Autonomous sub seeks plankton patches to save birds
ROBOTICS
Ben Coxworth
March 7th, 2019
Phytoplankton aren't just evenly distributed throughout the ocean. Instead, they occur in three-dimensional concentrated patches. A new autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is able to find and map those patches, potentially helping to preserve wildlife such as seabirds.
Named after Norwegian oceanographer Harald Sverdrup, the 2 meter-long (6.6-ft) Harald AUV was designed by a team at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
It's equipped with a device called the ECOpuck. As the watercraft autonomously cruises through a specified section of ocean, that device detects fluorescence produced by what is known as chlorophyll a. That substance is in turn produced by phytoplankton, and it fluoresces red when exposed to light.
Based on how much fluorescence is detected, and in what locations, the Harald's electronic brain can figure out where and how concentrated the patches are. The AUV then travels around them, creating a 3D map as it does so.
More:
https://newatlas.com/phytoplankton-mapping-auv/58783/
