I.M.A.P.O.C.E.A.N
Integrated Multilevel Active Passive Ocean Current Education Advancement Network
Our Oceans Are Changing.
It is up to us to understand how and why.
The Experiment: Scientific and technical objectives are to execute a multilevel study of the water column using “Active” meaning Lagrangian (moving) and “Passive” meaning Eulerian (moored) monitoring tools.
The moored monitoring tool is the “Sea Horse Tilt Current Meter” stationed at different depths on Hellenic Marine Research Center (HMCR) Deep Sea Research Buoy in Pylos, Greece. These oceanographic tools, designed by scientists at Okeanolog, Lowell Instruments, and University of Rhode Island (URI) are suited for measuring waves and currents. The logger contains three sensors: a 3-axis magnetometer, 3-axis accelerometer and a thermistor.
The moving monitoring tool is the student-built oceanographic “Drifter” which uses Global Positioning System (GPS) to monitor the top 1m surface ocean currents. Such Drifters are utilized by U.S.A’s National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) to estimate fish larvae transport. Drifters can record and telemeter latitude and longitude position data in in real-time via GLOBALSTAR satellite multiple times a day. New designs incorporate biodegradable materials such as wood, bamboo, canvas, rocks for ballast. The GPS unit is attached to the top and foam buoys keep the electronic unit above the waterline. Underwater canvas sails catch the ocean current. Drifters can be built in any classroom and provide valuable real-time data for scientists as well as stakeholders while engaging students in citizen science.