Dropping the bucket…

On this research cruise, we are deploying many types of instrumentation to collect samples and data. The most frequently deployed instrument in known as the CTD – an acronym that stands for conductivity, temperature, and depth. These are the primary ocean parameters measured by the device – but it can measure other properties as well, such as chlorophyll concentration. In addition to taking measurements of the ocean water as it is lowered through the water column, the CTD is carried on a frame that also houses large bottles (known as Niskin bottles) that are used for the collection of seawater. These bottles can be  triggered from the ship to collect water from specific depths. The water collected on this cruise is used by cruise participants to study various biological and chemical properties of the water column. In the photo below, the science party, the crew, and the restech work together to deploy one of the day’s many CTD casts.

 

Leave a Reply