, AUVs are useful
unmanned exploration vessels capable
of going deeper, for longer, and at less
cost and effort than manned
submersibles.
They have the added benefit of being able to
act and move on their own and collect
samples without constant direct input from a
surface-based R/V control station.
Technology Technology –– TransportationTransportationAutonomous Underwater Vehicles (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVsAUVs))
VIDEO
Technology Technology –– TransportationTransportationDeepDeep--Towed Vehicles (Towed Vehicles (DTVsDTVs))
DTVs are towed behind a research
vessel as it traverses a plotted path
across the ocean.
They are more simple than ROVs and
AUV, but are useful as platforms for a
variety of different oceanographic
instruments that measure biological,
chemical, and physical aspects of the
ocean.
Technology Technology –– TransportationTransportationDeepDeep--Towed Vehicles (Towed Vehicles (DTVsDTVs))
There are many different types of
towed vehicles, such as the Moving
Vessel Profiler (MVP) that can house a
video plankton counter or similar
device.
At the same time, several external
sensors can be carried that record various
physical qualities such as temperature
and current speed.
Technology Technology –– TransportationTransportationDeepDeep--Towed Vehicles (Towed Vehicles (DTVsDTVs))
There are many different types of
towed vehicles, such as the Moving
Vessel Profiler (MVP) that can house a
video plankton counter or similar
device.
At the same time, several external
sensors can be carried that record various
physical qualities such as temperature
and current speed.
Technology Technology –– TransportationTransportationDeepDeep--Towed Vehicles (Towed Vehicles (DTVsDTVs))
The DTV BRIDGET, moves up and down near the ocean floor,
like a yo-yo, to study plumes associated with hydrothermal
vents.
It carries instruments designed specifically to study
hydrothermal vents.
TechnologyTechnology
TransportationTransportation
ObservationObservation
-- AcousticAcoustic
Technology Technology –– AcousticAcousticSideSide--Scan SONARScan SONAR
Side-Scan SONAR is a type of
acoustic technology used for
mapping the ocean floor and
for tracking schools of fish.
This is a well-established
technique for studying marine
life.
Technology Technology –– AcousticAcousticSideSide--Scan SONARScan SONAR
Pulses of sound are projected
by a ship or a towed device.
As the sound waves bounce
off objects, whether living
things or physical features of
the ocean floor, they reflect
back to the ship.
This generates an image of
the shapes from the reflected
sound.
Scientists use Side-Scan
SONAR to "see" in the ocean.
Technology Technology –– AcousticAcousticSideSide--Scan SONARScan SONAR
An actual SONAR-generated
picture demonstrating how
effective Side-Scan SONAR
can be at distinguishing
differences in the composition
of the ocean floor.
Technology Technology –– AcousticAcousticSideSide--Scan SONARScan SONAR
VIDEO
Technology Technology –– AcousticAcousticStandard & MultiStandard & Multi--Frequency Echo SoundersFrequency Echo Sounders
Standard and Multi-Frequency
Echo Sounders, also called
Multi-Beam SONAR, allow
scientists to estimate the size
of plankton and fish
populations.
Technology Technology –– AcousticAcousticStandard & MultiStandard & Multi--Frequency Echo SoundersFrequency Echo Sounders
Echo sounders may also be
used for species identification.
This acoustic technologyincreases the success of
imaging animals underwater
as fish species respond
differently to different sound
frequencies, and produce
different acoustic signals.
Technology Technology –– AcousticAcousticStandard & MultiStandard & Multi--Frequency Echo SoundersFrequency Echo Sounders
VIDEO
Technology Technology –– AcousticAcousticStandard & MultiStandard & Multi--Frequency Echo SoundersFrequency Echo Sounders
Actual output data of animal
movements in the water
column; collected using an
echo sounder.
Technology Technology –– AcousticAcousticStandard & MultiStandard & Multi--Frequency Echo SoundersFrequency Echo Sounders
The greatly increased
coverage effectiveness of
multi beam versus single
beam echo sounding.
Technology Technology –– AcousticAcousticBottomBottom--Penetrating SoundersPenetrating Sounders
Used for mapping both the
surface of the ocean floor and
structures of different density
below the floor.
Rocks, sunken ships, mud,
sand and masses of animals
all have different densities.
An airgun array, such as this, shoots
compressed air that makes noise
used to map the sea floor and what
lies beneath it.
Technology Technology –– AcousticAcousticBottomBottom--Penetrating SoundersPenetrating Sounders
They reveal these features as
discrete images. This is useful
not only for the study of
physical attributes of the
ocean floor, but also for
studying habitats, which aids
in determining the numbers of
organisms in a given area.Reflection of sound waves off of hard surfaces
and back up to a receiver can be used to accurately determine the shape of the sea floor.
Technology Technology –– AcousticAcousticBottomBottom--Penetrating SoundersPenetrating Sounders
Refraction of sound waves are good for more accurate
study of what lies below the surface because sound travels
through, and bounces off, different seafloor sediments in
very different ways.
An image created by profiling
below the seafloor (called
sub-bottom profiling) using a
bottom-penetrating sounder.
Technology Technology –– AcousticAcoustic
Towed ArraysTowed Arrays
Emit and receive sound for
acoustic research. They are
towed behind a research vessel
and are one to several units
long.
They provide an advantage over
devices attached to a ship in that
they are farther away from
interfering engine noises.
They can work in concert with each other to provide an overlapping series
of emitted sounds and of reflected sounds. This creates a higher resolution
acoustic image.
TechnologyTechnology
TransportationTransportation
ObservationObservation
-- AcousticAcoustic
-- OpticalOptical
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Video Plankton Recorders (Video Plankton Recorders (VPRsVPRs))
VPRs afford a relatively
inexpensive and effective way of
sampling large portions of the
ocean for pelagic organisms. In
VPRs a towed box moves water
past a video camera, recording
images either continually or at
pre-determined times.
They can be set to different
resolutions to record a variety of
planktonic organisms as small
as some diatoms, but are ideal
for imaging larger zooplanktonsuch as copepods and the
larvae of many other marine
animals.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Video Plankton Recorders (Video Plankton Recorders (VPRsVPRs))
Underwater video microscope
system that that takes images of
plankton and particulate matter
as small as 50 microns and up to
a few centimeters in size.
The instrument is used to help
scientists quickly measure the
distributional patterns of
plankton without destroying their
delicate forms, as can happen
when using nets and bottles.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Video Plankton Recorders (Video Plankton Recorders (VPRsVPRs))
How does it work?A video camera mounted in one of the
arms focuses on a point midway
between the two arms. A strobe on the
other arm illuminates the imaged
volume and flashes 60 times per
second, producing 60 images per
second of the particles and plankton in
the water. The images are then saved
internally on a computer hard disk and
later plotted.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Video Plankton Recorders (Video Plankton Recorders (VPRsVPRs))
VPRs can be towed by research
vessels or commercial cargo ships
that cross large areas of the ocean.
For maximum effectiveness, they can
be attached to trawls and other
sampling instruments to obtain an
accurate and useful picture of the
diversity of plankton in the open
ocean.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Optical plankton counters (Optical plankton counters (OPCsOPCs) & Laser ) & Laser OPCsOPCs
Optical plankton (or particle) counters
work in a similar way to VPRs,
allowing a stream of ocean water to
pass by a recording device that can
count the number of plankton-sized
particles in the water.
When calibrated with the speed of
the vessel towing the OPC,
scientists can calculate the
amount of water sampled to
determine the number of
organisms per volume of ocean
water.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Optical plankton counters (Optical plankton counters (OPCsOPCs) & Laser ) & Laser OPCsOPCs
In addition to counting the number of
particles of different sizes, laser OPCs
can record an image of the silhouette
of particles passing through it,
allowing for species identification of
certain larger planktonic organisms
such as krill and large copepods
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Optical plankton counters (Optical plankton counters (OPCsOPCs) & Laser ) & Laser OPCsOPCs
Like VPRs, OPCs are generally
housed inside a towed vehicle such as
the Moving Vessel Profiler (MVP) or
attached to trawls, etc., to allow for a
more thorough investigation of the
marine environment.
Jumbo squid cruiseJumbo squid cruise
(Using O(Using OPCPC in Panama)in Panama)
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Chill out moments after using OChill out moments after using OPCPC!!!!!! The best fisherman
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Time-Lapse Cameras
In order to view what is happening
below the ocean surface,
oceanographic researchers use a
variety of still-image and video
cameras.
Some cameras hang suspended
in the water column, observing
pelagic life, while others are
placed on the seafloor, to catalog
the diversity of the benthos.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Time-Lapse Cameras
These cameras are generally
combined with other instruments that
record the physical properties of the
surrounding waters, such as
temperature, salinity, and available
light and nutrients.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Time-Lapse Cameras
One of the latest pieces of technology
used by Census researchers is the
"bathysnap," a camera that can take
multiple images over a preset period
of time (called time-lapse
photography).
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Time-Lapse Cameras
This camera sits on a large tripod on the sea floor to collect images, over time, of
the benthic habitat. The camera uses powerful flash bulbs to light up a
photographed area approximately 2m2, acting like a photographic quadrat
sample. Combined with instruments that record current speed and direction as
well as the temperature of the water, the Time-Lapse Camera Tripod provides
scientists with data on the movement and basic behavior of deep-sea organisms
in the context of the physical conditions they experience. This technology is a
great research tool for viewing the ocean floor and its inhabitants.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Time-Lapse Cameras
Combined with instruments that record current speed and direction as well as the
temperature of the water, the Time-Lapse Camera Tripod provides scientists with
data on the movement and basic behavior of deep-sea organisms in the context
of the physical conditions they experience. This technology is a great research
tool for viewing the ocean floor and its inhabitants.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Time-Lapse Cameras
Combined with instruments that record current speed and direction as well as the
temperature of the water, the Time-Lapse Camera Tripod provides scientists with
data on the movement and basic behavior of deep-sea organisms in the context
of the physical conditions they experience. This technology is a great research
tool for viewing the ocean floor and its inhabitants.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Sediment Profile Imaging (SPI)
SPI allows researchers to
quickly and easily take pictures
of the top layers of the seafloor.
A camera is mounted to a prism
that is pushed 15 to 20
centimeters (~6-8 inches) deep
into the sediment.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Sediment Profile Imaging (SPI)
A mirror on the prism reflects a
perfect cross-sectional image up
to a camera. This technique
minimizes disturbance and is
therefore an effective method of
studying biodiversity as well as
biological (ex. animal burrows)
and physical (ex. sediment
layering) features.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Sediment Profile Imaging (SPI)
A series of photographs can be
taken to produce a time-lapse
movie that provides scientists
with information about how
organisms behave and how the
structure of the sediment
changes.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Sediment Profile Imaging (SPI)
Advantages
Useful tool for rapidly collecting data and analyzing a suite of seafloor parameters. These include:
1. sediment grain size,
2. camera prism penetration depth (an indirect measure of sediment density),
3. transition between oxygenated surface sediments and underlying sediments with little or no oxygen (called the apparent redox potential discontinuity layer),
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Sediment Profile Imaging (SPI)
Advantages
4. biological successional stage
5. presence of methane gas bubbles, burrows, fauna, and dredged material.
Limitations
. The small sample "footprint" is the main
limitation of this technique. It is difficult to relate the sample footprint to an entire habitat, so SPI is
often used in combination with other techniques.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Underwater Video Profiler (UVP)
In addition to plankton, this
instrument can study suspended
particles and environmental
conditions associated with the
observed organisms.
The UVP uses high-resolution
cameras and a powerful lighting
system to record video of
zooplankton and large
phytoplankton as it passes
through the water column.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Underwater Video Profiler (UVP)
The profiler's images are not
quantitative like those from an
Optical Plankton Counter, but
this technology does provide a
useful catalog of organisms
found at different depths at a
given research site.
The profiler can generate
spectacular images similar to
those from a ROV or manned
submersible, but at much less
effort and expense.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Autonomous Lander Vehicles
Autonomous Lander Vehicles
(ALV) are designed to record
time-lapse photographic images
of marine life on the ocean floor
down to depths of 6000 meters.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Autonomous Lander Vehicles
The basic ALV is a metal frame that
supports a host of scientific
instruments to measure physical
properties such as conductivity,
temperature, depth, and current
speed. With high resolution
photographic equipment, they can
autonomously record time-lapse
images over a period from days to
months.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Autonomous Lander Vehicles
All Landers are positively buoyant,
so that when they have completed
their tasks, weights can be released
by an acoustic command from a
Research Vessel. The Autonomous
Lander Vehicle then ascends to the
ocean surface for recovery.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Autonomous Lander Vehicles
Much is stilll unknown about organisms living at these extreme depths. ALV
technology is proving valuable in gaining an understanding of the distributions,
abundances, and lifestyles of deep-sea benthic organisms.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Quadrat Sampling- Passive
Quadrat sampling is a
classic tool for the study
of ecology, especially
biodiversity. In general,
a series of squares
(quadrats) of a set size
are placed in a habitat of
interest and the species
within those quadrats are
identified and recorded.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Quadrat Sampling- Passive
Passive quadrat sampling
(done without removing
the organisms found
within the quadrat) can
be either done by hand,
with researchers carefully
sorting through each
individual quadrat or,
more efficiently, can be
done by taking a
photograph of the
quadrat for future
analysis.
Technology Technology –– OpticalOptical
Quadrat Sampling- Passive
Abundances of
organisms found at the
study site can be
calculated using the:
.number found per
quadrat and
. the size of the quadrat
area.
Technique that is best
suited for coastal areas
where access to a habitat
is relatively easy.