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Multi-tasking in Ocean Research

October 26, 2011

The Sea Cycler winch, being deployed from the R/V Oceanus, is the largest component of the Global Hybrid Profiler and will eventually be included as part of the Ocean Observatories Initiative Global Scale Node. The winch and accompanying instrument package (including a surface-piercing antenna, not shown) are raised and lowered in the water column to measure the water’s physical properties. The package also includes a more traditional moored profiler that samples below the Sea Cycler, making it “‘hybrid” instrument. The various components transmit data both inductively and acoustically, and send it in near real-time back to shore when the antenna surfaces. (Photo by John Lund, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)