Researchers design ocean probes

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) division of ocean sciences has awarded nearly $1m (£0.6m) to scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, to develop a breed of ocean-probing instruments.

Jules Jaffe and Peter Franks will spearhead an effort to design and deploy autonomous underwater explorers, or AUEs, that will capture the fine details of oceanographic processes vital to tiny marine inhabitants.

By capturing data on localised currents, temperature, salinity, pressure and biological properties, the AUEs will offer new information about a range of ocean phenomena.

‘These innovative AUEs will allow researchers to sample the environments of coastal regions and to better understand how small organisms operate in the complex surroundings of the oceans,’ said Phillip Taylor of NSF’s division of ocean sciences.

The miniature robots will aid in obtaining information needed for developing marine-protected areas, determining critical nursery habitats for fish and other animals, tracking harmful algae blooms and monitoring oil spills.