A request is made to fund additional and back-up instrumentation on the R/V Atlantis, a 274? general purpose Global vessel; the R/V Knorr, a 279?general purpose Global vessel; and the R/V Oceanus, a 177?, general purpose, Intermediate vessel. All three vessels are operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System research fleet. The request includes four items listed by priority: 1) LADCP Instruments 2) SWR/LWR Met Sensors 3) Soutar Box Core 4) Knudsen 3260 Echosounder 5) SBE 19+ CTD 6) Multi-Channel LSC
Broader Impacts: The acquisition, maintenance and operation of shared-use instrumentation allows NSF-funded researchers from any US university or lab access to working, calibrated instruments for their research, reducing the cost of that research, and expanding the base of potential researchers.
2010 NSF Instrumentation Grant OCE-1023335, Project Outcomes Equipment and instrumentation purchased under this grant is incorporated into the shared-use pool made available to researchers using to vessels operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). These assets may be further utilized by other institutions and research vessels within the UNOLS community if permitted by the schedule. The HIDEX 300 SL multi –vial liquid scintillation counter was delivered and is operational. The unit has been installed in WHOI’s isotope van and has been deployed successfully for two cruises. The Soutar Box Core was delivered in June of 2010. Upon inspection of the new corer it was determined that significant changes were made to the design from the one operated by Duke University. Ocean Instruments was contacted and modifications were made to the instrument to replicate the expected design. The modified corer has been tested and is ready for deployment.. The SWR and LWR solar radiation sensors were not ordered as it was determined after inspection of the physical sensors that it would be too difficult and expensive to integrate them into the existing data acquisition system with any degree of reliability. While pursuing other options for these sensors, additional expenditures related to the installation of the new Kongsberg EM122 multibeam were incurred. These include new wiring in the Atlantis main lab and an underwater extension cable for the transducer array.
