On-board equipment
Our research vessels come with a range of in-built equipment that the scientists will use on a cruise. These systems are vital to enabling measurements to be taken and samples to be collected, and without them conducting research would be a lot more difficult.
-
Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers
Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) are type of sonar (SOund Navigation And Ranging) device. They can be fitted either to the hull of a vessel and look down through the water column, fitted to CTDs or other sensors that are lowered down through the water column, or fitted to landers or moorings that sit on the sea bed and look upwards. Read more about ADCPs →
-
Air and water sampling
One of the systems that run almost constantly on the ship is the air and water sampling equipment. Information about surface temperatures and sea conditions can be used by scientists to build models of how the climate works. Read more about sampling the air and sea →
-
Data logging
Each research ship has many instruments logging data simultaneously. These instruments could be GPSs generating positions, meteorological instruments measuring temperature, humidity and air pressure, or sonars measuring the depth of the water. It is no use knowing how deep the water was if you don’t know where the ship was when that measurement was taken. The research ship is also very expensive to run and so these measurements must be recorded reliably so that the valuable data is not lost. Read more about data logging →
-
Echo-sounders
The term echo-sounder describes a way of using sound to measure distances underwater. Echo-sounders are a type of sonar (SOund Navigation And Ranging) device that can be used on ships or as part of an instrument placed underwater. Read more about echo sounders →
-
Ultra Short Base Line
Ultra Short Base Line (USBL) is a technique that uses sound waves to measure the position of an object relative to the ship underwater. It is often used to measure the position of remotely operated vehicles, towed vehicles, drills, etc. Read more about Ultra Short Base Line→
-
Winches
Scientific winches are central to the ability of a research vessel to conduct science at sea. They are used to lower and raise instruments, attached by wire, from the ship. Research ships are fitted with both portable winch systems and permanently fitted systems. Read more about scientific winches →
