Ocean Observatories
Citizens, sailors, and scientists have observed the seas for
centuries. First from the shore, then from ships and submersibles, and
recently from satellites.
Along the way, scientists and engineers learned that they could
sometimes leave
instruments in the ocean, secured by wires, buoys, weights, and
floats—also
known as the moored observatory. Each approach has advanced our
understanding of the oceans and their interaction with the Earth and
the atmosphere.
The next big leap will be ocean observatories--suites of instruments
and sensors with long-term power supplies and permanent communications
links that can feed data to scientific laboratories and the Internet.
Spurred by
advances in computing, telecommunications, and marine architecture,
researchers
no longer want to just observe the ocean for short periods in small
places. They
are thinking big—tectonic plate big, ocean basin big, global system
big—and long-term--with decades
of studies. They will do this by building an infrastructure that
provides
a continuous flow of information and electrical power while allowing
researchers to adapt and adjust their experiments remotely as
conditions warrant.
Ocean observatories are designed to ask fundamental
questions about how the planet works. They will use novel technologies and
techniques such as satellite communications, acoustic modems, and fiber-optic
cables stretching hundreds of miles across the seafloor to ask questions of the
planet that cannot be posed by short-term expeditions.
Ocean scientists would like to sustain their observations
over months and years to see how the Earth, ocean, and atmosphere evolve. They want
to ask questions that cross scientific boundaries, such as how does ocean chemistry
affect biology or how does the geology on the seafloor affect the physics of
flowing water.
Featured observatory efforts
» Ocean Observatory Initiative: Coastal & Global Scale Nodes
» Martha's Vineyad Coastal Observatory (MVCO)