IntroductionThere are enormous technological challenges in accessing and sampling hadal depths, but the recent surge in the development of deep-ocean technologies ranging from ocean landers, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and human-occupied…
Introduction
There are enormous technological challenges in accessing and sampling hadal depths, but the recent surge in the development of deep-ocean technologies ranging from ocean landers, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and human-occupied vehicles (HOVs) has allowed the oceanography of trenches to be addressed.
Ocean landers are a cost-effective class of autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle that possess a unique capacity for exceptionally quiet, extended stays on the seafloor, studying benthic communities and environments by in-situ sensing and sampling. Multiple landers can be used to survey large areas from a modest vessel using different search strategies.
Recent developments with ocean landers at the Universidad de Concepción in Chile have shown they are capable of collecting water samples at chosen depths, as well as downcast and upcast conductivity-temperature-depth plus dissolved-oxygen (CTD-O) profiles to hadal depths.
Ocean landers currently see limitations related to their data acquisition and control (DAC) systems. Most are controlled using acoustic systems operated from a surface vessel or pre-set countdown timers. In many applications, commercial sensors are often unnecessarily operated at their maximum sampling rates throughout the entire mission, depleting critical battery power.
Chilean marine researchers have derived a hybrid design for an autonomous DAC system that combines the capability
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