Optical measurements from underwater-towed vehicles deployed from ships-of-opportunity in the North Sea

Robert Williams; James Aiken

doi:10.1117/12.20354

1 August 1990 Optical measurements from underwater-towed vehicles deployed from ships-of-opportunity in the North Sea

Robert Williams, James Aiken

Proceedings Volume 1269, Environment and Pollution Measurement Sensors and Systems; (1990) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.20354
Event: The International Congress on Optical Science and Engineering, 1990, The Hague, Netherlands

Abstract

Since 1988 oceanographic vehicles equipped with a variety of optical sensors have been deployed successfully from ships-of-opportunity in the North Sea as part of an environmental monitoring programme. The towed vehicles are deployed and recovered by the ship's crew and the instrument packages are activated automatically during the tow by electronic sea water switches. The vehicles carry sensors for measuring chlorophyll fluorescence, turbidity, conductivity, temperature, depth and upwelling and downwelling light in three wavebands; the measurements are stored in a solid state logger. The filters used in the irradiance sensors have wavelengths at 412, 450 and 550 nm with sensitivity at 0.1 pW cm2. The light measurements are used for the determination of the diffuse attenuation coefficient and the reflectance of blue light (R4l2, R450) and green light (R55O) and together with measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence are being used for the development of an algorithm for estimation of primary production in coastal waters and the open sea. Data are shown from a number of fixed-depth and variable-depth vehicle deployments from selected shipping routes in 1988/89, including a Copenhagen, Kattegat, Skagerrak, North Sea, Harwich route. From March 1990 a nutrient sensor measuring combined nitrite, nitrate in a continuous flow analyser will be carried by these towed vehicles.

Citation Download Citation

Robert Williams and James Aiken "Optical measurements from underwater-towed vehicles deployed from ships-of-opportunity in the North Sea", Proc. SPIE 1269, Environment and Pollution Measurement Sensors and Systems, (1 August 1990); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.20354

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