We Consult With Ocean Engineers

IVER-3 AUV with deployable external payload. Photo credit: Dr. Gero Nootz, USM Ocean Exploration Lab. https://sites.google.com/view/ocean-exploration-lab/research-projects/auv-payload-deployment-system?authuser=0

This week was dedicated to preparing for nutrient monitoring research that we have planned for the coming months - and by coming months I mean post-October and maybe even post-December. We purchased an awesome piece of technology earlier this year to measure nitrate concentrations at river mouths and in the estuaries of the northern Gulf of Mexico, but because I have no experience with this technology, I didn't check all the specifications of the equipment, which means that it currently is not operational. This sensor has three major components: the sensor, the cable, and the interface box. The cable is meant to both supply the sensor with power and to transfer data, through the interface box, but the cable we purchased is too long for the system. Additionally, we purchased a 50 meter cable, which is too long for our sampling protocols because we want to integrate the sensor on an IVER submersible, which is an autonomous underwater vehicle that looks like a submarine missile. This submersible powers its way through the water and you can add sensors to the vehicle to collect data during its sampling trips. Therefore, a really long cable (50 meters is more than 150 feet) will not fit inside the IVER, which means that we need to get a more suitable solution.

Additionally, we are planning to collect data by deploying the sensor over the side of the boat, and lowering the sensor down into the water. Again, 50 meters is far too long of a cable for this application, since most of the coastal Gulf of Mexico is < 15 meters. Additionally, the 50 meter cable doesn't connect to our power source, so we met with our ocean engineering colleagues to discuss how to integrate the sensor into the IVER, what cable they would prefer, and to talk through the early phases of this research project. Our hope is to come to a decision on what items we need to purchase in the next few weeks so that we can send back any materials to the company and get new parts to create a suitable, deployable sensor.

Next week is a fun week, as I will be spending Monday with a group of teachers in Louisiana as part of a teacher workshop, and I will also have some model runs to complete as we work to finish the first project of my postdoc. Stay tuned for more updates.

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