The University of Hawaii will undertake a project to adapt and modify a new type of oxygen sensor for oceanographic purposes. The new potentiostatic, solid-state oxygen sensor was developed for the biomedical community. Unlike existing polarographic oxygen sensors, potentiostatic sensors have no membrane and therefore have comparatively fast response to changes in oxygen levels. They have been shown to work in the laboratory and in the field, but their immediate use for environmental applications has been hampered by flow rate and temperature dependence. Experiments will determine the cause for these sources of error and improvements will be made for oceanographic and environmental purposes. This will be accomplished by drawing together expertise from ocean science, industry, and design electrochemistry. Solid-state potentiostatic oxygen sensors should provide greatly improved capabilities over present methods for making scientifically important dissolved oxygen measurements in the oceans. Developing a more reliable and more accurate dissolved oxygen sensor has been recognized as a high priority of the oceanographic research community.
