Projects – ASIMOV

Measuring the concentrations and distribution of nutrients in seawater is critical for understanding life in the ocean. Phytoplankton form the foundation of the marine food web and play a fundamental role in regulating the uptake of carbon dioxide and the production of oxygen in the ocean. In the open ocean, their growth is often limited by the availability of the nutrients nitrate and phosphate, although these nutrients can be a pollutant in the coastal regions where human activity can increase their concentrations quickly. Despite the importance of marine nutrients, our ability to easily and repeatedly measure them in the open seas is limited by a lack of reliable sensors that can be readily deployed on underwater autonomous vehicles. The Autonomous Sensors for fast In-situ Measurements of nutrient biogeochemical essential Ocean Variables (ASIMOV) project will improve our capability to collect scientifically needed observations of open ocean nutrient profiles with sensors on autonomous gliders. With this capability, we will be able to better study and quantify processes and rates of biogeochemical processes in the ocean, which will help improve models, inform policy, and observe the impacts of climate change.