WORKSHOP:
Ocean observing infrastructure and sensing —
Technical lessons learned and best practices

SOEST logo National Science Foundation (NSF) logo

Contents

MBARI logo MBARI hosts the workshop!
23–25 September 2016

Project Summary

Overview

Over the last decade many ocean observatories and related components have been installed. In the process new technology has been developed and older technology refined, with concomitant lessons learned and an improved understanding of best practices. This workshop gathers together a select group of ocean technologists to document the new innovations, problems encountered, the solutions (if known), and suggestions for further efforts to improve performance and reliability. The workshop will be held at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) with ~20 participants planned over a 3-day period in September 2016, just following Ocean2016. The workshop will be open with invitees from academia, industry and government, with international participation.

Intellectual Merit

In many of the current and new ocean observatories there have been failures that impact both the engineering infrastructure as well the the science sensors and their performance. In one specific example, the deep ALOHA Cabled Observatory (ACO) has had with instruments failing, some after months of working well. Similar issues are occurring with other deployed observing systems. Our community needs to work through these common engineering challenges so that ocean observing can reliably include a more diverse, more interdisciplinary, and more power hungry set of sensors and platforms.

The workshop will focus on the technical aspects of observatory infrastructure (both backbone and sensor network infrastructure), with representation from both cabled and autonomous mooring systems. The topics to be covered can be categorized into three subject areas: connector/cable infrastructure issues; standard operating procedures and control systems issues, and fouling/aggression issues.

Broader Impacts

Humankind is advancing into the ocean realm more and more so: ocean observing, oil and gas, mining, and more. We need to learn how to do this efficiently and reliably. The systems that are the subject of this workshop are one facet of this larger, long-term, on-going effort. The lessons learned and documented in the workshop will inform the entire community. We will include several STEM students to give them exposure to these real-world problems.

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OOI workshop group photo

OOI workshop group photo

1. Bob Houtman, NSF
2. Dana Manalang, APL-UW
3. Bruce Howe, UHawaii
4. Katsuyoshi Kawaguchi, JAMSTEC
5. Sheri White, WHOI
6. John Flynn, Teledyne ODI
7. Eric McRae, APL-UW
8. Chris Meinen, NOAA
9. Adrian Round, ONC
10. Stephanie Petillo, WHOI
11. Judah Goldberg, Seabird
12. John Reardon, L3-Maripro
13. Hank Lobe, Severn Marine Technologies
14. Greg Johnson, RBR

15. Keith Tamburri, ROPOS
16. Chris Grech, MBARI
17. Alan McCleary, Teledyne ODI
18. Chris Dawe, MBARI
19. Mike Harrington, APL-UW
20. Ingo Rutenberg, RBR
21. Menno Huizinga, OceanWorks
22. Mike Kelly, MBARI
23. Steve Gloor, Teledyne
24. Antoine Lecroart, ASN
25. Mario Sedita, INFN
26. Paul Macoun, ONC
27. Klaus Leismuller, INFN
28. João Borges de Sousa, UPorto

29. Yanhu Chen, Zhejiang University
30. Kevin Hardy, Global Ocean Design
31. Bradley Hunter, NAVFAC
32. Chris Kontoes, RBR
33. Ronan Michel, ASN
34. Blue Eisen, UHawaii
35. Jeff Bosma, ONC
36. Phil Reynolds, OceanWorks
37. Gene Massion, MBARI
38. Ian Kulin, ONC
39. John Lund, WHOI
40. Feng Zhang, Zhongtian Technology Marine
41. Matthew Palanza, WHOI

Click here for the original unlabeled image (courtesy of MBARI).

 

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Project Description

Introduction

Over the last decade many ocean observatories and related components have been installed. In the process new technology has been developed and older technology refined, with concomitant lessons learned and an improved understanding of best practices. This workshop gathers together a select group of ocean technologists to document the new innovations, problems encountered, the solutions (if known), and suggestions for further efforts to improve performance and reliability.

Background

The current “phase” of in situ ocean observing infrastructure includes fixed cabled systems such as DONET, ALOHA Cabled Observatory (ACO), MARS, NEPTUNE/VENUS/ONC, and Cabled Array/OOI, as well as OOI Endurance/Pioneer/Global Arrays, OceanSites and other moorings, Argo floats and derivatives, autonomous surface and underwater vehicles including gliders, and more. There are many new sensors, notably optical and wet chemistry. Many problems/failures encountered continue to be cables and connectors, corrosion, and biofouling. This new observing infrastructure and these new sensors can exacerbate these problems. For example, cabled observatories usually send more power over longer distances than used in uncabled systems; new sensors often require more power and can be more susceptible to biofouling than typical observatory sensors; powering mobile platforms so they can be used for observing time scales is challenging and mobile platforms have a wider variety of failure modes than stationary platforms; and problems associated with the nature of fixed observatories may impact the measurements (e.g., “heat island” effects).

The immediate motivation and objective of the PI is to obtain information that might shed light on and help rectify problems the deep ACO has had with instruments failing, some after months of working well. Similar issues are occurring with other deployed observing systems. Our community needs to work through these common engineering challenges so that ocean observing can include a more diverse, more interdisciplinary, and more power hungry set of sensors and platforms.

Workshop Focus

The workshop will focus on the technical aspects of observatory infrastructure (both backbone and “sensor network infrastructure”), with representation from both cabled and autonomous mooring systems. The topics to be covered can be categorized into three subject areas:

Workshop Organization

The workshop will be held at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) with ~20 participants planned over a 3-day period 23–25 September 2016 (just after Oceans2016 in Monterey). The workshop will be open; the table below indicates possible people to invite, many who have already expressed interest in this topic. Most are “academic” with some from industry and government.

The workshop will consist of invited talks where the speakers present case studies, breakout groups to address specific topics, and then a writing phase. The focus will be on addressing:

  1. What significant problems were identified in the particular case,
  2. What were the solution(s),
  3. What were the specific lessons learned, and
  4. What are the appropriate specific and generalized best practices?

The problems could include the design of a new ocean observing component. A subset of the participants will be asked to address and reformulate and focus the presentations and to lead discussion, to arrive at general conclusions. This discussion would be facilitated by forming smaller working groups for specific topic areas, either by platform, or by root cause, for instance. On the third day (and beyond), a subset of the participants will remain and write a complete report that will be posted on a simple web site, as well as an Eos meeting report article, an Oceans technical paper to be presented at an Oceans Conference, and a subsequent article in the IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering; the editor thereof encourages the submittal of a workshop report in the form of a technical communication.

Workshop Steering Committee

The Workshop Steering Committee will consist of Bruce Howe (UH, ACO), Adrian Round (UVic, Ocean Networks Canada), Dana Manalang (APL-UW, OOI), Jonathan Fram (OSU, OOI), Mike Kelly (MBARI), Sheri White (WHOI, OOI) and Katsuyoshi Kawaguchi (JAMSTEC, DONET). These people have agreed to assist in the planning (including this proposal), setting the scope and the invitation list, helping to run the workshop, and to assist with the reporting.

Project Management

The PI, Bruce Howe, will coordinate the effort supported by the steering committee, with project support provided by Karynne Morgan.

Broader Impacts

Humankind is advancing into the ocean realm more and more so – ocean observing, oil and gas, mining, and more. We need to learn how to do this efficiently and reliably. The systems that are the subject of this workshop are one facet of this larger, long-term, on-going effort. The lessons learned and documented in the workshop will inform the entire community. We will include several STEM students to give them exposure to these real-world problems.

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