Robotic Reef

Katie Shamberger, assistant professor at Texas A&M University, checks the Remote Access Sampler (RAS) on Dongsha Atoll, a coral reef ecosystem in the South China Sea. The RAS is a robotic sampler designed to collect water samples on a programmed schedule to enable scientists to monitor changes in ocean chemistry, specifically pH, caused by internal waves.  At the same time, other instruments are tracking the coral reef response to changes in water chemistry, temperature and nutrients. The project, led by WHOI scientist Anne Cohen, will provide new insights into the impact of ocean acidification on coral reef ecosystems worldwide. (Photo by Thomas DeCarlo, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)