Layered Organization in the Coastal Ocean: Acoustical Data Acquisition, Analyses and Synthesis.

摘要

The long-term goal of our research is to improve our ability to observe the ocean's plants, animals, and their physical and chemical environment at the scales that control how they live, reproduce, and die. In August and September 2005 we collected acoustical volume scattering and ancillary environmental data in the northeastern corner of Monterey Bay, CA. The effort was a part of a multi-investigator ONR field experiment titled Layered Organization in the Coastal Ocean (LOCO). The effort in 2005 (LOCO 2005) was followed in July 2006 by a second occupation of the same shallow, shelf area in Monterey Bay (LOCO 2006). Our highest priority during both experiments was to support our colleagues in the larger LOCO effort with timely data regarding the zooplankton and micronekton response to the physical and biological (food, predators and prey) fields at a carefully selected process study site. We used a suite of environmental and acoustical sensors to do this, with data being transmitted from an array of sensors offshore via real-time telemetry to our shore-station, followed by distribution to the LOCO group by e-mail, meetings, telemetry to participating ships, and a project web site for use by LOCO participants. For our own basic research focus, we utilized sensors designed detect the presence, distribution and numbers of zooplankters, micronekton and small gas bubbles that might be associated with thin phytoplankton layers. Our work during FY 2006 was divided between analyzing data from the first experiment and preparing for the second field period.